Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the AirSimple TimesQuiet ThoughtsMy Piano
quietly, ‘I should leave it behind. Don’t you want to?’‘Well yes - and no. Now it comes to it, I don’t like parting with it at all, I may say. And I don’t really see why I should. Why do you want me to?’ he asked, and a curious change came over his voice. It was sharp with suspicion and annoyance. ‘You are always badgering me about my ring; but you have never bothered me about the other things that I got on my journey.’‘No, but I had to badger you,’ said Gandalf. ‘I wanted the truth. It was important. Magic rings are - well, magical; and they are rare and curious. I was professionally interested in your ring, you may say; and I still am. I should like to know where it is, if you go wandering again. Also I think you have had it quite long enough. You won’t need it any more. Bilbo, unless I am quite mistaken.’Bilbo flushed, and there was an angry light in his eyes. His kindly face grew hard. ‘Why not?’ he cried. ‘And it of yours, anyway, to know what I do with my own things? It is my own. I found it. It came to me.’‘Yes, yes,’ said Gandalf. ‘But there is no need to get

Shotwells EARTH PLANES III

Shotwells EARTH PLANES IIIShotwells DUSK ISLANDShotwells DUNE VIEWShotwells CUT BY LIGHT
was Bellatrix's voice, and she spoke as if to a lover. Harry did not dare open his eyes, but allowed

his other senses to explore his predicament. He knew that his wand was still stowed beneath his robes because

he could feel it pressed between his chest and the ground. A slight cushioning effect in the area of his stomach told him that the Invisibility Cloak was also there, stuffed out of sight.
　　　Voldemort seemed to be getting to his feet. Various Death Eaters were hurrying away from him, returning to the crowd lining the clearing. Bellatrix alone remained behind, kneeling beside Voldemort.
"My Lord..."

"That will do," said Voldemort's voice.

　　　More footsteps. Several people were backing away from the same spot. Desperate to see what was happening and why, Harry opened his eyes by a milimeter.

Felisky Lake Orta Italy

Felisky Lake Orta ItalyFelisky House Near CahorsFelisky Gazebo Among The RosesFelisky Garden Gate On Mission Carmel
think he was playing the hero? He was saving his neck and his friends' too! You're not going to – I won't let you – "

"Let me? Let me?"

Lily's bright green eyes were slits. Snape backtracked at once.
　　　Harry doubted that Snape had even heard her strictures on Mulciber and Avery. The moment she had insulted James Po
　　　"I didn't m ean – I just don't want to see you made a fool of – He fancies you, James Potter fancies you!" The words seemed wrenched from him against his will. "And he's not…everyone thinks…big Quidditch hero – " Snape's bitterness and dislike were rendering him incoherent, and Lily's eyebrows were traveling farther and farther up her forehead.

　　　"I know James Potter's an arrogant toerag," she said, cutting across Snape. "I don't need you to tell me that. But Mulciber's and . I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

Dancer Flamenco in Red

Dancer Flamenco in RedDancer Dance the Night AwayDancer dance seriesDancer dance series II
Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading he school---Snape's run for it---What are you doing here? How did you know?
　　　There was a great roar and a surge toward the stairs, he was pressed back against he wall as they ran past hi, the mingled members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, and Harry's old Quidditch team, all with their wands drawn, heading up into the main castle. 　　　"Come on, Luna," Dean called as he passed, holding out his free hand, she took it and followed him back up the stairs.
　　　"We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army," Fred explained. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the D.A. let the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed."

"What first, Harry?" called George. "What's going on?"

　　　"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized," Harry said. "We're fighting."

Munier Essai de l'Eau

Munier Essai de l'EauMunier Young Girl with Goat & FlowersLaurens Le CardinalLaurens L'Agitateur du Languedoc
together, we've been keeping it going while you three have been off on your own –"

"It hasn't exactly been a picnic, mate," said Ron.
It was Luna and Dean. Seamus gave a great roar of delight and ran to hug his best friend. "Hi, everyone!" said Luna happily. "Oh, it's great to be back!" "Luna," said Harry distractedly, "what are you doing here? How did you -- ?"
　　　"I never said it had, but I don't see why you can't trust us. Everyone in this room's been fighting and they've been driven in here because the Carrows were hunting them down. Everyone in here's proven they're loyal to Dumbledore – loyal to you."

