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Chapter 4: Sakura and the Other Side of Sorting
It had taken a majority of the train ride, but the conversation Sakura was having with her friends plus one unexpected-and-not-entirely-welcome addition eventually turned to the topic of the school houses.
Luna seemed to be the most ambivalent, saying, "I don't care."
"Don't care? How can you not care?" Anthony asked in a shocked tone of voice.
"Well it doesn't really matter," Luna stated.
"Yes it does. It affects lots of things, like who you go to classes with and who your head of house is," Sakura started counting off on her fingers. It was true that prior to going to Hogwarts she had held a position similar to Luna's, in her case more from ignorance than thinking it didn't matter, but she had learned over the previous year how much one's house affected things in both obvious and subtle ways.
"Not to mention the reputation you get both in school and after you graduate," Gloria was quick to add from her chair in front of the door to the cabin. Subsequent to the explosion and the window repair Gloria had gone out and retrieved a chair from somewhere and brought it into their cabin to sit on. It gave everybody a bit more sitting space, and possibly violated some health and safety regulation.
"Does it?" Luna asked. She spoke the same unconcerned tone that Sakura had come to associate with the odd girl. It gave the impression that Luna either hadn't understood something, or simply didn't care. By Luna's own declaration, it was probably the latter. "Then they must be careful to make sure we get selected for the right house, so I still don't care."
"I don't know about you, but I sure care. I'm going to go to Ravenclaw," Syaoran declared. His emphatic conviction made for a strong contrast to Luna's ambivalence.
"What makes you so sure of that?" Anthony asked.
"Sakura's in Ravenclaw, so obviously I should go to the same place she is," Syaoran said. He almost managed to not slightly stutter.
Sakura smiled at Syaoran, who smiled back at her.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way. I thought for sure I'd be sorted into Slytherin because of my brother, but I ended up in Gryffindor," Gloria said, causing reality to come crashing back down on Sakura. Right. There was the hat, and the sorting ceremony, and all of that. Sakura had completely forgotten that there was a very real chance that Syaoran wouldn't end up in the same house as her.
"Yeah. There's this big test. They got this lion, badger, snake, and raven, and you got to catch one of them with your bare hands. Whichever one you catch first they put you in that house," Anthony said. "You should go after the raven. It's the safest one to handle but you need to use your head in order to trap it, which is why we got the reputation for being the smart ones in Ravenclaw."
Luna nodded in understanding at the explanation of how the sorting worked.
"Come off it. I already know all about the sorting ceremony. We're just supposed to put on this dusty hat and it tells us where to go," Syaoran said.
"But don't forget what I told you about how it feels, too. It felt all icky and weird... like... like... something bad or something," Sakura quickly added. She didn't really have the words to describe how violated she had felt by the experience, let alone the words to describe it in English. "At least it's over fast."
"Icky?" Gloria and Anthony both asked in confusion. Both turned to look at Sakura.
Anthony quickly recovered, saying, "Right, icky. It's terrible. I can't even begin to describe how awful it felt. I felt like I was going to be sick right then and there. Can you imagine how embarrassing that'd be, to start classes by being sick in front of the whole school?"
Keroberos gave Anthony a knock on the head, interrupting his rant. He then accused him, "You're just making all that up. It's nothing like that."
"Like you know anything about the sorting. You weren't even there," Syaoran came to the defense of his fellow human, and not coincidentally picking a fight with Keroberos. It wasn't the first time Syaoran had done so on the train, not counting the times Keroberos had returned the favor and picked a fight with him.
It was the way that Keroberos and Syaoran preferred to interact with each other. Sakura didn't pretend to understand how those two boys treated each other, but they both seemed to enjoy their skirmishes over nothing in particular so Sakura just let them go at it. It wasn't like there was any particular malice in their voices, after all.
"I didn't have to be there. Can't you tell this kid is lying? First that capturing garbage and now this nonsense. It's written all over his face," Keroberos said.
"Yeah, right. What do you know about that?" Syaoran accused Keroberos with his normal facade of hostility.
"Oh, by the way," Gloria interrupted the timing the two before they could really get going, "I've been meaning to ask you. You do know that Keroberos transforms into this giant lion, right? Should you really be arguing with him that much?"
"I know," Syaoran said dismissively. "It doesn't matter. He's still a twit."
"And you're still a brat," Keroberos said his usual response.
"You mean that small thing? He can change into a lion?" Luna asked without any of the trepidation of a believer or the cynicism of a disbeliever in her voice.
"I have a name you know," Keroberos protested.
"That's right. He can turn into this big, flying, fire-breathing lion," Gloria confirmed.
"I see. Wow," Luna said. Her non-committal tone of voice was bereft of the wonder normally expected for somebody suitably impressed.
Anthony, on the other hand, had a more typical mix of hope and fear in his voice as he asked, "You're kidding. Aren't you?"
Sakura, Syaoran, and Gloria all shook their heads.
"I see. Right then," Anthony said. A new tone of respect could be heard in his voice. Or maybe it was just plain fear.
Gloria quickly changed the subject, saying, "Even if you don't end up in Ravenclaw with Sakura, it's not the end of the world. I was a bit torn up about not getting into Slytherin, but it turned out to be for the best. I'd hate to be in the same class as that git, Draco, with his merry band of dunderheads; and I got to be in the same class as the famous Harry Potter."
Sakura didn't remember Gloria being especially torn up when the Sorting Hat had placed her in Gryffindor, but who was she to contradict her friend? Instead, she added, "And we can still spend time together, even if you don't end up in the same house as me."
"Just not in classes or after curfew," Anthony said. "Then again, even if you do get into Ravenclaw, you'd still be in a different year than Sakura and will have all different classes, so not much luck there either."
"But I can still help you study for your homework. I already took all of your classes last year," Sakura said, trying to find a silver lining to that particular cloud. It did little good. When the first announcement that they would soon be arriving at Hogwarts came shortly thereafter, Sakura was still under the depression that Anthony had caused with his reminder of basic facts that she had already known but didn't want to acknowledge.
Along with Gloria and Luna, Sakura changed into the school skirt and robe she would wear for the majority of her time in the United Kingdom. Syaoran and Anthony had stepped out to give them some privacy and to ensure sure no traffic went through the corridor. Keroberos had stepped out as well because, although Sakura had long grown accustomed to his presence in her bedroom years ago, Gloria wasn't quite comfortable with him watching her change.
It felt just as strange as the last time she had changed in front of the large windows of the train cabin. Strange, but safe, as far as Sakura could tell. Nobody was in sight outside the windows in the countryside, and none of the boys in the hallway had peeped on any of the three girls as far as she could see from her frequent checks on them.
The girls then stepped out of the room and gave Syaoran and Anthony some privacy to change into their uniforms as well. No corridor traffic passed by then either.
Upon re-entering the room, Sakura thought that Syaoran cut a particularly dashing figure in his dark robes and pants. The only real difference between his uniform and Anthony's was the lack of the Ravenclaw house emblem and tie, but Sakura still thought that Syaoran just looked better.
The act of changing into the school uniforms changed the entire atmosphere of the room. It was no longer just a simple, albeit long, train ride through the countryside with some friends. The uniforms had brought with them a much more somber tone. The room was now the antechamber in preparation for classes to start. Anxiety, tension, and restlessness permeated the air. The children were satisfied to spend the last few minutes of the journey staring out at the dark, star-filled sky in silence.
"We'll be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately," a voice echoed throughout the train, interrupting the almost meditative trance Sakura had fallen into as she stared out of the window.
"We're seriously supposed to leave our stuff here?" Syaoran asked.
"Yes. They brought them up to our dorm rooms last year after we were sorted," Sakura said.
"This time I'm going with you too," Keroberos asserted. He flew into a familiar pocket of Sakura's robe.
"Kero-chan. You're not even allowed to go to the Great Hall during meal times. I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be there for the sorting ceremony," Sakura said.
"I don't care. I'm not hanging around here with Siufui all on my own," Keroberos answered. He pointed accusingly at Syaoran's owl. Almost on cue, the owl pecked loudly on one of the bars of her cage towards Keroberos.
"Relax. It's not like anything's ever happened when we brought Keroberos there before," Gloria said, taking her usual role of enabler of mischief.
"They'll be lots to eat there, too, and I'm hungry," Keroberos added.
"You're always hungry," Syaoran said.
Keroberos didn't dignify Syaoran's statement with a response, besides the raspberry he blew in the boy's direction.
"Okay. I guess it'll be fine," Sakura agreed. She didn't really mind that much. It just meant that she and Keroberos would need to be careful to not cause a scene. Given the feast that was typically put out during celebrations, it would take a fair bit of self-control on Keroberos's part, but she was sure that he would be up to the challenge.
Mostly sure he would be up for the challenge.
The train slowly drew to a stop in the same station it had stopped at in 1991, and most likely had stopped at for the past hundred years. Once again the platform started filling with the hustle and bustle of people trying to get their first breath of genuinely fresh air after spending hours in the stale confines of the Hogwarts Express.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go," Syaoran said, urging the rest of the passengers to hurry up.
Maybe it was due to the crowded nature of having a fifth person in the room, but nobody seemed inclined to wait that extra bit for the corridors to clear. They instead forced their way into the crowd, pushing outward into the cool evening air.
"Oh, what a gorgeous night. I wish we could go on that boat ride again," Gloria remarked, half to herself and half to the group.
The waxing crescent moon provided little in the way of illumination, but it did provide a great deal of atmosphere in the station. The still air made everything seem silent and surreal, surrounded as they were by the countless stars all around them. There were more stars than could be imagined from the perpetually-lit city of Tokyo. Sakura was sure it would be even more picturesque floating on the glassy water of the lake, surrounded by an ocean of reflected pinpricks of light. It was no wonder that the first-year students always took that scenic route towards the castle. It was a wonderful way to start an academic career.
Sakura took a quick look around to see if she could spot Lisa, but it proved to be a futile effort. There were just too many people to see more than the couple dozen children in her immediate vicinity. Even if she had been able to see through the mass of humanity surrounding her, the chances of spotting her friend in the throng of students surrounding the platform was slim.
"Firs' years! Firs' years! Over here! Firs' years!" Hagrid's burly voice called out. It cut through the deadened air and completely changing the tenor of the atmosphere. He was easy to spot in the crowd; both his height as well as the lantern he carried high above ensured he was unmissable.
"I guess that's us then," Syaoran said.
"See you when you get there, Syaoran-kun," Sakura said.
As Sakura's eyes tracked her boyfriend's departure with Luna, she had to fight down the briefest touch of envy for the odd girl who had entered her cabin earlier in the day. Luna got to go to the school with Syaoran while Sakura herself had to go a different way. Sakura knew she would see Syaoran again within the hour, but that didn't help with the stab of emotion she felt.
Syaoran and Luna briefly passed by the Weasley twins, who were flanking a little girl. The twins were pointing at Hagrid while undoubtedly making up some suitably humorous lie. Then the crowd shifted, and they were all lost to Sakura's sight.
"Come on. Let's go," Gloria said, directing Sakura and Anthony in the direction of the less romantic carriages which would take them to the ceremony.
The carriages were lined up in almost the exact opposite direction that Hagrid was leading Syaoran and the rest of the first-year students towards. There was a huge procession of vehicles with enough space to carry all of the non-first-year students.
It quickly became apparent why there had been such a hurry to crowd out of the train. Much like the cabins in the Hogwarts Express, the carriages were quickly filling up. For the slightly slower students, that translated into a long walk to the back of the procession to find an empty carriage. For the final stragglers, it could also very well mean that friends would need to separate for the ride to the castle.
Sakura had overcome her innate fear of ghosts the previous year, but that didn't stop her from finding the strange winged horses in front of each of the carriages a bit scary. While they looked vaguely like ghosts, they were substantially more solid. It added extra weight to their existence, and that existence was an inherently spooky one at that with their gaunt bodies and large leathery wings. The dim light of the moon only made their large dark and leathery figures seem that much more foreboding. They were scary in the same sense that a pit full of snakes was scary. Sakura didn't honestly think that she was in any danger from them, but likewise not being able to fall into the pit didn't make the snakes inside any less fear-inducing.
"Why can't they just use ordinary horses for these carriages?" Sakura asked, strategically placing herself furthest from the ghostly horses as they walked down the line of vehicles.
"I imagine it'd be expensive to feed them all. Hogwarts has got to have a bigger budget than we do, but feeding horses gets expensive after a while. If you'd only use them a couple of time a year, I doubt it'd be worth it," Anthony said as the three of them walked past full-carriage after full-carriage.
"But those things," Sakura said, pointing at the creatures she didn't know the name of, "have to eat stuff too. It can't be any cheaper to use them instead of regular horses."
"What things?" Anthony asked.
"Those things. Those weird winged horse things," Sakura said, pointing at one of the mounts in front of a passing carriage.
"Oh no. Don't tell me that she's contagious," Gloria said. "I'm warning you, if you start talking about kruffles or jumping hexapoads or anything like that I'm leaving right now."
"Hoe?" Sakura asked, confused by her two friends' reactions. She didn't push it.
"Finally, an empty one," Anthony remarked as they started getting close to the end of the line. He let Gloria climb in first, followed by Sakura, before he entering the carriage himself.
"Hey, Gloria, mind if I join you?" a boy asked from the side of the carriage shortly after the three of them had settled. He wore the Gryffindor red and gold tie and house emblem on his robe. Both were easily visible in the dim light of the lantern hanging off the side of the vehicle.
Gloria looked in askance towards Sakura and Anthony. Sakura shrugged back. She would have loved it if Lisa could have joined them, but if she was with Wayne it was doubtful they would have enough space to fit all five of them.
Anthony shrugged back as well.
"Sure. Get in, Jack," Gloria said. She moved a bit over, which gave room for Sakura and Anthony to move in as well.
"Great, thanks," Jack said. He climbed in, turning the excessively spacious bench for three into a comfortable bench for four. "I'm Jack Sloper. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Anthony Goldstein," Anthony introduced himself with a wave.
"Sakura Kinomoto. It's a pleasure to meet you," Sakura introduced herself as well.
"So, Gloria, still thinking of trying out for the Quidditch team?" Jack asked.
"Of course," Gloria said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Given it was Gloria, it might have been. "You?"
"Of course," Jack responded, echoing Gloria's tone. "What position are you hoping for?"
"Not sure. Maybe a Chaser. How about you?" Gloria asked back.
"A Beater if I can get it," Jack answered back.
"Oh, good luck with that. Fred and George got those positions pretty well cornered," Gloria said.
As Gloria and Jack continued talking about Quidditch, Sakura leaned back and thought about the incredibly poor way the four of them were positioned. Sakura didn't especially care about Quidditch, and from past experience she knew Anthony didn't especially care about it either. However, there they were, trapped between the other two who were waxing poetic about their plans and hopes for the upcoming Quidditch season.
Neither of the Ravenclaw students bothered chiming in with even cursory phrases to act like they were part of the conversation. Sakura doubted that either Gloria or Jack noticed, given how caught up they were in talking about players and plays. She just leaned her head back and tuned out the excited dialogue as the carriages started moving.
The vehicles proceeded along some dirt roads. They creaked, squeaked, and bumped up and down like it was the 1800s or earlier. It was atmospheric, to be sure, but it was also hard to really get comfortable. Sakura had to sit up to prevent knocking her head against the backrest every time the carriage gave a strong jostle.
