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A Dream Unlocked | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Angst, Humor, Drama Warnings: Sexual Situations, Violence, Extreme Language, Dark Fiction Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 131 Summary: This adventure begins post 6th year. Harry is suddenly having nightmare's again despite his Occlumency training. He is uncertain of who is haunting his dreams, but knows he must help her. What unforeseen dangers are awaiting Harry in his nightmares and how will he unlock the mystery of the girl trapped inside his mind... A/N: The first 5 chapters have been revised with the development of a new chapter. I'm working with a beta now to improve this story. I hope you like the changes. Hitcount: Story Total: 69318; Chapter Total: 5818 |
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Chapter 5 Time for Bed Morning crept into afternoon. Hour by hour the day seemed to drag on unmercifully while his thoughts continued to dwell on returning to free Ginny from her nightmares. Since their startling conversation in his room, Harry's mind had been deluged by a raging flood of questions. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but he'd had very little opportunity in which to do it. Frustration was beginning to set in as he repeatedly tried to get her alone to talk. Ginny seemed to pick up on Harry's subtle attempts and at one point tried to help. While her brothers were distracted, she had given Harry a discreet nod and then exited to the kitchen. Harry grabbed the opportunity and followed her a few seconds later. It certainly seemed like a good idea until the twins followed right behind him no more than a moment later. Harry wasn't sure if it was just coincidence or if for some reason the twins felt the need to chaperone their movements. Since Harry had emerged from his room, Mad-Eye had made himself scarce. He was busy tinkering with something, but Harry didn't really know what. What he did know was that having the paranoid, ex-Auror preoccupied with something other than watching them had lightened the mood immeasurably. They weren't really afraid of Moody. As long as they tread lightly around him so as not to startle him, they'd be fine. None of them took Moody's gruffness to heart any longer, but he did tend to throw cold water on the festivities from time to time with his "Constant vigilance!" mantra. Fred and George, on the other hand, were nothing if not entertaining. Their stories and antics were somewhat of a distraction, but Harry was still finding it hard to think of anything but the mission that awaited him later that night. After a couple of hours, it seemed the twins had exhausted all points of conversational interest and had moved on to long bouts of silence. Just when Harry had worked out a new way of pulling Ginny aside for a talk, her brothers announced they had other plans. Noting the lull in the conversation, Fred decided to take matters in hand. Rising quite suddenly from his perch on the arm of the chair, he looked at the group with a grin. "This party's gone a bit dull. What we need here is a bit of a stretch. Wouldn't you agree George?" he asked, turning to his twin with a grin. "Yeah, I reckon that would be nice," he answered as he turned devilishly to Harry. "What do you think, Harry?" Harry had been watching the twins with reservation. He'd seen that gleam before and usually it wasn't good. Harry wasn't sure what they were on about at the moment, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know either. When no further explanation was offered however, his curiosity got the better of him and Harry asked, "What do I think about what?" He glanced nervously at Ginny trying to read her expression. Were her brothers bored enough with trying to amuse him that they had now moved on to amusing themselves? Ron and Percy were their usual targets of choice, but since they were currently absent, Harry began to fear that Fred and George had decided to focus their energies on him instead. If so, what kind of 'game' would they come up with? He couldn't help but wonder if having a 'stretch' with the infamous Weasley twins involved eating one of their joke shop creations and then actually being pulled like a band of taffy until he was 'stretched' beyond belief? All in good fun, of course. Harry began to slowly back away from the twins as he searched his mind for escape routes. That's completely pointless, he argued with himself. You can't go anywhere. You'll just have to take it and be done with it. He told himself. They wouldn't do anything permanent…at least not on purpose. He felt less reassured than he'd hoped. Before Harry could react he saw Fred nod knowingly to George. Oh here it comes… Harry thought. "Would you fancy a spot of flying Harry?" George inquired innocently with the edge of a smile curling his lips. Harry halted his retreat and stood dumbfounded in response. Flying? Are they really suggesting what I think they're suggesting? When he found his