　　　"Look," Harry began, without knowing what he was going to say, but it did not matter. The tunnel door had just opened behind him.

"We got your message, Neville! Hello you three, I thought you must be here!"

　　　

Yue Minjun Butiful Style

Yue Minjun Butiful StyleYue Minjun Black CloudYue Minjun Birds of PeaceYue Minjun Bird I
possessed, and never for an instant could he have dreamed that he would return to steal . . . But within seconds they were standing in the vast marble hall of the bank.

　　　The long counter was manned by goblins sitting on high stools serving the first customers of the day. Hermione, Ron, and Travers headed toward an old goblin who was examining a thick gold coin through an eyeglass. Hermione allowed Travers to step ahead of her on the pretext of explaining features of the hall to Ron.
　　　"Madam Lestrange!" said the goblin, evidently startled. "Dear me!" How--how may I help you today?" "I wish to enter my vault," said Hermione.
　　　The goblin tossed the coin he was holding aside, said to nobody in particular, "Leprechaun," and then greeted Travers, who passed over a tiny golden key, which was examined and given back to him.

Hermione stepped forward.

Knight Stopping for Conversation

Knight Stopping for ConversationAlma-Tadema Gathering PansiesKnight In the GardenKnight Girl with a Basket in a Garden
brought from the Malfoys'.

"Can you identify these?" Harry asked.

　　　The wandmaker took the first of the wands and held it close to his faded eyes, rolling it between his knobble-knuckled fingers, flexing it slightly.

　　　"Walnut and dragon heartstring," he said. "Twelve-and-three-quarter inches. Unyielding. This wand belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange."

"And this one?"

Ollivander performed the same examination.
"—then it may be yours. Of course, the manner of taking matters. Much also depends upon the wand itself. In general, however, where a wand has been won, its allegiance will change." There was a silence in the room, except for the distant rushing of the sea.
　　　"Hawthorn and unicorn hair. Ten inches precisely. Reasonably springy. This was the wand of Draco Malfoy."

"Was?" repeated Harry. "Isn't it still his?"

"Perhaps not. If you took it –"

"—I did – "

　　　

Leader On The Stour Near Flatford Mill, Suffolk

Leader On The Stour Near Flatford Mill, SuffolkLeader Evening On The Thames At WargraveLeader Across The HeathLeader Tintern Abbey
Yeah, because we really need a bit more fear in our lives," said Harry before he could stop himself. Xenophilius did not seem to be paying much attention, but was staring out of the window at the sky. "Go on, Hermione."

　　　"In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.
　　　"'And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.
"'And Death spoke to them –'"

"Sorry," interjected Harry, "but Death spoke to them?"

"It's a fairy tale, Harry!"

"Right, sorry. Go on."

Gockel Strolling I

Gockel Strolling IGockel Striped FishGockel Streets of Morocco IIGockel Stars & Stripes II
Yeah," said Harry. "But I don't understand. How did you get here? How did you find us?"

　　　"Long story," said Ron. "I've been looking for you for hours, it's a big forest, isn't it? And I was just thinking I'd have to go kip under a tree and wait for morning when I saw that dear coming and you following."
　"I did think I saw something move over there, but I was running to the pool at the time, because you'd gone in and you hadn't come up, so I wasn't going to make a detour to -- hey!" 　　　Harry was already hurrying to the place that Ron had indicated. The two oaks grew close together; there was a gap of only a few inches between
"You didn't see anyone else?"

"No," said Ron. "I --"

But he hesitated, glancing at two trees growing close together some yards away.

　　

Kimble American Pig

Kimble American PigKimble American CowO'Keeffe Yellow Calla-Green LeavesO'Keeffe Yellow Calla Lily
Harry did not want to admit that he had not been thinking about the sword at all when he suggested they go to Godric's Hollow. For him, the lore of the village lay in his parents' graves, the house where he had narrowly escaped death, and in the person of Bathilda Bagshot.