Outside the window, a signpost directing the way both towards Hogwarts and towards a place called Hogsmead passed by. They went in the direction of Hogwarts.
In the distance, Sakura could see the fantastic castle where classes were held. It was from an angle she had never seen it before. She could still recognize various landmarks, such as the notably tall spires of Ravenclaw Tower, but it was an academic knowledge of the buildings which triggered none of the sense of familiarity she was accustom to having in the school itself. The view was much less impressive than the one she had seen during the approach by foot she had taken the previous year. The framing of the scene by the carriage window, which prevented her from seeing the entire majesty of the complex all at once, somehow cast the numerous stone facings and glowing windows in a much more mundane light. The distant moon in the background and the shadowed embankment in front of the stony facades of the building fought to counter this by adding a touch of atmosphere. However even they were not able to compete with that awesome sight when the first-years turned that corner on that dirt path and the castle presented itself in all its glory to the tired students.
"What do you make of the train stopping on the way here? Do you know anything about it?" Jack asked. It cut through the fog of Sakura's distraction and demanded her attention.
Sakura unconsciously held her breath.
"No," Gloria casually lied through her teeth. As Sakura understood it, Gloria had had a fair bit of practice with that in the past. "Do you know anything about it?"
"Well, I heard," Jack said, saying the common preface for much of the gossip which was one of the de facto currencies of the school, "that there were these students who were showing off and one of them messed up a charm and broke the train."
Sakura might have been surprised by how fast the news had spread, but she had spent the previous year at Hogwarts and thus was well familiar how quickly news spread in that cloistered environment. That the entire student body was present on the train just made the process that much faster.
"Oh, really?" Gloria asked, surprise and interest in her voice. If Sakura didn't know better she would have honestly thought that Gloria was hearing this for the first time. "Did you hear anything about that, Sakura?"
"No," Sakura said, trying to act as casually as Gloria did. She felt clumsy with the lie, but the way the dim light of the carriage masked her face and the fact Jack had only just met her made her think she could get away with it. "How about you, Anthony? Did you?"
"No," Anthony said, even less convincingly than Sakura.
"I don't know how true it is, but right before the train stopped I heard this big boom. And then all these professors went running to the back of the train. One of the engineers went chasing right after them," Jack said.
"I see," Sakura said, hoping that the subject would somehow get changed away from the debacles that she and Syaoran had gotten into.
Conveniently the caravan had arrived at Hogwarts by this point, so Sakura wouldn't need to endure the worries of this particular conversation topic any longer. The carriage that Sakura rode drew to a stop and she quickly followed Jack out of the vehicle, enjoying the freedom and relief much more than when she had escaped the Hogwarts Express earlier in the evening.
The four of them made their way into the Great Hall, joining the large collection of students on the same path. The majority of them had already taken their seats when Sakura, Gloria, Anthony, and Jack entered the large room which had been enchanted such that the ceiling showed the starry sky above, as if the ceiling was invisible.
At this point the two Ravenclaw students and the two Gryffindor students bid farewell to each other and split up to go to their respective tables. The start-of-term banquet, much like all of the special events, was always treated much more formally than ordinary meals where students could sit wherever they liked. By unspoken understanding all of the students sat in their respective houses.
Sakura and Anthony walked down the aisle in the middle of the room. Sakura kept her eyes peeled, searching through all of the students wearing Ravenclaw's colors for one face in particular. She didn't have to look far.
"Sakura. Anthony," Lisa called out, catching their attention. "There you are. I was starting to worry that I had missed you."
Lisa had saved two seats next to her which Sakura and Anthony were only too happy to take. They took their places on the long benches as the final stragglers entered the hallway.
"Did you hear about the train accident? I heard the reason we had stopped was because some students broke the train," Lisa said.
"Hoe," Sakura complained to herself.
It wasn't just Jack and Lisa, either. The fragments of conversation Sakura could overhear surrounding her all seemed to pertain to her and Syaoran's escapade on the train. While it wasn't as bad as starting her entire life in Hogwarts as "the girl who blew out a window of the Hogwarts Express," starting her second-year that way wasn't much more appealing.
"Yeah, we know about it," Anthony said, shaking his head. "That bloody show-off."
Lisa looked back and forth between her two friends on either side of her. Her eyes widened and she asked in a quiet voice, "You are joking, right? You mean you were involved with that?"
As Lisa spoke, something ineffable around the room changed.
Sakura tightened her face but didn't respond. Anthony didn't say anything either. The lack of response was all Lisa needed.
"Why am I not surprised? It does seem like you are involved with all of the rumors around here, Sakura," Lisa said.
There was definitely something different about the room. The Gryffindor table was certainly talking louder now.
"That's not true. I almost never am. What about that big argument between Nearly Headless Nick and the Bloody Baron? Or that weird break-in in the Slytherin common room? And don't forget Professor Quirrel, either." Sakura said, naming some of the more prominent rumors which had circulated Ravenclaw the previous year.
"Very well. You may be correct," Lisa conceded, "but you do seem to get into more trouble than most of the people here."
The commotion not only spread from the Gryffindor table to the Slytherin table, it also jumped across the large space in the center of the Great Hall to reach the Ravenclaw table. Sakura listened in a bit. She realized with a shock, and no insignificant amount relief, that the impossible had happened. Something had knocked news and speculation about the mysterious explosion and train stoppage off the top of the gossip list. Something even bigger than the breaking of the Hogwarts Express.
Harry Potter was missing.
Even now it seemed to be spreading to the Hufflepuff table as well. Many of the students were turning to get a better look at the Gryffindor table, searching for confirmation as if they could actually see anything among the dozens upon dozens of faces there of which half were facing away anyway. Still it was a natural reflex and Sakura found herself doing the same thing, trying to spot the famous boy despite only having a passing familiarity with what he looked like.
What was going on? Was it some prank? Had something happened to The Boy Who Lived? Had anybody seen him on the Hogwarts Express? When was the last time anybody had actually seen him? Were they sure?
It seemed like this interest wasn't purely limited to the students, either. At the front of the room sat Professor Dumbledore and the various school teachers. Most of them were scanning up and down the Gryffindor table as well, some more surreptitiously than others.
Professor Dumbledore leaned over to Professor Snape and said something impossible to make out through the din of excited conversation. Professor Snape glowered in response, a facial expression not foreign to his face and unmistakable to everybody in the room. The greasy Potions professor rose to his feet and stalked to one of the doors.
Much like a stove being turned up, this action quickly and noticeably increased the tension in the Great Hall. It brought with it a commensurate increase in noise as well. That confirmed it. Harry must be missing. What were the professors going to do now? Why had Professor Dumbledore sent Professor Snape away, seeing how he was possibly the only professor who actually hated Harry? What would Professor Snape do if he actually found The Boy Who Lived?
This bubbling mass of emotion and tension broke just after the door behind the departing Professor Snape closed. There was a loud series of screams and thumps from the side of the room. Sakura, along with everybody else present, quickly turned to stare at the source.
Somehow the benches surrounding the Slytherin table had all vanished. This left all of the Slytherin students on the ground in varying degrees of discomfort and embarrassed exposure, depending on how they had fallen. If the timing hadn't been planned that way, it was the most incredible coincidence.
Once the source of the panic was identified naturally everybody turned to look at Fred and George, who sat in perfectly calm oblivion. They showed the fake picture of perfect innocence which only the truly unrepentant trying to maintain plausible dependability while at the same time claiming credit can show. They were fooling nobody, which was probably their goal.
The cause of the prank now identified, the Gryffindor table wasted no time. Almost as one they turned and laughed at the misfortunes of the Slytherin house as the Slytherin students themselves tried to pick themselves up off the ground. The most notable exception to this jeering were the Weasley twins, although a couple of other Gryffindors stayed silent too.
The laughing quickly spread to the other tables as well. The Ravenclaw table and the Hufflepuff table joined in, the students around the latter having to exceptionally strain to see across the room to the rows upon rows of fallen Slytherins. The other two houses lacked the same esprit de corps in their reaction that the Gryffindor students had, but there were enough people pointing and laughing that it was more the rule than the exception.
The professors had a much different reaction. Professor Sprout had a mixture of shock and annoyance on her face, while Professor Flitwick only had annoyance. Professor Dumbledore, for his part, appeared as unflappable as ever. The most prominent and notable reaction from the head table was Professor Lockhart. His laughter was incongruousness with the other professors. It made him stand out even more than his bright purple robes already did.
"Very good, very good. It's nice to see some things never change. It reminds me of back when I was a student. I'm going to have to ask you to stop now, Ravenclaws. I'm a professor now so I can't play favorites, even if I used to be in your house too," Professor Lockhart said loudly, flashing his well polished and brilliant smile at their table. "You... uhh... Penny. Be a dear and bring their seats back. Pranking is well and good, but you need to know when to stop."
Confusion reigned while everybody tried to figure out what Professor Lockhart was talking about. He was staring straight at Penelope, the Ravenclaw prefect. It seemed like he was blaming the Ravenclaw house for this latest exploit of the Weasley twins.
Once this became clear, the ruckus from moments earlier redoubled with the Gryffindor students adding in jeers and taunts at the supposedly troublemaker Ravenclaws and one red-faced Penelope. The Hufflepuff table looked thunderstruck, whereas the majority of the Slytherin students just focused on regaining their footing. Those Slytherin students who had already managed to get to their feet shouted insults at the Gryffindor table, and their jeers were slowly being joined in by several Ravenclaw students. Sakura was tempted to join in the retaliation against the unfair accusations from the Gryffindor table.
This came to a head when Professor Flitwick took to his feet on his chair and said in a voice louder than all of the jeering combined, "That's enough." With the volume he spoke, it might have even been magically enhanced.
It was like somebody had thrown a bucket of ice over everybody. The shouting and jeering immediately stopped.
"This is not the way to greet new students into these hallowed halls," Professor Flitwick said. He waived his wand and benches reappeared on both sides of the Slytherin table. "Please, take your seats."
There was some loud muttering from the Slytherins, and one of them called out, "What? Aren't you going to punish them?"
"Punish who, Mister Derrick?" Professor Flitwick asked.
"Them. Fred and George," the older Slytherin student said, pointing at the Weasley twins.
"Do you have proof they did it?" Professor Flitwick asked.
"You know they did," the boy countered.
"I take it that is a 'no.' I'd love to punish the culprits who did this, but without proof there's nothing I can do," Professor Flitwick said, staring intensely. It was obvious to Sakura that Professor Flitwick did know who did it and sincerely would like to punish them, but that he wouldn't act without concrete evidence.
Fred and George pointedly ignored him.
The Slytherin boy who had called out took a seat, muttering how unfair it was. He muttered loud enough that the whole room could hear, but Professor Flitwick and the others let him get away with it.
After the confrontation was over, the entire atmosphere of the room changed again. All of the professors kept an eagle-eyed watch over the students, especially on two particular students sitting at the Gryffindor table. Under their watchful gaze the fever-pitch speculation of Harry's absence had quieted considerably, replaced instead with quiet whispering between people who wanted to speak without drawing undue attention to themselves.
Anthony leaned towards Lisa and Sakura and asked, "Quite the coincidence of timing. You think Harry was in on that prank?"
"It could be, except I have not seen him at all for the entire trip. How would they have coordinated it?" Lisa asked.
"Who knows?" Sakura answered, leaning in as well.
In contrast to the exciting trip as a first-year, time passed by slowly in the Great Hall. It passed by even slower after the excitement of the prank against Slytherin at the start of the waiting. The frown of intense watchfulness the various professors wore just made the situation that much more tense and made Sakura that much more acutely aware of each second ticking by. It was not just boring; it was a nervous boredom, like there was a storm about to break.
Eventually the doors pulled open. They revealed the figure of Professor McGonagall followed by the flock of children comprising the first-year students of 1992.
The entire experience was almost a complete mirror image of her own first-year sorting. A sedate carriage ride instead of the amazing revelation of Hogwarts Castle. A friendly camaraderie with people she knew well instead of getting to know a couple of otherwise strangers she happened to have met on a train. Wary boredom instead of a bout of nerves for the upcoming event. In retrospect, Sakura definitely preferred her experience from the other side of the sorting ceremony.
Everybody turned to stare at Professor McGonagall as she lead the children to the front of the room and to the stool where she would eventually place the Sorting Hat. There was literally nothing better to do. Several of the incoming children were gawking at the candles floating in the air and the apparent lack of a ceiling above. Most likely muggle-born children. Even Sakura took that magic for granted now, despite how impressed she had been when she had first seen it.
Sakura quickly spotted Syaoran. He didn't stand out exceptionally, being about the same height as the younger students despite being some two or three years older than them. Still, with the strength of his magic shining through, it was easy for Sakura to feel which area to look in. From there it was a simple matter to pick out her boyfriend from the crowd. He was still walking next to Luna.
Once everybody had gathered in a cluster at the front of the room, Professor McGonagall pulled out the dingy, pointed Sorting Hat and placed it on the stool. It sat there in quiescence for several seconds before the mouth of the hat near its brim cracked open and it began to sing.
"We welcome students one and all
from London to Dundee,
From Dublin and from places known
to points across the sea.
"Dear Hogwarts greets you and your kind
wherever you are from.
Your only precondition is
to learn and want some fun.
"Hogwarts was started years ago
by four founders renown,
each brought with them unique talents
and tools to teach around.
"For Gryffindor the greatest trait
is bravery all times,
to stand firm in the darkest hour
knowing all will turn out fine.
"Wise Ravenclaw thought you should place
wit highest of all things;
important for the humble man,
essential for great kings.
"For Slytherin, strength, cunning, and
blood purity were best,
and with them all a wizard would
stand out above the rest.
"And finally for Hufflepuff
was loyalty most dear.
With friendship and with true allies
there's nothing you should fear.
"With all these virtues featured here
you may want to know
to which of these fine houses you'd
be best suited to go.
"To this I tell you, 'worry not,'
they made this hat you see.
Just put me on and I'll tell you
the place where you should be."
It was a tribute to how much Sakura's English had improved that she actually understood what the hat was singing this year, even if she didn't fully appreciate it. That didn't stop her from politely joining in the more enthusiastic applause from the collective student body.
The hat then fell silent and returned to its previous state of quiescence, awaiting its first student.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, now holding a scroll in front of her. She announced for the benefit of the young students, "When I call your name, take a seat on the stool and place the hat upon your head to be sorted. Alden, Andrea!"
A young girl who Sakura could actually see shaking from nervousness made her way forward to the hat. Sakura could sympathize, remembering her own nerves during her sorting. It had been stressful for her, and she had even known what to expect when her turn had come up. To be the first person would be just that much worse.
Andrea sat on the stool and gingerly placed the hat on her head. After a couple of seconds it dutifully announced, "HUFFLEPUFF!"
