Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: OH. MY. GOD. I am back! I am 1000x sorry, my dears, for being gone for so long. Two years, I believe! I've always meant to come back to this story but I just couldn't get around to actually writing again. I am still surprised that despite my long absence, there are still people following and liking this story, and for that I will strive to keep this story alive. Anyway, this chapter will be an introduction to certain major characters in the story. Hope you like this one! :D

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He had always been fond of his office. The view of the New York City skyline from the floor-to-ceiling windows was his favorite. He knew the moment he had this building built for their corporate empire that he would be spending more of his time here, rather than his own flat. It had been a very strenuous day and watching lights dance around every corner of his office window gave him peace for the first time that day. He could never get tired of watching every piece of light turn on as dusk fall upon the sky. Yet he was not alone in the room. A large brusque man with blond hair sat at the bar at the far right of the room, sipping from a snifter of whiskey. On the couch near the bookshelves, on the other side of the bar, a petite woman with flaming red hair and fair skin, in a business suit, sat while reading some documents. They had known each other since they were children and working together was only natural. For years, they have been devising a plan. A scheme that, when executed perfectly, will change the world as they know it. A slight smile came to his lips with that thought. They will change the world and create history. A lifelong dream their ancestors weren't able to realize, they now had the power to fulfill themselves. He may have been a bit worried, for the first time in his life, but he was sure they will succeed.

His musings were interrupted by a short knock on the door. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering.

"Enter," he called out, as he turned around to face whoever disturbed his trail of thought.

The door opened to reveal a tall, slender woman with olive-colored skin, her dark hair pulled up into a tight bun. Icy-blue eyes filled with darkness and evil looked at him, others who saw her would have ran far away in an instant.

Andreina was the perfect right-hand man, or rather, woman. She was efficient not just as his second in command, but also as a trained assassin. Having found her as a child, he personally trained her to be ruthless and indifferent, listened to and obeyed no one else but him-the best assets of a killer.

"Ah yes, Andreina. More candidates, I assume?" he said in a thick Italian accent, sitting on the huge leather chair behind his desk.

"Yes. I think you, Dareia and Haemon will like this new batch, mio signoré," she answered, as she placed the stack of papers on his desk.

Both the man at the bar and the woman at the couch looked up at the mention of their names and stood up to approach the desk at the middle of the room.

"Good. We already have a good number of candidates but having more is a good back-up plan," he said, nodding, while he picked up another stack of papers on the right side of his desk and passed them to Andreina.

"I need you to pick up these candidates. These are the people I need for the research and development department in Sydney."

He waited patiently as she read through the batch of dossiers of the people she's supposed to recruit for their plans. He noticed a slight twitch on her impassive face as she reached the last person on the list.

"Something wrong, bella?" Dareia asked calmly as she sat on top of the desk.

She looked straight at her, then at Marius and passed the sheets of paper with information, "This person went missing just two days ago. We are still not aware of her current whereabouts," she answered bluntly.

"You have men monitoring these people, yes? Then how are you not able to know where she is now?" Haemon inquired collectedly, not even waiting for Andreina to reply.

"She is very smart, Lord Haemon, as the records show. If she doesn't want to be found by anyone, she won't be," she said in a smooth voice. "Even by Cerberus agents."

Marius put his elbows on top of his desk and rested his chin on the back of his clasped hands.

"Find her. And don't come back to me until you do," he ordered with a severe tone in his voice.

Andreina bowed her head wordlessly and walked back towards the door. As the door closed almost quietly, he turned his chair to face the windows again. The night lights twinkled in the night like stars yet he can't seem to find the usual calm he felt when looking at the city skyline. He was starting to feel frustration at the possible delay this will cause his plans and he will not have it. He leaned back and put his fingers together as he contemplated his next strategy.

"Things in Sydney are going smoother than they are here, Dareia?" he asked the woman on his right.

"Of course. The offices and the laboratories are all up and ready to start running," she answered before waving her hand to summon a drink of her own from the bar.

"Good. You and Haemon will fly to Sydney as soon as you can to watch over things while I wait for word on our missing candidate."

"Is it still necessary to find her? We have other candidates talented and smart enough to accomplish the task we need," Haemon asked.