voice Harry said, "You must be joking… You are, aren't you?" "Are we? No, I don't think so," Fred answered with a smile to match his twin's. "How do you propose we do that? I mean, I seriously doubt Dumbledore or the Order would appreciate me jumping on my Firebolt for a bit of a joy ride smack dab in the middle of Muggle London. Don't you think we'd attract a little too much undue attention? The local Muggles are bound to notice four people swooping around in the air on brooms," Harry said, trying to sound like the voice of reason. Upon consideration, Harry wasn't sure that reasoning was the right approach in the case of the Weasley twins. They were quite a pair of mischief makers and you wouldn't be far off the mark if you lumped them in with the "Marauders". They'd earned the title outright while they haunted the halls and lesser known passages of Hogwarts. Fred and George certainly weren't strangers to 'creative' thinking, but what they were suggesting was a bit more than simple mischief. Harry could hear just hear the harangue now about being irresponsible and disregarding everyone's efforts to keep him safe. Besides the Order's lectures, Mrs. Weasley would probably have kittens and then blast them straightaway with a howler. "Harry!" Fred interjected in a tone of mock disappointment as his red headed twin clutched his chest for effect. They were acting as though Harry had just mortally wounded them. "You've cut us to the quick! You aren't really suggesting that we'd do something that hadn't been board approved?" George asked in shock. "Well…" Harry began as he looked over at Ginny to find she was now smiling in amusement. All it took was a slight nod of confirmation from her for Harry to forget that this idea may be a bit on the dodgy side. Harry reasoned if Ginny thought it was okay, perhaps there was something to it after all. Visions of soaring through the air began to fill Harry's mind and his heartbeat quickened with the thought of it. "What's the plan?" he added with renewed anticipation. George waggled his eyebrows with a broad grin and a nod of satisfaction to his brother. "Accio brooms!" the twins called loudly together. In a matter of seconds, Harry could here the familiar whistling sound of something moving swiftly through the air. He turned just in time to see four brooms heading straight for them. Fred and George each caught two in their hands then turned to face Harry and Ginny. Fred tossed Ginny's to her and George held up Harry's to him. "Care to have a go Harry?" "Absolutely!" he responded with joy as he reached for his prized broom. "There's still the small matter of me not being allowed to leave headquarters though; any ideas?" Harry asked hopefully. Seeing that they were serious and that he wasn't about to be the subject of one of their test products after all, he'd now abandoned worrying about if they should go and had moved happily on to thoughts of how they could do it without being caught. "Well, not to worry, Harry. Dumbledore decided that it would be best if you could get out and about a bit during your stay here, on 'Order approved outings' of course." Fred offered cheekily. "How do we get approval, then?" Harry asked quickly beginning to feel his anticipation build within him. "Well, Fred, shall we let young Mr. Potter out and about on this fine afternoon?" George asked playfully. "Oh yes, I think so," Fred responded. "Let's approve the outing." "There you go, Harry," the twins said in unison. "That's…That's it?" Harry asked incredulously. "Yep, nothing to it really. After all, we are on duty for the Order now. That gives us the authority to act in your best interest as we see fit. Right now we believe it's in your best interest to get out of here for awhile." "It's a bit scary really, isn't it?" Ginny said giggling at the expression on Harry's giddy face. "Those two having the authority of the Order, I mean." "That's good enough for me!" Harry said with a shrug breaking into a smile that, for the first time, reached his eyes. "Alright then, right this way, Harry." Without further ado, the twins traipsed off through the house until they reached the back door. Producing their wands from their pockets they turned to face Harry and Ginny briefly. "You may want to stand back a bit," Fred said motioning to them as he opened the door to the back garden. As the others watched expectantly, Fred said loudly, "Muggalus Repulsus!" with a flick of his wand. Harry recognized the spell as a Muggle repelling charm that he'd heard numerous times at the Quidditch World Cup. "Allow me, 'Hortus Expandere!' George said as he cast a second, less familiar spell into the garden. "What was that?" Harry asked. "Well, Harry my boy; we can't just go flying about without certain precautions, now can we." Fred began. "As part of the preparations for your arrival the Order decided that it'd be wise if you could get out for some fresh air now and again. Take a walk, fly, and perhaps take a swim in the lake if it suited you." "The lake?!" Harry asked