There was some light cheering from the Hufflepuff table as Andrea took the hat off her head. Her uniform was already forming the yellow and black tie and badger house crest signifying the Hufflepuff house. She dazedly took to her feet and made her way over to the their table.
Professor McGonagall gave no pause, automatically announcing, "Brown, Eric!"
The announced boy confidently made his way up to the just vacated stool to take his turn. Despite this Eric wasn't actually the focus of attention in the room. Behind him one of the first-year girls had pulled out a newspaper and was unfolding it. Her straggly blonde hair was unmistakable, if the action of reading a newspaper in the middle of the sorting ceremony hadn't been enough of a clue.
It was Luna.
"What does she think she is doing? Does she have no manners or common sense?" Lisa asked. At a whisper, of course.
Anthony let out of groan of exasperation and whispered back, "No. I think she actually doesn't. You didn't sit with her for half the trip here."
"You know her?" Lisa asked. In the background there was some a smattering of claps as Eric was sorted, although Sakura wasn't even paying attention.
"We met her on the ride here. Her name is Luna, and she's a bit..." Sakura hesitated, trying to find the most appropriate adjective to use, "...odd."
"'Odd' is not the word to use. My aunt Gretchen is 'odd.' Luna's outright crazy. She should be attending St. Mungo, not Hogwarts. I really hope she gets sorted into another house," Anthony said.
"I see," Lisa said, and returned to staring at the girl.
The sorting continued apace. Nobody actually tried to stop Luna from reading her newspaper. It was probably upside down again, although it was too far away for Sakura to be sure. One thing that was certain was that Luna was the center of attention in the room, rather than the hat or the students being sorted one at a time. Most of the student body and many of the professors were openly staring at her.
After what seemed like far too long, Professor McGonagall eventually announced, "Li, Syaoran!"
That caught Sakura's attention. She watched as Syaoran approached the stool with determination, picked up the hat, hesitated only for a moment, and then pulled it over his head.
A second ticked by. Sakura held her breath.
A second ticked by. The already glacial slowness of time seemed to freeze.
A second ticked by. Syaoran fidgeted in his seat.
A second ticked by. Had all of the sortings taken this long?
A second ticked by. Sakura chanced a quick glance around the room, but nobody else seemed to think anything was amiss.
A second ticked by. What was taking so long?
A second ticked by. The hat opened its mouth.
Sakura expelled her breath, disappointment crushing her hopes. Syaoran looked less than pleased as well, his face reflecting Sakura's own feelings as the emblems of Slytherin formed on his uniform. By far he was the most disappointed person so far with his sorting. He gave a defeated look towards Sakura, and then slowly trudged his way over to the lightly cheering Slytherin table.
"Lovegood, Luna!" Professor McGonagall announced, ignoring the drama which had just unfolded before her.
Luna didn't respond.
"I said, 'Lovegood, Luna!'" Professor McGonagall announced again, slightly louder and definitely more annoyed. This caused a titter of laughter across the various tables.
This time Luna did start moving forward, folding her newspaper under her arm and drifting her way towards the stool in front. When she got within an arm's reach of the hat she stopped and then loudly protested, "You want me to put that on? It looks like the perfect breeding ground for wrackspurts."
"I assure you the Sorting Hat is perfectly sanitary. Please put it on, Ms. Lovegood," Professor McGonagall said, frustration barely leaking out in her tightly controlled voice.
Luna didn't say anything more, but picked up the hat by its tip and then used her folded newspaper to beat it a couple of times.
Sakura could almost see the thoughts floating around everybody's head, echoing Anthony's earlier statement. She genuinely thought this might be the first time that every house hoped that the new student would be sorted into somebody else's house.
Luna then sat down on the table and gingerly, carefully, placed the hat on her head just so.
Time ticked by.
More time ticked by.
Even more time ticked by.
Sakura was sure that this was the longest sorting that she had ever experienced. It felt even longer that Syaoran's sorting, and given how nervous she had been for Syaoran's sorting that meant something.
Still even more time ticked by.
Yet still even more time ticked by.
"RAVENCLAW!" the hat eventually announced. It could have been her imagination, but Sakura swore she could hear a question mark coloring that declaration.
Nobody in Ravenclaw seemed too happy as Luna's tie took on the colors of her house. This might be the first time that other houses clapped and cheered more than the receiving house did upon getting a new member. There were a tint of laughter as well, but it wasn't loud enough to single out any specific person.
Luna didn't seem to notice as she took the Sorting Hat off her head. She proceeded to hit herself on the head a couple of times with her newspaper before making her way over to the Ravenclaw table.
"Great... So we get the crazy witch," Anthony said. "Do you think we can trade?"
Before Sakura could respond she noticed that Luna wasn't just walking towards the Ravenclaw table; she seemed to be walking directly at her. This appearance quickly proved to be reality as Luna came to a stop just between Sakura and Lisa. She then stepped over the bench and forced herself in between the two girls. The motion was awkward because not only was there not enough space for her, there wasn't even a place setting there. This had the effect of pushing Sakura into her neighbor, who pushed into his neighbor, who pushed into his neighbor, and so on down the line until an open place setting was found.
Lots of dirty glares were directed to the newly sorted Ravenclaw girl, who seemed oblivious to them all. Instead Luna turned to Lisa and hit her on the head with her newspaper.
"What was that for?" Lisa protested.
"I'm sorry. It seems I was too slow," Luna said. She then unfolded her newspaper and started reading it again. Upside down.
Lisa stared at the young girl in shock and confusion, clearly at a loss for what to say in response.
"I told you so," Anthony said to Lisa, barely masking his voice.
Sakura probably wouldn't have cared half as much if Luna had been reading her newspaper normally, but that it was upside down just intrigued her. She couldn't help but look over Luna's shoulder, trying to discover what had caught the odd girl's attention so much that she continued to read it while the sorting ceremony was still ongoing.
"Sǝlɟ-dɹoɔlɐıɯǝp ɐuʇı-slɐʌǝɹʎ ɐɔʇıʌısʇs ɥɐʌǝ ɔlɐıɯǝp ɔɹǝpıʇ ɟoɹ ʇɥǝ ǝsɔɐdǝ oɟ ʇɥonsɐups oɟ ɯɐupɹɐʞǝ dlɐuʇs ıu ʍɥɐ..."
Sakura's efforts were put to a halt when Luna turned the page. Rather than start over again with a new paragraph, which would most likely be interrupted again given how slowly Sakura was forced to read, she instead turned her attention back to the sorting taking place in the front of the room. She might not care very much about any of the remaining new students, but it was more interesting that reading out upside down letters one at a time.
The sorting continued for another couple of students before she noticed something. Sakura turned to her neighbor, the one who wasn't reading a newspaper, and asked the older boy she didn't really know, "Is it just me or does it seem like everybody doesn't care as much about this sorting as last year?"
The boy next to her answered, "It's to be expected, isn't it? Harry Potter's not being sorted this year. Last year was special because everybody wanted to know where he'd go, but usually the sorting feels like more of a formality than anything. I know I'd skip it if I could."
"That's kind of sad," Sakura said.
"Maybe, but what can you do? If it's not your year then it's not like it'll affect you all that much. Even if it did it's not like we know anything about the firsties yet, except for, you know..." the boy said, gesturing with his head at Sakura's other neighbor
Sakura nodded in understanding. If it hadn't been for Syaoran's being sorted, and in an odd way Luna's being sorted as well, she probably wouldn't have noticed any of the sortings this year at all. In fact, besides those two, she honestly couldn't remember where anybody else had been placed despite it having happened only minutes ago. It was kind of boring.
"You should have brought something to read too," Luna casually remarked to Sakura, catching her by surprise. "Do you want to part of my paper? I've already finished half of it."
"No, thank you," Sakura said. She didn't think she had it in herself to be so rude as to read a newspaper during the ceremony.
The only remaining sorting Sakura took notice of was when one "Weasley, Ginevra" got sorted into Gryffindor, and that had as much to do with her being the last student as it did with the recognized and infamous Weasley name.
Her task done, Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll and picked up the Sorting Hat. Professor Dumbledore then got to his feet, bringing the room to silence.
"Welcome everybody!" he announced. "Welcome to another new year at Hogwarts. I hope your heads have had a chance to empty out over the summer so we can fill them up with brand new things. I have nothing to say before we begin the banquet, so I hope you'll indulge me. Thank you!"
Professor Dumbledore then sat down. All of the plates in the hall were now covered with food.
Long accustomed to the magical appearance of dishes during special events, Sakura wasn't put off and quickly joined in with everybody else and helped herself. The dinner passed by quickly, as tasty and heavy as she remembered from her past meals at Hogwarts. Everybody seemed to be in good spirits. The mystery of the missing Harry Potter wasn't forgotten as such, but people were more than happy to push it to the side in favor of the delicious feast. Sakura spent her time in equal parts feeding herself, sneaking food to Keroberos, and exchanging longing glances with Syaoran across the room. He exchanged them back just as longingly.
Early in the meal, Sakura noticed Professor McGonagall lean over and whisper something to Professor Dumbledore in the front of the room while pointing to the Gryffindor table. He said something back, but whatever it was it didn't seem to make her very happy. Professor McGonagall subsequently stood up and proceeded to walk out of the room. This might have been predictable given the still missing Harry Potter.
As expected, in the middle of the meal, as Sakura happened to be sneaking Keroberos a large sausage, the various ghosts appeared. Nearly Headless Nick flew down the Gryffindor table, meeting and greeting several of the new students. The Fat Friar did the same for the Hufflepuff table, just as jolly as Nearly Headless Nick was carefree.
The Bloody Baron made an appearance as well, descending directly in front of Syaoran as he was being nudged by one of his neighbors who was simultaneously pointing at Sakura and saying something. She wondered what they were talking about. Syaoran just waved both his neighbor and the ghost off.
Grey Lady did not make an appearance.
Once everybody, even Keroberos, had had their fill and more, plus a bit of dessert just to be on the safe side, Professor Dumbledore took to his feet again. The hall once again fell silent.
"Now that you are all no longer in danger of starving to death, I have just a few start-of-term notices to add before I bid you all a good evening. First, for the new students, you should note that the forest on the grounds is off-limits for all pupils. A couple of older students would do well to remember that as well," Professor Dumbledore said, directing his gaze primarily at the Gryffindor table as he said this.
"Second, the hallways near the greenhouses are currently being re-charmed so that area will be off limits for the first two months of the year. Anybody caught there will be severely punished, and should see Madam Pomfrey about regrowing their hair. Third, Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to remind you that magic should not be used in the corridors between classes," Professor Dumbledore announced. The perpetually grouchy and seemingly stooped Mr. Filch standing in the back corner of the room grumped a bit at that announcement.
"Fourth, the Quidditch trials will be held on the third week of the term this year. Anybody interested in playing for their house team should contact Madam Hooch. Finally, as you are all aware, Professor Quirrel has moved on and is no longer teaching here. So for this year, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart..." Professor Dumbledore announced.
The students, more girls than boys, started clapping and cheering at that announcement. The named professor took to his feet, flashed a brilliant smile to the students, and said before Professor Dumbledore could resume speaking, "Thank you, thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. When Professor Dumbledore begged me to come teach at Hogwarts, I was honored. Of course it was only natural for him to come to somebody as capable as me with my Order of Merlin, my membership in the Dark Force Defense League, and my five-time winning of 'Witch Weekly's' Most Charming Smile Award. But this isn't about me; it's about what I can do for you. The prestige, the honor, and the skills you can only develop under a world-class wizard like myself. With my knowledge and experience, I'll see to it that each and every one of you will be the best you can be. The world can be a dangerous place, let me tell you. Like the time I faced down the Wagga Wagga Werewolf who was terrorizing that village before I was able to corner the beast and cast a Homorphus charm, forcing it back to human form."
"Exactly right," Professor Dumbledore deftly interjected himself before Professor Lockhart could continue. "We're all grateful that you have decided to join this fine institution. With that said, I'm sure everybody is eager to get to bed and have a fresh start for the fresh school year, but before that, let's sing the school song!"
Several of the teachers' faces took on a distinctively wooden smile at this declaration. Professor Dumbledore didn't seem to notice as he flicked his wand, causing a golden ribbon to emerge, float up in the air, and spell out some lyrics.
"Everyone pick your favorite tune, and off we go!" Professor Dumbledore announced, and then started the singing.
Sakura's English might have improved to the point that she could understand the song the Sorting Hat had sung, but it hadn't improved to the point of understanding the cacophony of noise which followed Professor Dumbledore's lead. In fact she was relatively sure that even native speakers of English would have had a hard time following the complete mix of tempos, melodies, harmonies, and mumblings which comprised the alleged song. Sakura just closed her eyes and tried to shut her ears to the noise all around her, unknowingly mimicking a very similar behavior from Luna right next to her. It finally came to an end with Fred and George, singing arm in arm what sounded like a slow dirge. They continued for some two minutes after the last of the other singers had ended.
"The magic of music," Professor Dumbledore wistfully. "With that, off to bed. Good evening, everybody."
Sakura gave a quick wave to Syaoran, who returned it. Then the sound of the multitude of Hogwarts students simultaneously climbing to their feet resonated around the Great Hall, and order was lost to the room.
When Richard and Penelope, the two prefects who were leading the Ravenclaw students to Ravenclaw Tower, reached the stairs to climb into the dormitories, as was tradition Sakura and the other returning students slowed down and let the first-year students take the lead so they might to hear the riddle and its answer. She still found herself closer to the front than the back of the group, and was easily in earshot to hear the knocker ask, "What is the most significant number in Arithmancy."
"Of all the rotten... I'm pants at Arithmancy. What did Professor Vector say last year? I think it's seven..." Richard, the prefect who was leading the group, mused out loud. "A little help here, Penelope?"
"It's not seven. Seven may one of the most powerful numbers but the question was what is the most significant number," Penelope said, coming to the rescue of her fellow prefect. Then, directing herself to the door to Ravenclaw Tower, she answered, "Numbers only derive their meaning in relation to other numbers, so there is no single most significant number in Arithmancy."
"Well reasoned," the knocker said before the door swung open.
Richard then said, "Well, there goes my chance of impressing all you first-years, but let that be a lesson to you. To succeed in Ravenclaw you'll need your wits and a wide breadth of knowledge, but that alone won't be enough. Many a time you'll be stuck somewhere. Maybe doing your homework, or maybe trying to open the door to the dorms at night. Don't be afraid to ask for help, and be willing to help others who are in need of it."
Sakura nodded to herself. She had lost count of the number of times she had been trying to get into the dorm rooms and had been faced with an unanswerable question. She knew she wasn't alone. If the door didn't quickly change away from the topic of Arithmancy, or maybe magic theory if that was what it was currently questioning, she had a sneaking feeling that her first lockout of the year might be the next time she tried to enter the dorm rooms on her own.
Once all of the first-year students filed into the Ravenclaw Common Room, Sakura joined with the others in following in afterward. There was some token discussion floating around about the still missing Harry Potter, but it was nothing Sakura really wanted to get involved in. Instead she made her way to her dorm room. She found to her surprise that it was the same as the room she had had the previous year. In fact there was no overt indication that anything had changed from the previous year, excepting the different contents of Sakura's luggage and the sign on the outside of the door now labeling the room as now belonging to second-year students.
Thus it was easy for Sakura and Lisa to join the already unpacking Deborah and Linda and quickly settle in prior to going to bed. It all went very smoothly. Deborah didn't try to glomp onto Keroberos even once, no matter how much it looked like she was tempted to.
Last Updated: April 3, 2014