"She's an important figure in the magical community. She's on a whole other level as the other candidates. Wouldn't it be fun to watch her dance like a puppet by my strings?" he said with malice in his tone.

"You intend to break her, then?" Dareia inquired as she folded her arms and looked at Marius curiously.

"Oh, I do. Very much," he replied with an evil grin.

-----

"We found her, Lord Marius," Andreina said as she came into his office after a week. He has been growing impatient with the delay of finding the last person on the group he was assembling.

"Good. Now, where is she?" he asked without looking up at her while reading some documents.

"She's in Australia," she answered quickly. He looked up at her in surprise, "She's been staying in a hotel in Sydney and we found her because she's been trying to look for a job, both in the muggle and wizarding world," she continued.

Marius stood up and began pacing by the window. "Very good. Contact every connection we have and tell them not to hire her. We will fly to Sydney tomorrow. I will personally make sure that she applies for a job at our company," he said without pause.

"Yes, mio signoré," Andreina said before she turned around and left the room.

Finally, he thought, finally.

-----

This was probably the coldest day he had ever experienced while being in Sydney. It was the middle of the year and winter is upon Australia, it was still too cold. Thanks to modern technology and a little bit of magic, his office was as cozy as summer. He's been there for a few days now and he had plenty of work to do. Paperwork was piling up on his desk but he has been ignoring them in anticipation.

A minute or so later, there was a knock and Andreina opened the door.

"Marius, Ms. Granger is here for the interview," she said with a small smile on her usually impassive face.

"Ah yes, let her in, please," he said with a smile of his own.

Andreina opened the door further, took a step inside and stood by the opened door. Just by the threshold was a rather petite woman, lean with pale complexion. Here hair was in simple pleats and she was wearing a crisp light blue shirt in a black business suit. She looked at Andreina first then stepped into his office. After the door closed, she walked towards his desk. As she drew closer, Marius discreetly studied her a bit more. She walked straight with confidence, studied her surroundings with clear attention and her intelligence simply radiated from her. Didn't matter that she's muggle-born, he needed her brains for his plans.

She stopped in front of his desk and looked straight at him.

"It's such a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Hermione Granger," he said as he extended his hand to her.

"Mr. Marius Ambrose, believe me when I say it's a bigger pleasure­ meeting you," she said, shaking his hand firmly but briefly.

"Please have a seat," he motioned at the chair to her left as he sat on his own chair.

"Thank you," she answered.

He stared at her for a few seconds, noting that she was very calm and on guard.

Interesting, he thought.

He picked up a folder which contained information about her. He already knew all of them but he just wanted to go to the pretense of reading them.

"Your school records and transcripts are exceptional, Ms. Granger. As I've heard, you are not just a war hero but also the brightest witch of your age," he said without looking away from the files.

"I was merely fighting for my life and the lives of the people I loved. Many were heroes in the past war," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, "As for being the brightest of my age, I just worked and studied hard."

He nodded and smiled. "But," he looked up from the papers and stared directly at her, "you did not finish your advanced healer training program and suddenly moved here. May I ask why?"

She tried to be subtle but he noticed the change in her posture, her hands tightened around each other. She was more on her guard now. Even more interesting.

"It's a personal matter, actually," she answered coolly.

"Of course, of course," he said, waving his hand around, "Forgive me for being intrusive."

"It's alright."

"Very well," he said, dismissing the matter but decided to explore the matter some other day, "I hope you are aware of what we do here at Cerberus Industries?"

"Oh yes," she answered with a smile. He saw her relaxed a little, probably glad that the conversation has steered away from her more personal matters.

"I have read great things about your company. Research and experiments on bringing muggle technology to the wizarding world, you also pioneered in making medicinal potions into tablets and capsules for easier consumption. You also buy and invest in struggling muggle businesses and turning them into mega corporations," she enumerated, "I'm sure I'm missing some but these are the major trades I know of your company, Mr. Ambrose."

He could hear the pride in her voice and he can't help but smile. A small laugh escaped his mouth before speaking.

"So you have heard of us. That's good, especially if you're going to start working with us. Have you been briefed regarding the type of work and responsibilities involved in the job you applied for?" he asked her.

"Yes. I will be involved in the research and development department for spells and charms, if I'm not mistaken."