"Remember what Muriel said?" he asked eventually.


　　　"You know," he hesitated. He did not want one who said you had skinny ankles."

　　　"Oh," said Hermione. It was a sticky moment: Harry knew that she had sensed Ron's name in the offing. He rushed on:

"She said Bathilda Bagshot still lived in Godric's Hollow."

　　　"Bathilda Bagshot," murmured Hermione, running

Claude Monet Boulevard des Capucines painting

Claude Monet Boulevard des Capucines paintingHorace Vernet Judith and Holofernes paintingHorace Vernet The Lion Hunt painting
jumped into the fireplace together as Yaxley's curse sailed over Harry's head. They spun for a few seconds before shooting up out of a toilet into a cubicle. Harry flung open the door: Ron was standing there beside the sinks, still wrestling with Mrs. Cattermole.

"Reg, I don't understand –"

"Let go, I'm not your

　　　There was a noise in the cubicle behind them; Harry looked around; Yaxley had just appeared.

　　　"LET'S GO!" Harry yelled. He seized Hermione by the hand and Ron by the arm and turned on the stop.

　　　Darkness engulfed them, along with the sensation of compressing hands, but something was wrong…. Hermione's hand seemed to be sliding out of his grip….

　　　He wondered whether he was going to suffocate; he

Edmund Blair Leighton God Speed painting

Edmund Blair Leighton God Speed paintingEdmund Blair Leighton The Accolade paintingIvan Constantinovich Aivazovsky The Ninth Wave painting
and he left me the Deluminator, maybe I'm supposed to use it!"
　　　Every nerve in his body seemed to tauten: He pulled out his wand, moved into the shadows beside the decapitated elf heads, and waited. The door opened: He saw a glimpse of the lamplit square outside, and a cloaked figure edged into the hall and closed the door behind it. The intruder took a step forward, and Moody's voice asked, "Severus Snape?" Then the dust figure rose from the end of the hall and rushed him, raising its dead hand.
　　　Unable to stand the bickering, Harry slipped out of the room unnoticed by either of them. He headed downstairs toward the kitchen, which he kept visiting because he was sure that was where Kreacher was most likely to reappear. Halfway down the flight of stairs into the hall, however, he heard a tap on the front door, then metallic clicks and the grinding of the chain.

Thomas Kinkade Victorian Christmas painting

Thomas Kinkade Victorian Christmas paintingThomas Kinkade Sunset at Riverbend Farm paintingThomas Kinkade Make a Wish Cottage 2 painting
rightly, seeing how he vos finished. But this" – he pointed a finger at Xenophilius – "this is his symbol, I recognized it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ver he vos a pupil there. Some idiots copied it onto their books and clothes thinking to shock, make themselves impressive – until those of us who had lost family members to Grindelvald taught them better."

　　　Krum cracked his knuckles menacingly and glowered at Xenophilius. Harry felt perplexed. It seemed incredibly unlikely that Luna's father was a supporter of the Dark Arts, and nobody else in the tent seemed to have recognized the triangular, finlike shape.

"Are you – er – quite sure it's Grindelwald's -?"

　　　"I am not mistaken," said Krum coldly. "I walked past that sign for several years, I know it vell."

　　　"Well, there's a chance," said Harry, "that Xenophilius

Vincent van Gogh Vase with Twelve Sunflowers painting

Vincent van Gogh Vase with Twelve Sunflowers paintingVincent van Gogh The Olive Trees paintingVincent van Gogh Still Life with Open Bible painting
jumped as the door opened, and Mr. Weasley, Kingsley, and Bill walked in.

　　　They were often joined by other Order members for dinner now, because the Burrow had replaced number twelve, Grimmauld Place as the headquarters. Mr. Weasley had explained that after the death of Dumbledore, their Secret-Keeper, each of the people to whom Dumbledore had confided Grimmauld Place's location had become a Secret-Keeper in turn.

　　　"And as there are around twenty of us, that greatly dilutes the power of the Fidelius Charm. Twenty times as many opportunities for the Death Eaters to get the secret out of somebody. We can't expect it to hold much longer."