in astonishment. "I didn't realize the back garden was that large." "Well, it isn't normally, but with a few well placed spells, like 'Hortus Expandere,' you've got instantly expandable grounds. The first spell was to ward off nosy Muggle neighbors from peering out of their windows and into our garden while it's in use. The second spell expands the garden to rather enormous proportions, if I do say so myself. Now we have an area roughly the size of a couple of Quidditch pitches in which to muck about as we see fit. If you like, you can even take the path through the woods to the lake for a dip," George said with a bit of pride in his voice. "It sounds like the Order's thought of everything." Harry said in astonishment. "Just about, I'd say. There's only one thing that they forgot." Ginny said as she entered from the lounge with a trunk in tow. Harry hadn't realized she'd gone until he heard her speak as she reentered the room. "Lucky, I have my own set for practicing." She'd gone to collect her crate of Quidditch balls. "Here, let me help you." Harry offered as he grabbed hold of one end. Harry and Ginny began to head towards the door when their path was blocked by George. "Hold it you two. There's one more measure we need to engage before we can enjoy the great outdoors." With that he took his wand and tapped it twice on the wall. A small switch appeared and George reached out to give it a flip. "What's that for?" Harry asked. "I didn't think that electrical switches worked in magical homes." "Oh, it's not ekletrical, Harry. It's the switch for the SEP field," Fred said by way of an explanation. "Sorry, but what exactly is a SEP field?" he asked feeling like this was probably one of those times that growing up in a Muggle home was once again a disadvantage. "Well, it takes our problem and makes it someone else's," George said with a grin. "I don't follow," Harry said still confused by the switch. "Think of it this way, it's like a cloaking charm for the entire grounds. It's one of the nicer features that Moody added as part of his modifications to the house. It basically hides the garden and surrounding area from Muggles and unwanted wizard folk alike." Fred explained. "If anyone comes poking around looking for Order Headquarters, they won't be able to spot us or hear us even if they're standing right beside us. It's similar to the charm that protects the Knight Bus in theory and execution, with a few special modifications to meet our purposes. It's also a bit more flexible than the Fidelious Charm." "That's brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. In response, Harry heard a single "Humph," from behind followed by some indistinguishable grumbling. Moody had been listening and although Harry could tell Moody was trying to act disinterested, he seemed pleased with Harry's reaction. "Thanks, professor. This is wonderful," Harry said, turning to address the retreating Auror. Not wanting to appear too pleased, Moody turned to offer some of his own brand of advice. "You lot just stay out of trouble! Just because there are certain safety measures in place, doesn't mean you should let down your guard out there! You've got to practice…" "…constant vigilance. Yes, we know," Harry added with a smile. "Humph." Moody snorted in response again and headed back into the lounge. "Well, shall we then?" Fred asked with a flourish of his hand toward the door. Without another word they headed out into the garden. Stepping into the warm summer sunlight was like breathing again. Harry's preoccupation with what the evening would bring was quickly wiped from his mind as he and Ginny dropped the Quidditch trunk to the ground. For a moment, he stood quietly just taking in the amazing garden. It would definitely warrant his Uncle Vernon's envy. It was large and lush with beautiful flowers banking its borders. The sky was a perfect blue with only a few wispy clouds swiping the horizon. Just as the twins had said, more than 200 meters from the house was a thick forest with a welcoming path at its center. No doubt, the lake lay beyond as promised. Ginny watched as Harry's expression went from one of awe to utter happiness. "What do you think?" she asked as she walked over to stand next to him quietly. "It's amazing!" Harry answered excitedly. "You should have seen it before we cleaned it out. We spent the better part of a week getting rid of all the dangerous plants that had grown up in this place over the years. Devil's Snare, Poison dart flowers, the lot. It was a bit like 'cleaning' the house only nothing in there attempted to grab you around the ankles and pull you into the ground. We could have used Neville, actually. He's so good with Herbology and his passion for exotic plants would have come in handy, especially in that corner over there," she said with a bit of a shudder. "Well, you've certainly done a wonderful job. You'd never know that this place used to belong to a family of dark wizards," Harry said smiling appreciatively as he gazed around at the results