"That is correct," he said, nodding. He stood up and began pacing behind his desk. "We have successfully incorporated medicinal potions into solid form, now I want to be able to translate spells into potions. Every spell. Some spells have counterparts in potion form, but what about other spells that do not? Can they be recreated into potions? That is what I want to know."

He turned to her and smiled, "This is my new project. Despite your incomplete advanced healer training, your knowledge of spells and potions are astounding and I'm sure you will be a great asset to this company. Would you like to accept the job?"

"Yes, of course," she answered quickly, delighting him, "I would really love to be involved in such a project. I don't think anyone has ever tried it before and it would be great to be part of the team who will pioneer, research and learn about it."

"Wonderful! I believe Amanda recommended this job to you, yes?"

He saw her surprise but she quickly recovered, "Why, yes. She works here and she told me you had an opening in the department she's assigned in."

"That is good and you will be working in the same department," he said as he sat back down, "Amanda can tell you the rest about the job and you can start next week, yes?"

"Yes, sir. I can start next week."

"Good," he stood and held out his hand to her again, "Looking forward to seeing you here soon, Ms. Granger," he said with a smile.

She smiled back and stood. She took his hand and shook it. "Thank you, sir."

After shaking his hand, she turned around to leave. As she reached the door, he called out, "Take care, Ms. Granger."

As Andreina opened the door for her, she turned to look at him and smiled, "You too, sir," and left.

Andreina sat on the chair that was previously occupied by Hermione Granger.

"So what did you think?" she asked.

"She's just what I'm looking for."

He stood up and made his way towards the windows, similar to his New York office, overlooking the Sydney Opera House, "Make sure Amanda is keeping an eye on her. We can't afford to lose Ms. Granger again."

-----

A heavily secured door faced him. He swiped his key card and presented his right eye to the optical scanner located on the right side of the door. The clicking sounds that ensued from inside the door's locking mechanism signalled his entry was allowed. Even early in the morning the place was already bustling with movements and noises from the analysts and researchers he had hired. Standing in front of a wide one-way glass, he amused himself in watching those brilliant minds put to work. He stood behind a clear glass above the busy laboratory. It wasn't your typical everything-is-white kind of laboratory; it had wooden, polished walls (sound-proof, of course) with rows after rows of shelves of books, muggle or magic and anything in between; papers were scattered on heavy desks and magic was flying everywhere. Testing rooms for more elaborate experiments were located at the back of the lab for the safety of other people. Each analyst was given a desk and a computer that has been modified, partly run by electricity and partly by magic, to be able to withstand the amount of magic the room contained. He was profoundly pleased with the design of the room. As he slowly paced along the glass, he looked for a particular analyst, one he had hired just two weeks ago. Movement at the far corner of the laboratory caught his eye. He moved a little closer and tilted his head in curiosity. Ms. Granger was already carrying a few large books and yet her brows are drawn together while studying the other books on the shelves. A smile played on his mouth as he went to the phone on the table at the corner of the room.

"Ah yes, please proceed to the observation room," was all he said before putting the phone back to its receiver.

Not ten minutes later, a tall woman with blonde hair entered the room. She had eyes as blue as the sky but she hid them behind thick spectacles. Another muggle-born witch with so much potential. He found her struggling to find her place in both the muggle and wizarding world, and he gave her this place. She acts as both the head of the department and his spy among the analysts. She was his eyes and ears amongst these geniuses. But that didn't make her trust him. Oh she trusted him, but not enough to keep her guard down around him, even after years of working for him. She truly was a smart girl.

"You're fairly early today, Lord Ambrose," she said in a steady voice.

"Ah Amanda, I'm merely observing how my analysts and researchers are. You know I like my employees happy and healthy," he said without turning to face her.

"How is she doing?"

Amanda didn't need to ask who Mr. Ambrose was pertaining to. She knew he had been keeping a close eye on her roommate since she began working at Cerberus.

"She's been adjusting pretty well. She has spoken to almost all of the members of the department and it seems she has taken a liking to her job here," she answered quickly.

"Has she said anything about her personal life? About her life back at London?"

"No. We talk about our work at home but she hasn't been sharing anything deeper," she sighed, "She is constantly on guard around people, careful not to say anything intimate or to get attached to people."

"Interesting, indeed," was all he said. It was after a few moments before he spoke again.