text:
She's off again: Lindsay Lohan catches a flight from JFK Airport wearing denim leather chap trousers
It was only last month that she was making a mad dash across America in a bid to make her scheduled court date.
Frequent flyer Lindsay Lohan was seen once again heading for a plane as she arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday, albeit in a relaxed mood.
The troubled actress may have been at ease but she looked a little strangely dressed as she prepared to board a plane from New York following her short stay in the east coast city.
Scroll down for video
Mix and match: Lindsay Lohan arrived at JFK International Airport to catch a flight wearing denim leather chap trousers on Wednesday
The 26-year-old, who made an emotional appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman, made sure all eyes were on her as she walked through the American Airlines terminal wearing some confusing trousers.
Lindsay sported a pair of leather trousers which featured black denim around the upper thigh area, making it look like she was wearing a pair of shorts.
She then took the leather look to a whole new level as she teamed the trousers with a pair of matching slouchy boots.
Shy star: Lindsay sported a pair of leather trousers which featured black denim around the upper thigh area
Talk about overkill: Lindsay then matched her trousers with a pair of slouchy leather boots
The Liz And Dick star also wore a plain black cropped blazer and a large scarf which she used to cover her face.
Wherever her destination, Lindsay will need to be back in New York by 2 May to begin her stint in rehab at Seafield, which is located in Westhampton Beach.
The rehab centre is said to have very strict rules, including no use of cell phones, dressing in revealing clothing and a ban on cigarettes, which will no doubt come as a blow for the chain-smoking star.
Sisters in arms: Lindsay was joined by her sister Ali
Good flight? Lindsay appeared in good spirits after touching down in Los Angeles
Keeping hydrated: The actress clutched onto a bottle of water and a friend
Dressed down: Ali wore patterned leggings, a printed T-shirt and denim jacket for the flight
Judges and prosecutors had earlier agreed that Lindsay must stay at a lock-down facility.
However, those types of rehabilitation centres do not exist in the US, so they were reportedly forced to settle on Seafield.
The centre does not allow inpatients to leave, however by law they are not allowed to be held.
Festival ready? Lindsay is expected to attend the Coachella Music Festival this weekend
Giggling girls: The two sisters shared a laugh as they climbed into an awaiting car
Strict rules: The rehab facility Lindsay Lohan will reportedly be staying in for 90 days has been revealed as Seafield in New York state, which has strict rules, including a ban on tobacco
Spacious: There is plenty of room for Lindsay to take some long walks and reflect
According to TMZ, Lindsay's plea bargain was modified to allow her to stay at Seafield, but judges and prosecutors chose the facility because of it's 24-hour around the clock security.
A stay at Seafield costs approximately $4,025 a week, so for 90 days Lilo is looking at a pricy $51,750 stay.
Opening up: The actress discussed her impending rehab stay with the talk show host
Tearful: Lindsay became tearful when she discussed her troubles on the Letterman show on Tuesday night
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subset: commoncrawl