of their labors. "Yes, it is rather lovely isn't' it?" She responded, admiring the rainbow of colorful flowers dotting the garden. Harry looked down at her and watched her enjoying the landscape. He was taken by the way the sunlight played off the rich ginger color of her hair as it swayed with the movement of the breeze. Quietly he answered her without thinking, "Yes, it is." What she didn't know was that he wasn't talking about the garden -- she looked beautiful all windswept and tanned and he couldn't help but notice. Having seen the garden before, Fred and George weren't as keen on surveying the property at any length. "How 'bout we do a bit of flying to bring you and Ginny back up to snuff for the upcoming Quidditch season?" Fred asked. "Yeah, that sounds great!" Harry answered. "We'll play two on two. Ginny you go with George. Harry you're with me. Now, since we've only got two on a team, we won't use the Bludgers or the snitch." Fred reasoned. "No Bludgers? Where's the fun in that?" George asked a bit disgruntled. "Well, the fun lies in the fact that we won't get walloped senseless. Without enough players forBbeaters, do you really want those nasty little buggers flying about?" Fred asked. "Oh, right. No, I suppose not," George responded in agreement. "Alright then, George and I will be Keepers. You and Ginny can be Chasers. First team to score 100 points wins." Fred finished his run down of the rules and then grabbed the Quaffle from the crate. As the twins took off into the air, Ginny took the opportunity to raise the stakes a bit. "Good luck, Harry. You'll need it," she teased. "After all, I am an experienced Chaser. All you have to do is catch a tiny little ball once during the whole game. I've done it. It's hardly a challenge. I much prefer Chasing to Seeking," she said with a shrug of indifference, holding back a smirk. "Hardly a challenge? Oh really? I'd say that sounds like you've thrown down the gauntlet, Miss Weasley. I'd watch your back if I were you," he said with a wink. With that Harry mounted his Firebolt and shot into the air so fast that it caused the wind that he'd churned up to knock Ginny slightly off kilter. "Show off," she giggled as she righted herself and mounted her broom. Pushing off from the ground she rose rapidly to join Harry and her brothers who were now circling the garden in large sweeping loops. Harry never felt better than when he was flying. Soaring through the air, his cares always seem to fade as he increased the distance between him and the ground below. He couldn't help but think briefly of his godfather as he circled the tree tops. If he could see Harry now, he'd be smiling for sure. Harry only wished they'd thought of using the same charms when Sirius had been living in the house. It would have made things a lot easier on him. Knowing that Sirius would be happy for him now made it easier to enjoy the moment. Harry moved into a series of complex flying maneuvers he had picked up from watching the World Cup, then returned to the center of the makeshift pitch with Ginny and the others. When they were all ready, Fred tossed the Quaffle into the air and the game began. Ginny grabbed it first and Harry zoomed after her to block her path. She swooped around him, inverted to avoid him, and effortlessly scored her first goal. A bit surprised at her reaction time, Harry recovered by yelling, "I gave you that one Weasley." "Yeah, right Potter," she answered with a laugh as she flew over him and they began again. As they played, Harry began to notice that Ginny had obviously been practicing throughout the holiday. She hadn't lost a thing from last season. In fact, she was even better than before. Harry became lost in thought watching her aerial acrobatics when Fred called a time out and swooped over to Harry. Ginny was actually coming close to outscoring Harry and winning the game. Apparently, Fred didn't like to lose and he minced no words in telling Harry as much. "Get in the game, Potter, before my baby sister humiliates us!" Realizing he had been totally distracted by Ginny, he began playing with a renewed focus. In the end, it was still rather close, and Harry was impressed. Ginny never once thought that her chances of beating Harry were out of the question. After all, he was a Seeker. He wasn't used to scoring like she was, truth be told she was indeed a gifted Chaser and she knew it. Her confidence and strength were two things he really admired about Ginny. It wasn't until the sun started to set, and the twins were complaining of growling stomachs, that they decided to end the game. They talked and laughed as they walked back into the house. Harry felt more at home at Grimmauld Place than he had ever felt before and even managed to forget his worries temporarily. Inside the house, Ginny pulled dinner together. Everything was cooked. She just needed to warm it and put some finishing touches the meal. Harry went upstairs to take a quick shower before dinner. As he descended the stairs afterward he followed the