He looked at Amanda with calm but firm eyes, "Learn what you can about her; her history, her life at school and after, everything. If anything arises, inform me as soon as possible."

Her brows moved in reaction to his order, but her face became blank instantly. It was quick but he caught it. With a quick bow, she immediately exited the room.

He turned back to the laboratory. He was increasingly curious of Ms. Granger's personal affairs. It was not common for him to be interested in anyone's business unless he had a need for it or use of it. To him, everyone had a use for him and when that utility is gone, they can be easily replaced.

-----

Cerberus Industries Australia was one of the most elegant-looking high-rise in Sydney. Thousands of people walked in and out of the massive main lobby located on the ground floor were both magical and non-magical people worked under a common, if albeit unknowingly, goal under Cerberus. The building's security was impressive for both muggles and wizards alike. Metal detectors on all entrances, bio-scanners and access control as well as biometric systems to deter even the most earnest infiltrator. And for the wizards, anti-apparition wards were embedded within the walls to make even Hogwarts jealous. Various counter-spells and anti-charms most wizards don't even know about were ensorcelled into every nook, cranny and crevice of the building. It made breaking into a near impossible feat.

Within Cerberus Industries' towering structure were a myriad of offices, laboratories and rooms where science and magic ran amok. Here, the undiscovered secrets of science were being unravelled and the hidden mysteries of magic were explored. Science and magic progressed as one under Cerberus' guidance. Cures to illnesses, famine and even war were researched, tested and exploited by various projects at any given time.

One such project was the research of manifesting magic into tangible objects. Various spells compressed into a single capsule to be ingested by both magical and non-magical people. All under the pretense of being for the betterment of mankind as a whole.

But underneath all that was the true face of Cerberus. The sinister, darker side that explored weapons created from the manifestation of magical spells charged into objects. Wands capable of being used by muggles, firearms that were powered by spells and even teleporting vehicles to use in war at the push of a button. All these were done in secret, under a select group of men and women who answered only to the three Heads of Cerberus.

Under one of Marius' projects, Hermione laboured to unlock the secrets of transmutation. The art of charging spells into physical form and vice-versa. She soon realized that there was more to this project than Marius was letting her on. She decided to dig deeper into the company's operations in secret. Months and years of investigating, first she uncovered the shady dealings with former Death Eater sympathizers. Then there was the black market dealings and the horrid weapons program. Finally, the references to something called the Achilles Helix. She wasn't sure what it was, but from the context of the information that she unearthed she knew it was dangerous. It mentioned weapons of such ancient and powerful magic that its true purpose and meaning was hidden to the world lest it fell into the wrong hands.

Clever as she was, she knew she couldn't just up and leave the company. She knew Marius was keeping a close eye on her. She needed to plan and time her escape carefully, to make sure she and her daughter would be well away from this place before they even find out she was gone.

-----

When Haemon arrived in his office and told him to come with him, he didn't expect to be led down to the lower basement of the building. They used the special lift only he, Haemon and Dareia can use to access the restricted floors. As they reached their destination, they went straight to one of the isolation rooms, used for the more extreme experiments and for other activities, like extraction of information. Haemon opened the door and motioned for him to enter first. He was greeted with the sight of a man, wrapped in chains and hanging upside down in the middle of the room. His arms dangled above his head, tied together at the wrists and elbows. Patches of skin were already missing from his arms. Blood dripped on the floor and his men watched silently from the other side of the room.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said, amused.

Dareia stood facing the prisoner with a small bloody knife in her hand, turned her head towards him with a serene expression as if she wasn't flaying a man alive, inch by inch, and delighted in the pain she inflicted on her hapless victim.

"Some of our men overheard him contacting the aurors. He was hiding in one of the alleys behind the building," she moved closer to the bleeding man, "They said his name was Augustus but I'm positively sure that name is a fake one, isn't it, mi bello?" She then delicately scraped her fingernails along the exposed meat of her victim's arms and smiled softly as the man screamed at the slight touch.

Marius walked around the hanging man with a curious look on his face. He barked a short laugh and leaned in close to the man's face, "Aurors? Why would you be contacting them?" he said, his expression flared from curious to anger in a blink of an eye.