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text:
I think what's most outstanding about Divergent's 3D printed car tech is that it envisions a future that I would want to live in.
Certainly I appreciate the electric, autonomous concepts, beta prototypes and tech demonstrators that every single other carmaker trotted out to the Consumer Electronics Show this year. But the only future they offer is one where I have to work on my commute to work and more lithium gets mined out of the more remote corners of the globe.
Divergent's car is certainly disruptive, maybe the most disruptive car at the show, but it's human-driven and gasoline-powered.
Well, the actual car itself, a tandem one-door/two-seater supercar called the Blade is mostly a proof of concept. It's a badass proof of concept, sure, and it's one that tests the company's ability to put its tech on the road, but it seems like it's a very bright envelope around an incredibly cool process.


text:
Disturbing historical events serve as the inspiration behind Sarah L. Thomson's latest book Mercy, The Last New England Vampire. Unlike the romanticized vampires in much... Read More
Disturbing historical events serve as the inspiration behind Sarah L. Thomson's latest book Mercy, The Last New England Vampire. Unlike the romanticized vampires in much... Read More
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text:
Near Gettysburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Second Corps
Army of the Potomac
Second Corps
Major General Winfield S. Hancock
Brigadier General John Gibbon
First Division Brigadier General John C. Caldwell
Second Division Brigadier General John Gibbon, Brigadier General William Harrow
Third Division Brigadier General Alexander Hays
Artillery Brigade Captain John G. Hazard
July 2. Arrived between 6 and 8 a.m. on Taneytown Road and went into position on Cemetery Ridge on right of 5th Corps and at the left of the Cemetery relieving a part of the 1st. Corps. Caldwell's Division on the left Gibbon in centre and Hays on the right of the line from Cemetery Hill to Round Top. Between 5 and 6 p.m. Caldwell's Division was sent to the support of 3d. Corps and was engaged until sunset. It then returned to its first position.
July 3. At 1 p.m. the Confederate artillery opened a heavy fire all along the line of Hill's Corps and the left of Longstreet's Corps for two hours when an assault under the command of General Longstreet was made by a force of about 15,000 which was repulsed with great loss in killed wounded and prisoners.
Casualties: Killed 66 officers, 731 men, wounded 270 officers, 2924 men; captured or missing 13 officers, 365 men; Total 4369
Erected 1906 by Gettysburg National Military Park
Location. 39° 48.868′ N, 77° 14.113′ W. Marker is near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in Adams County. Marker is on Hancock Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Click for map. Located next to the Brian Farm Buildings on Cemetery Ridge, at Gettysburg National Military Park. Marker is in this post office area: Gettysburg PA 17325, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. John Page Nicholson (a few steps from this marker); 1st Delaware Infantry (a few steps from this marker); 125th New York Infantry (within shouting distance of this marker); 39th New York Infantry (Garibaldi Guards) (within shouting distance of this marker); Pettigrew's Charge (within shouting distance of this marker); Skirmish Line of 2nd Regiment Delaware Volunteers (within shouting distance of this marker); Second Brigade (within shouting distance of this marker); Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade (within shouting distance of this marker). Click for a list of all markers in Gettysburg.
Also see . . .
1. Ziegler's Grove. National Park Service virtual tour stop. (Submitted on December 28, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Report of Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock. Hancock's official report offers a detailed account of the fighting on July 2 and the (Submitted on December 28, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
3. Hancock's U.S. 2nd Corps Headquarters Marker NRHP Narrative. NRHP narrative for this monument as a contributing structure to the historic district (Submitted on June 26, 2013, by Eric Milask of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.)
Categories. • War, US Civil •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 831 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on , by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on , by Eric Milask of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. 3, 4. submitted on , by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016.