　　　"But surely Snape will have told the Death Eaters the address by now?" asked Harry.

Jean-Honore Fragonard paintings

Jean-Honore Fragonard paintings
Jehan Georges Vibert paintings
Make yourself more valuable – to yourself as well as to others – by investing in learning new skills or improving old ones. Look for areas where you have a strong-but-not-expert knowledge already and see how you can build yourself up in that area. Even if it’s not central to your current work, expanding your skill set will give you some flexibility to move beyond the boundaries of your existing field – and may offer a new perspective on the work you’re already doing.
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot paintings
Information is your most valuable asset right now, and asking questions, even painfully obvious ones, is the best way to get information. Also, asking questions is perhaps the most powerful building toolset – people like to talk about themselves and their work, and asking questions gives them the opportunity to do so. Make a point of asking at least one meaningful question in any interaction – you’d be surprised at what you can learn.5. Write your elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch is a 2-3-minute speech summarizing a product, proposal, or project for a potential buyer or backer. The idea is that if you were in an elevator with someone, you could get the most important information about whatever you’re selling across to them in the couple of minutes before the elevator reaches their floor

Salvador Dali clock melting clocks painting

Salvador Dali clock melting clocks paintingJean Beraud Pont des arts paintingJean Beraud Boulevard des capucines painting
bookwormed study, staring into three worlds, waiting for the end. "Come on, Abba," he marched cheerily into the presence. "Time to save your
Still in its place, on a shelf in Changez's study: a certain copper-- and-brass lamp, reputed to have the power of wish fulfilment, but as yet (because never rubbed) untested. Somewhat tarnished now, it looked down upon its dying owner; and was observed, in its turn, by his only son. Who was sorely tempted, for an instant, to get it down, rub three times, and ask the turbanned djinni for a magic spell . . . however, Salahuddin left the lamp where it was. There was no place for djinns or ghouls or afreets here; no spooks or fancies could be permitted. No magic formulae; just the impotence of the pills. "Here's the medicine man," Salahuddin sang out, rattling the little bottles, rousing his father from sleep. ," Changez grimaced childishly. "Eek, bhaak, thoo."

Sandro Botticelli The Birth of Venus painting

Sandro Botticelli The Birth of Venus paintingEdward Hopper Nighthawks paintingFrederic Edwin Church Sunset painting
hundred and forty men, women and children walking wearily towards the sea.
o o o
The dead grew in number, and the groups of unsettled pilgrims around the Mercedes got larger night by night. Mirza Saeed began to tell them stories. He told them about lemmings, and how the enchantress Circe turned men into pigs; he told, too, the story of a pipe-player who lured a town's children into a mountain-crack. When he had told this tale in their own language he recited verses in English, so that they could listen to the the poetry even though they didn't understand the words. "Hamelin town's in Brunswick," he began. "Near famous Hanover City. The River Weser, deep and wide, washes its walls on the southern side . . ."
Now he had the satisfaction of seeing the girl Ayesha advance, looking furious, while the butterflies glowed like the campfire behind her, making it appear as though flames were streaming from her body.

John William Waterhouse The Enchanted Garden painting

John William Waterhouse The Enchanted Garden paintingJohn William Waterhouse Psyche Entering Cupid's Garden paintingJohn William Waterhouse Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus painting
glass, about how he was obliged to "build his town with blood". Jumpy, with his versifying attempts to redefine the old racist image of the rivers of blood, would appreciate that. -- All these things Saladin experienced and two worlds at once; one was the brightly lit, no-smoking-allowed meeting hall, but the other was a world of phantoms, in which Azraeel, the exterminating angel, was swooping towards him, and a girl's forehead could burn with ominous flames. -- _She's death to me, that's what it means_, Chamcha thought in one of the two worlds, while in the other he told himself not to be foolish; the room was full of people wearing those inane tribal badges that had latterly grown so popular, green neon thought as if from a considerable distance. -- What had happened? This: when Jumpy Joshi pointed out Mishal Sufyan's presence at the Friends Meeting House, Saladin Chamcha, looking in her direction, saw a blazing fire burning in the centre of her forehead; and felt, in the same moment, the beating, and the icy shadow, of a pair of gigantic wings. -- He experienced the kind of blurring associated with double vision, seeming to look into