The prisoner didn't answer but looked straight at Marius with challenging eyes. Sweat beaded on his brow as blood continued to drip and congeal on the floor. He had lost track on how long he had been under the sadistic touch or Dareia's care. He had known the minute the Cerberus Hounds found him in a back alley trying to get in touch with his handlers that he was a dead man. He had just hoped that he had sent the warning before he was interrupted with a blow to the back of his head.

"Ah, we have a silent type here, don't we? There's nothing to be shy about," he said as he moved closer again.

"What's your name?" he asked calmly. The prisoner still didn't answer and never took his eyes off him.

Marius grabbed the man's hair with a sharp tug and pulled his head within inches of his face. "I shall ask you one more time. Are you Blackwatch?" he said through clenched teeth.

Dareia moved beside Marius with a satisfied look on her face. "He still refuses to answer even when he's at the verge of infinite pain," she said with a hint of pleasure on her lips, "Such courage. Admirable, but pointless,"

"Well then," Marius released the man's head and began to walk away, followed by Dareia. In an instant, he withdrew his wand from his coat's inner pocket then pointed it at the prisoner.

"Crucio!"

A blood-curdling scream filled the room. He had missed that particular sound, the sound of excruciating pain and suffering. He heard Haemon laugh behind him, and on his left, Dareia looked on with a small smile on her face. The man continued to scream in agony, writhing and jerking the chains that bound him. It's as if he was being cut in half.

"Finite!" Marius shouted, ending the Cruciatus Curse.

"You still won't answer our questions, young man?" he asked.

"Go... to... Hell," the man struggled to say.

"I was expecting a different answer but if that's the way you want it…"

"Crucio," Dareia casted the unforgivable curse this time. He had always known Dareia had a sadistic nature and no one could have suspected her of it. It did not show on her calm and sweet demeanour but she enjoyed every second of the torture she inflicted upon her victims. He did not know how long it lasted; he came to realize that all that could be heard was a slow dripping sound that echoed on the concrete walls. It seemed the man had died, both due to his wounds that bled profusely and the agonizing pain.

"Hmph. That was faster than I expected," she said in dismay. She wiped the bloodied knife in her hand on one of the unnerved Hounds who could only stare at what had just transpired before she walked out of the room.

"Alright people, show's over," Haemon started, clapped his hands together to gain the men's attention, "Best start cleaning this mess up, eh? Make sure this room is squeaky clean and the body disposed properly."

Marius waited as the men moved about the room and released the chains to lower the dead man to the floor. He approached the corpse and with a snarl of frustration, he casted Incendio. Flames ignited around the body and he watched it burn along with the blood surrounding it. The horrible stench of burning flesh filled their nostrils and permeated the room.

Haemon approached him and placed his hand on Marius's shoulder, "C'mon, Marius. It's been a long day. Let's leave them to it, eh?"

Marius turned to look at Haemon and gave him a small nod. He turned to stare back at the burning corpse then at the men who stood on the other side of the room, waiting for his command.

"Well then, do clean this room thoroughly," he ordered, before he left with Haemon.

Dareia waited for them, her back rested on the wall beside the elevator doors.

"Took you long enough," she said with a smile as the men approached.

"Marius set the body on fire before leaving. Such a good guy, really. Gives the Hounds less to do," Haemon joked as he put his arm around Marius's shoulders.

"It's been a long time since I've seen a burning corpse. Besides, it annoys me that we did not obtain any information from the man," he sighed.

"I am willing to bet that he is not alone here. There are others, definitely," Dareia said.

A small chime signaled the arrival of the lift. Once the doors opened, the three stepped into the car as Marius spoke again, "We have to be more careful now. Let us keep our eyes open for more of these… spies. We cannot afford for the aurors or any of the authorities to hinder our plans." He looked at his companions one after the other as they nodded in agreement.

-----

"Ms. Granger!" he called out to the woman about to exit the building. She turned and was surprised to see him walking towards her.

"Yes, Mr. Ambrose? You need anything?" she asked him politely. Even after working for him for three years and several outings around Sydney, she still treated him with professionalism and detachment. It frustrated him to no end, not knowing how to make her lose her guard around him. He had grown attached to her, his curiosity turned into interest and interest turned into obsession. He had been watching her constantly in the laboratories, observing her. And it came as a shock when he found out that she was pregnant a few months after she started working for him. He still did not know who the father was-she wouldn't tell anyone, not even Amanda. He had only seen the child a few times, yet he felt that she had something to do with Hermione's departure from London years ago.