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Money seems like it has everything to do with logic and little to do with feelings. But our emotions can have a pretty big impact on how we deal with our finances. Gratitude, for example, can affect spending (and even investing) in a big way. Here's a first-hand account of how it changed my own financial habits for the better.
Research on Gratitude and Money
A group of researchers studied how gratitude affects our money decisions in Gratitude: A Tool for Reducing Economic Impatience. They asked participants to write about an experience that generated one of three emotional conditions: happiness, gratitude or "neutral." Subjects were then presented with money decisions that involved them getting a little bit of money now, or a greater amount in the future. The better choice was pretty obvious: delayed gratification literally paid off.
To sum it up simply, the results showed that the "gratitude" subjects were much more willing to wait for the larger amount.
This is all well and good in chart form, but how does it work in real life?
I always considered myself pretty grateful for what I have, even when it hasn't been much. But over the past couple of years, I've realized that, while I might be passively grateful, I've still been more focused on what I don't have. And that focus has had impacted my finances in a few ways, primarily with spending.
The Problem With Goals
Goals are great. I've always been a big fan of them, and I've had financial goals since I was little. Growing up poor, it was always my goal to, basically, not be poor. After I graduated college, this general goal included a handful of specific ones:
- Find a salaried job
- Get out of debt
- Stay out of debt
- Save money
Focus on Lack
Most of those goals were driven by fear. I worried, constantly, that I wouldn't have enough.
Admittedly, that fear worked wonders to get out of debt. But after a while, fear kept me from enjoying the life I'd built for myself. I did find a salaried job. I'd saved for an emergency. Still, I hoarded my money and stayed in a constant state of worry over losing everything. This screwed up my finances in a few ways:
- I oversaved. I put too much money in my savings account on pay day, underestimated my expenses, and overdrafted.
- I didn't bother learning about investing because I was too scared of losing money.
- I never asked for a raise. I was scared my boss would yell at me.
Fear and finances is a whole other topic, though. The point is—I was so focused on my goals, I didn't think about the things I already had. I was too focused on the lack and the what-ifs.
Focus on the Future
Obsessing over goals isn't always a fear-driven thing. Sometimes, you just want more for yourself. As my finances progressed, and I learned to let go of some of my fears, I started focusing less on what I thought I needed and more on what I wanted.
And it was great to have aspirations. But we've written before about how it's actually better to focus on the process instead. To put it in corny terms, it's about the journey, not the destination.