Caravaggio St. John the Baptist painting

Caravaggio St. John the Baptist paintingAndrea Mantegna Virgin and child with the Magdalen and St John the Baptist paintingAndrea Mantegna The Adoration of the Shepherds painting
without noise," and thereupon he began some squealing of his own, for reasons, it is to be presumed, of pleasure rather than pain. -- And the grocer, Musa, confessed to another of The Curtain's horizontal staff that the old habits were hard to break, and when he was sure nobody was listening he still said a prayer or two to ", Manat, and sometimes, what to do, Al-Lat as well; you can't beat a female goddess, they've got attributes the boys can't match," after which he, too, fell upon the earthly imitations of these attributes with a will. So it was that faded, fading Baal learned in his bitterness that no imperium is absolute, no victory complete. And, slowly, the criticisms of Mahound began.
Baal had begun to change. The news of the destruction of the great temple of Al-Lat at Taif, which came to his ears punctuated by the grunts of the covert pig-sticker Ibrahim, had plunged him into a deep sadness, because even

Arthur Hughes Ophelia painting

Arthur Hughes Ophelia paintingArthur Hughes April Love paintingAlbert Bierstadt A River Estuary painting
sufficed. Hanif Johnson, saying goodnight to the fearsome entity of whom his lover Mishal seemed entirely unafraid, tried to talk to him seriously, "You've got to realize how important you could be for us, there's more at stake here than your personal needs," but mutant Saladin only snorted, yellow and black, and Hanif backedtransformed into the simulacrum of an angel as surely as he was the Devil's mirror--self. Who should the Devil blame but the Archangel, Gibreel? quickly away. When he was alone with the waxworks Chamcha was able to fix his thoughts once again on the face that had finally coalesced in his mind's eye, radiant, the light streaming out around him from a point just behind his head, Mister Perfecto, portrayer of gods, who always landed on his feet, was always forgiven his sins, loved, praised, adored . . . the face he had been trying to identify in his dreams, Mr. Gibreel Farishta,

Edgar Degas The Orchestra of the Opera painting

Edgar Degas The Orchestra of the Opera paintingEdgar Degas Song of the Dog paintingEdgar Degas Beach Scene painting
, and I only thought, -- I mean," and here young Anahita dried up, because Chamcha, spewing cornflakes, howled angrily: "Make--up? Theatrical? _Trick?_"
"No offence," Mishal said anxiously on her sister's behalf. "It's just we've been thinking, know what I mean, and well it'd just be awful if you weren't, but you are, "course you are, so that's all right," she finished hastily as Chamcha glared at her again. -- "Thing is," Anahita resumed, and then, faltering, "Mean to say, well, we just think it's great." -- "You, she means," Mishal corrected. "We think you're, you know." -- "Brilliant," Anahita said and dazzled the bewildered Chamcha with a smile. "Magic. You know. _Extreme_."
"We didn't sleep all night," Mishal said. "We've got ideas."
"What we reckoned," Anahita trembled with the thrill of it, "as you've turned into, -- what you are, -- then maybe, well, probably, actually, even if you

Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida Grupa valenciana painting

Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida Grupa valenciana paintingJoaquin Sorolla y Bastida The White Boat paintingJoaquin Sorolla y Bastida The Two Sisters painting
woman reached him he had fallen forward on to his forearms, his coat dangling loosely about him and giving him the look of a large, dying beetle who was wearing, for obscure reasons, a dirty grey trilby hat.
As if from a great distance he heard a shocked cry escape the woman's lips, a gasp in which disbelief, joy and a strange resentment were all mixed up, and just before his senses left him he understood that Rekha had permitted him, for the time being, to reach the illusion of a safe haven, so that her triumph over him could be the sweeter when it came at the last.
"You're alive," the woman said, repeating the first words she had ever spoken toback. That's the point.,
Smiling, he fell asleep at Allie's flat feet in the falling snow.