"Ah no, nothing urgent. Are you going straight home?" he asked as he stopped in front of her.

"I have to pick up my daughter from the day care center," she answered.

"Of course, of course." He knew it to be true but he cannot help but notice as if Hermione had been trying to avoid him these past few weeks.

"Would you like me to accompany you?" he offered.

"I'm sure you have some important dinner meeting tonight," she said with a smile.

"Well, I do have a meeting tonight but I have time to spare."

"Oh, it's okay. It's just a waste of your time," she looked at her wrist watch, a signal that the conversation was over, "I have to go, really. Thank you for the offer, though."

"The offer still stands until the time you accept it," he told her as she began walking out of the automatic glass doors.

Hermione simply turned to wave goodbye to him then turned onto the sidewalk.

He stood there, with a feeling of foreboding, as he watched her walk further away from the building.

-----

"WHERE IS SHE?" he asked Amanda once again, his hands gripped her hair tightly.

"Far away from you and your evil stench!" she shouted back.

He backhanded her then she fell on the floor. She spit a bit of blood as her lip was cut by the blow. He was not one to lose his temper, he rarely did. When Dareia came into his office earlier that day to report that Hermione Granger did not come to work and that important documents were missing from the restricted archives, he nearly destroyed everything in the room. At that moment, he had barely kept himself from killing Amanda outright if only to find out where Hermione run away to.

"Seems like our little Amanda isn't so little anymore," Haemon said teasingly as he stood beside the mantel, "Got yourself some courage, have you, girl?"

Amanda glared at him from the floor but didn't answer.

"She was never going to be yours, Marius! She never trusted you! She knew something wasn't right from the very beginning, that you're some kind of monster!" she said vehemently.

Marius looked away and walked past the sofa where Dareia sat, her legs stretched upon the length of the sofa, and stood in front of a window, stared into the distance.

"Her loyalties were never with us, Marius. We knew that from the beginning," she said as she summoned tea from the kitchen, "It was only a matter of time before she betrayed us."

After a few moments, he audibly sighed and closed his eyes to calm himself down.

"I just don't understand why you had to betray us, Amanda? Why you had to betray me?" He turned to look at Amanda again as she struggled to sit up.

"I could not… be a part… of the evil… you want to unleash… unto the world," she said in between heavy breaths.

Marius laughed, "Evil, you say? No. We are going to change the world to the way it should have been, beginning at the time of our ancestors. We will make the world rightfully in the image of our forefathers. We will make the world better!"

"You are fucking insane if you think you will succeed!" she shouted. Haemon was about to approach Amanda when she suddenly screamed and doubled over. He looked up to see Dareia pointing her wandat the woman, her face calm but her eyes were maniacal. She kept Amanda under the Cruciatus for a few more seconds before ending the curse. The woman collapsed on the floor again while coughing hard.

"We are not insane, bambina," Dareia said slowly, "Those who betray us, those who think they can stop us are the insane ones." She was about to cast the Cruciatus on Amanda again when Marius put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"That's enough, Dareia," he told her.

She put her wand down on her lap and watched Marius as he walked around the sofa and crouched beside the curled-up figure of the woman on the floor.

"For the last time, Amanda, where is Hermione and her child?" he asked calmly.

"I'd… rather… die… than tell… you," she answered.

He shook his head and stood up, "Very well," he took his wand out of his coat and pointed it at her, "You shall die then. Avada Kedavra."

Green light filled the room yet nothing was heard from the woman on the floor. As the room came back to normal, the first thing he saw was the lifeless blue eyes starting up at the ceiling. His wand remained pointed at the corpse at his feet as he chanted, "Evanesco," And then it was gone. As if Amanda Sinclair never existed in this world.

Dareia and Haemon approached Marius as he placed his wand back into his coat.

"We need to find Hermione Granger and recover what she took from us," he said to them.

"And if she resists?" Haemon asked.

"Then kill her."

A/N: What did you think? Are they scary or what? Leave me some reviews please! After this one, we'll go back to regular programming. LOL.

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