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Western Edge Cellars Menu
We feature wines from several Texas Vineyards and Wineries that you won't find along the 290 Wine Trail. We love the wines along the 290 Wine Trail, and hope to feature some of our favorites in the near future, but we thought we would bring y'all some Texas Wines that you just won't find locally, so we set out to source some 'other' great Texas wines. We are happy with our selections, and think you will be too.
We offer wines by the glass, by the bottle, 4 different flights for tastings, and a Sangria we make in house from Texas Wine. For Wine Tastings, we currently offer a Dry Flight for those that prefer the dryer wines, a Sweet Flight for those that prefer the sweeter varietals, a Red flight with a mix of dry and off-dry reds, and a White Flight with a mix of dry and off-dry whites! Something for Everyone!
When it comes to Beer, we went Texan as well. Sure we have many of the domestic and imported go-to's in bottles, like Dos Equis, Bud and Lonestar, and most of those hale from outside the great Republic of Texas, but we currently have reserved all of our Taps for Texas Brewed Beer, and let me tell you, we Texans can make some Great Beer!
We also offer a 16oz Beer Tasting Flight, so you can come sample four different beers right at your table!
Click on the images below to view larger versions of our menus..


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For Abbott
I'm not sure how to describe the feelings that go beyond heartbroken and devastated. Honest to God, I don't. Sometimes words are so agonizingly limiting and so painfully insufficient. And that's where I am right now. I'm wrecked. I haven't talked much over the years about my house church, but this is a group of […]Read more "For Abbott"


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After completing an undergraduate degree, many students choose to participate in a master program. This type of credential can improve job prospects and provide the knowledge necessary to have a successful career.
Spain (Spanish: España) is a diverse country sharing the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal at the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. Spain is considered an exotic country in Europe due to its friendly inhabitants and relaxed lifestyle. The normal duration for University courses in Spain is 4 years, except Medicine and the double degrees, which are 6. Madrid and Barcelona are well known cities around world for its cuisine, vibrant nightlife, and world-famous folklore and festivities.
Online Master's Degree in Business Information Technology in Spain
The program Master in Strategic Management in Information Technology focuses on developing concepts and skills to educate people to give answers and solutions to these companies and these developments. [+]
Master in Mobile Business: Technologies, Apps and Mobile Marketing is an innovative program that prepares you to know in depth the potential of devices, technologies and communication channels and mobile marketing, with the aim of transferring them to business strategy to achieve competitive advantages and new opportunities for business development. [+]
The digital analyst and scientific data are two of the most demanded today and the next few years profiles. This master is aimed at both management level profiles, as middle managers, technical profiles, independent professionals, businessmen, entrepreneurs, etc. In short, any professional who wants to be a leader in the digital business ... [+]
The Online Master in Business Information Systems and Technology Group and IMF Universidad Camilo José Cela allows those professionals who want to become an IT manager, gain a thorough understanding of the management and administration of the department of information systems. [+]
The Master in Big Data and Data Science, aims to provide students with a broad and comprehensive set of skills in three key dimensions: [+]
The Master's Degree in Integrated Management of Information Technology at Universidad Europea 100% online prepares you for the direction of ICT departments in all types of businesses. [+]


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The Cubs head to St. Louis to face Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals, and this is the crew that'll do the trick:
- Dexter Fowler, CF
- Kris Bryant, RF
- Ben Zobrist, 2B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Jorge Soler, LF
- Miguel Montero, C
- Javy Baez, 3B
- Addison Russell, SS
- John Lackey, P
Jorge Soler continues to be a fixture in the lineup in the post-Heyward injury landscape, and he had a really nice series in San Francisco. May it continue in this one. Even after Heyward returns, there will be starts available for Soler in left if he's showing the kind of defense and discipline at the plate that he showed the last few days.
Full Pre-Gamin' comes later tonight.


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Soft suede upper wtih plush faux-fur trim
Woven tweed fabric panel at the back shaft
Soft fabric lining; memory foam cushioned insole
Shock-absorbing midsole for a smooth ride
Flexible rubber outsole for reliable traction
For kicky style and snuggly comfort, the Skechers Keepsakes Peekaboo Boot can't be beat! This casual, cool-weather boot boasts a low mid-calf height and a split-shaft design for easy, slip-on wear. The soft suede upper is accented with plush faux-fur trim at the top and sides of the collar and a woven tweed fabric panel at the back shaft. Stitching accents, raised seam detail at the front and sides, and a heel overlay panel with logo label complete the stylish look. The fabric lining feels soft and smooth next to the skin, and the memory foam insole provides cushiony comfort underfoot. The shock-absorbing midsole ensures a smooth ride, while the flexible rubber outsole delivers reliable traction on uneven terrain. Shaft: 5" high; 3.5" wide; 10.5" circumference. Medium width. Imported.


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Stirling Group offers a range of vehicle training courses, from basic driver awareness to advanced defensive driving in both practical and online e-learning platforms. Delegates are given expert training in driving skills and understanding collisions and their causes. They are also trained to deal with an incident on the road.
Our driver trainers undergo a rigorous selection process are carefully vetted and meet RoSPA standards. They qualified in emergency first aid and fully adept in dealing with emergencies, particularly in areas of operation where emergency response may be delayed or even non-existent.
Working with our partner we offer a driver risk management platform as a single-source, customisable, web-based driver risk identification, mitigation and monitoring solution. Its global coverage allows clients to deploy a consistent programme that can be tracked, managed and administered centrally, as well as locally in each market.


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By David Twiddy, AP Business Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. Congress has asked Embarq Corp. about its work with a company that tracks online subscribers' Web traffic for advertising purposes, part of growing concern about Internet privacy.
Overland Park, Kan.-based Embarq is the nation's fourth-largest traditional telephone company with 1.34 million high-speed Internet subscribers in 14 states. It has been linked in the past with NebuAd Inc., a company that works with Internet service providers to tailor targeted ads based on what Web sites a particular subscriber visits.
In a letter sent Monday, Rep. Edward Markey, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, asked the company about a supposed test it conducted with NebuAd earlier this year in one of Embarq's markets.
Markey, D-Mass., was joined in the letter by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, the committee's ranking Republican.
In particular, the three said they wanted to know where the test was conducted, how many subscribers were involved, whether the subscribers were notified of how their information would be used and whether they were given a chance to opt out of the test. They also want to know what Embarq ultimately did with the subscribers' information.
"Surreptitiously tracking individual users' Internet activity cuts to the heart of consumer privacy," Markey said in a statement. "Embarq's apparent use of this technology without directly notifying affected customers that their activity was being tracked, collected and analyzed raises serious privacy red flags."
A spokeswoman for Embarq said the company was reviewing the letter and couldn't comment further.
NebuAd was grilled earlier this month by the Senate Commerce Committee, and Markey is scheduled to discuss Internet privacy issues with the company's chief executive, Robert Dykes, during a hearing Thursday.
Markey and Barton raised concerns in May with the plans of Charter Communications Inc., a St. Louis-based cable company, to test NebuAd's services in four markets. The company dropped those plans last month because of customer complaints.
Redwood City, Calif.-based NebuAd has stressed that it does not collect any personally identifiable information about consumers and that it requires Internet service providers to notify their subscribers about its advertising system.
Embarq shares rose 70 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $43.65 on Wednesday.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Compare Probate attorneys near you. Read reviews, see Avvo Ratings, and contact them directly.
5.0 stars 3 reviews
Avvo Rating: 5.9
Review: "Christopher is honest and presents himself in a professional manner. He is approachable and always gets back to you in a timely manner. I would recommend him to anyone. "
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3.0 stars 2 reviews
Avvo Rating: 6.4
Kerry M. Bryson is a graduate of University of Mississippi School of Law. He was formerly a Network Engineer and Information Technology Systems Administrator for law firms and owned computer service companies. He leverages his broad legal training...
Practice areas & skills: Probate, Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Family, Car Accidents
Get the legal help you need at a fixed price. No hidden fees or long-term commitment.
Probate is the legal process used to carry out a person's will after their death; a probate attorney advises you on how to perform the steps in the process. In general, once you have identified and collected the dead person's belongings, including their money, property, and other assets, you pay the person's debts and taxes. Once all debts have been paid, you distribute their money and property according to the language of the will. If there is no will, the laws of the state where the dead person lived control how the property is distributed. A probate attorney helps you plan what happens to your property when you die, as they can probate wills and act as your probate court estate representative. A probate attorney also represents family members and beneficiaries wishing to challenge wills.


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Hatherton is a small hamlet close to Cannock and easily accessible from the M6 and A5. It is situated close to the historic Hatherton Hall, the canal, marina and reservoir at Calf Heath and Cannock Chase.
© South Staffordshire Housing Association 2017
South Staffordshire Housing Association Ltd. Part of Housing Plus. Our Registered Office is: Acton Court, Acton Gate, Staffordshire ST18 9AP. We are registered in England and Wales as a Charitable Community Benefit Society(28312R) and registered with the Homes and Communities Agency. VAT Number: 918 3969 77


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Today, being the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, our priest spoke about that mystery during the homily. He compared the trinity to a candle flame. The fire is God the Father, the light is God the Son, and the heat is God the Holy Spirit. All are one.
I love similes that help me wrap my wee little mind around such unfathomable concepts. It makes them more concrete for me. We can never fully understand God, but we can get a glimpse of what he's like.
Book recommendation: Saint Patrick's Summer by Marigold Hunt. It's a novel written for kids, but when I read it to my kids, I learned a lot about the Catholic faith. Ms. Hunt explains some pretty complex concepts in a way that's comprehensible. I thought of it because she goes into what Saint Patrick really meant when he used the shamrock to illustrate the Trinity.


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If there's one thing that has been obvious in the first few weeks of getting two new additions to the family, it's that time is of the essence.
Every day activities seem to take a bit longer and before you know it you are running late and behind the eight ball.
Typically this translates into rushed eating and missed training sessions. Not a great combination when you want to be at your peak both physically and mentally.
So what can you do to combat this common problem? Well prevention is always better than a cure so use some protection! But assuming the kids are planned then you will also need some sort of a plan to make sure you stay on track with your eating and training.
1. Pre-make meals and freeze them so you have well prepared, healthy options at the ready. The best way to do this is to make a double or triple batch of your recipie and store the leftovers.
2. Have a plan 'B' for in between meals and so you don't miss a meal. All you need for this is a few zip lock bags. In one put a serve of mixed nuts (almonds, cashews and walnuts work for me), and in the other have a serve of your favorite protein powder. Throw those in a large shaker and you have all your nutritional bases covered in on neat package.
3. Don't train for more than 45 minutes per session and see how much you can cram into a 30 minute session. If you need some ideas make sure you have a look at these workouts. Keep your rest periods short and avoid isolation exercises.
4. If you only have 20 minutes a few times per week then your best option is to do some tabatas. If the word tabatas is foriegn to you then have a look at this Tabata Workout.
Keep an eye out for some more short, sharp and hard workouts which will be posted as soon as I have given them a test run and the thumbs up!
Update: Posted the first one yesterday! Check it out here –>> Time Saving Super Workout
Tagged as: Almonds, Cashews, Healthy Options, Isolation Exercises, Leftovers, Minute Session, Mixed Nuts, Neat Package, New Additions, Plan B, Protein Powder, Recipie, Rest Periods, Tabata Workout, Tabatas, Test Run, Time Is Of The Essence, Walnuts, Workouts, Zip Lock Bags


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There really is no excuse for buying a crappy game nowadays. Reviews are everywhere in both written and video form and if you don't want to trust just one, there are handy sites that give you an average of dozens. Oh, and did I mention that all of this is available at the tips of your fingers for free, whether on your desktop at home or your iPhone at Starbucks?
I am more informed than I have ever been thanks to these modern conveniences, and I'm not sure I have missed a title that I thought I would really love during the last two console generations. I've certainly discovered many a title that I would have overlooked and probably never even heard of back in the days of no internet and only the occasional gaming magazine.
So why do I miss the days of going to the department store with my mom, paper route money burning holes in my pockets, and then poring over the game box of each title that caught my eye? Why do I miss taking what change I had left after purchasing "mystery title X" (thank you Persona 4), heading to the W.C. Franks in the mall, and then trying all kinds of cool or weird looking arcade machines?
Nostalgia certainly has something to do with it. I certainly don't miss playing the grade-A turd that I would occasionally bring home. But I think what I miss most is that sense of discovery. There was nothing like picking up a game based on little but a screenshot and description on the back of the box and the art on the front, and then being absolutely blown away by it. Going to the arcade with a pocketful of quarters and then playing two dozen different games in an afternoon was like going to Old Country Buffet . . . only everything was awesome and it was full of smelly 20-somethings instead of smelly 70-somethings.
So anybody else suffer from similar bouts of "good ole days" syndrome? I will leave you with screenshots of a few of these self-discoveries that I really enjoyed. Whether they were genuinely good games or not is another matter entirely. Hope you enjoy the screenshots and stay classy, MyIGN.
Buck Rogers and the Planet of Zoom - Atari 2600
Kangaroo - Arcade
Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode - NES
E.V.O.: The Search for Eden - SNES
Realms of Arkania III: Shadows Over Riva - PC


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Vine comes to Kindle Fire
Vine, the popular application for recording short videos compartirlox six seconds and the social network and Twitter, announced his arrival to the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet, a few days after arriving to Android after being available for four months only Apple iOS.
Obviously the passage of kindle fire Android would be much faster, as the Amazon tablet uses a modified version of Android that while not allowing access to the standard App store Google Play Store, it is very similar in bowels concerned, despite having its own closed ecosystem called Amazon Appstore application.
As expected, vine is free and can be downloaded from the aforementioned retailers or via the website of the same , giving this popular tool for economic users Amazon tablet.
Link: Vine Brings its short, looping video to Amazon's Kindle Fire (Electronista)Tags: Amazon, Amazon Appstore, App, AppStore, came, Kindle, kindle fire, Twitter, vine


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from $124.14
Price per Person + tax
from $116.38
Price per Person + tax
from $73.28
Price per Person + tax
Have a fun filled adventure in Atlantis, The Palm. Blast off our water coasters, be catapulted into shark filled lagoon, and relax on our private beach in the Aquaventure, No.1 waterpark in the Middle East and Europe. Then wander off to explore The Lost Chambers Aquarium, while coming face to face with over 65,000 animals. Explore the mystery of the lost city of Atlantis through 20 unique exhibits, including touch tank and Aquatheatre show.
Xcaret Plus entrance with private transportation. You decide the pickup time at your hotel and we'll whisk you off in your private vehicle to the park.
Xplor is a unique underground world, with activities that invite you to explore the 4 elements and rediscover your emotions and senses within nature. Check out the Newest, Hottest, Coolest Park!
The Cancun area is a haven for adventure-seekers looking for new challenges and places to explore. NO ONE ELSE OFFERS THIS TOUR! The transportation on this tour is private, the actual snorkeling is not. There will be other people in the cenotes/reef with you.
The lagoons of Cancun and Isla Blanca are ideal for fly fishing. Whether it is your first time or you are a seasoned fly fisherman, this tour is for you!
Guided tour the city of Cancun...see what downtown is really like! Shop at Market 23, the locals market and Market 28 for souveniers and handcrafts or Tulum Ave.
Live an amazing experience aboard an authentic Pirate Ship full with music, Family Fun, fireworks, authentic pirate show and a delicious gourmet dinner.
Feel the rush of the Caribbean air as you navegate different routes through the Maya rainforest and swim in the crystal clear waters of a cenote.
Inmerese yourself in the Yucatan Peninsula´s most exotic underground world. Hike and swim through a labyrinth of cool underground river while surrounded by crystal formations.
View the coral reef and some amazing underwater sculptures which form part of the Cancun Underwater Museum, in the comfort of the air conditioned submarine.
Puerto Morelos, which lies just south of Cancun, is where you will enjoy snorkeling on the beautiful coral reef...ideal for snorkeling because the reef is very close to the shore and the water is shallow.
Isla Contoy is considered the most important nesting place of sea birds in all of the Mexican Caribbean. Only a few tour companies have permission to bring guests to the island and only 200 visitors are allowed daily.
This area is a haven for adventure-seekers looking for new challenges and places to explore. Check out the awesome cenotes of ancient Aktun Chen.
Climb the ruins of Ek Balam and uncover distinct carvings left by the Mayans. Ride a bike to the beautiful open cenote Xcanche, rappel down the walls, swing on a rope or zip line over the clear blue waters below. Unlimited activites at the cenote! When you are done there we head to Valladolid to see the cathedral.
Extreme Adventure is for the adventurous thrill seekers. For those seeking the most extreme thrills! 12 super fast Zip Lines!
Speed boat through the mangrove channel (the oceans jungle) to the world's 2nd largest reef where you will snorkel for 45 minutes.
The Whale Shark swims slowing at the surface filtering the sea water for plankton, it's main source of food. Do not miss this chance to snorkel next to the largest fish species in the world.
Unlimited snorkeling on Punta Nizuc and a visit to the Cancun Underwater Museum.
No other tour offers this diverse array of such exciting activities in a single half-day adventure!
Try your best Tarzan call as you zip from tree to tree on the coolest Zip Line Circuit built to date.
See the ruins of Tulum, Tulum beach, and then have a great adventure exploring the jungle and a beautiful underground river.
Excellent hotel, friendly staff would def go there again
The view from our balcony in room # 409, was terrific. It was centrally located to everything on and around the port area. Wonderful service and everything was very clean. The breakfast was below average, although not bad. If back in Zante Town we would stay there again.
It is close to everything but if you go in the lower season the pool won't be ready even though the temperature was quiet high already.
Our team is 24/7 at your service to help you with your booking issues or answer any related questions
1-800 212 8931
Please Wait
Local in Cancun


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When you read this title, you may be thinking we meant beef stew. No, you read it correctly, Old-Fashioned Stewed Beef and Gravy. This recipe was always in our rotation schedule as it was very popular in our family.You, yourself may remember this dish being served on a regular basis when you were young.
This was a simple to make meal that was a lifesaver on busy days as it didn't take any watching. It didn't matter what we served it over, potatoes, rice, pasta, everyone loved it and the pot was cleaned out so well, you would have thought it was already washed!
Click on the next page link for the recipe
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