wonderful smell permeating the house. Entering the kitchen, he realized he was pretty hungry himself. Moody had gone and it was just Harry and the Weasleys now. Dinner was relaxing and even fun as they sat around recounting their match out back. After dinner, Fred and George asked if Harry would mind spending a little time with Ginny. They had some urgent Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes business to attend to and wanted to do it while their mum was absent. Harry and Ginny looked at each other and she asked, "How about a game of chess?" Harry smiled, "Yeah, sure." Then temporarily turning his attention to the twins he asked with a grin, "What are you two trying to smuggle this time?" They looked at each other with a smirk and George responded, "Let's just say that old Mundungus Fletcher has some quality items that we're interested in acquiring. Mum doesn't seem to see the value in his 'merchandise'. It's just easier this way. By the way, could we borrow Hedwig?" Harry smiled with a nod then added, "Yeah, sure. If she's back, that is. She'd be up in my room." The twins started up the stairs talking about their plans to get a bargain out of 'Old Dung.' Harry couldn't help but laugh at their business savvy. They had definitely found their niche. When Harry looked back at Ginny she was setting up the chessboard. Her long ginger hair fell around her face and shoulders as she bent over the board carefully setting the pieces in place. She looked lovely and Harry was beginning to wonder why he'd never seen it before now. What's more was that Ginny was the type of girl that didn't seem to realize her beauty which made her even more attractive to him. She quickly tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear as she looked up and saw Harry watching her. She held his gaze for a few seconds then asked. "What? Is there something on my face or something?" She was nervously swiping at her cheek as she spoke. Harry grinned and answered, "No…you look…fine." Curiously she raised her eyebrow at him then said, "Well, shall we play then?" Harry sat down on the floor opposite her and the chessboard and said, "Okay, you go first." As they played they talked about all kinds of things. Harry was really enjoying her company and it seemed that she enjoyed his as well. They laughed and teased each other about everything from chess to Quidditch. Harry usually felt self-conscious talking to girls, but Ginny was different. It was a little like talking to Hermione, but with one rather large difference. Harry never found himself staring at Hermione and imagining himself shoving a chessboard out of the way to kiss her. I have to get a hold of myself, Harry thought to himself as Ginny moved her knight to check his king. I can't do this. It wouldn't be fair to Ginny. My life is too uncertain to bring someone into it with me. "Harry? Harry! It's your move. Where were you?" Ginny asked. He blinked and shook off his daydream, "Sorry, just thinking." A knowing expression crossed her face as she asked, "About tonight?" Harry grabbed her thought and lied, "Yeah, I think we should talk about what we're going to do. I mean is there anything you can tell me that will help me when I get in there?" Harry had been waiting to talk to her all day about this so it wasn't really a lie, was it? Ginny considered his question and then tried to fill in the blanks as best she could. "Well, all I can tell you is that he enters through a portal of sorts. It looks kind of like a mirror, but the surface is like liquid. I don't know how it works. It's his doorway to my mind but I don't know how he conjured it." Harry peered at her hesitantly from across the board. For much of the evening, he had wrestled with an ominous question. He was almost afraid to ask. The longer it burned in his mind, however, the more he felt he needed to know. The last thing he wanted was to upset her or make things worse, but he had to know what they were facing. Reluctantly, he made up his mind. "Ginny? Can I ask you something?" She looked up from the board and into his eyes. "Of course…what is it?" In a quiet voice he asked, "What is he doing to you…in your dreams? I've heard your screams enough to know it has to be pretty awful." Harry watched in anguish as the color drained from her face and her eyes dropped to the floor. He heard a small shudder in her breath as she seemed to drift back to the painful memories locked in her mind. Seeing her tormented in this way was agonizing for him. He couldn't stand it any longer. He suddenly wished he could take back his inquiry. "Ginny, if it's too painful, you don't have to tell me." She was quiet for a minute then looked back into those eyes filled with concern. "Sometimes he uses the Cruciatus Curse. Actually, it's mostly that. He wants me to tell him about you and the Order. I've told him he'll just have to kill me because I'll never tell him anything. I owe you my life." Harry took a second to absorb her words. When he saw the solemn pledge mirrored in her eyes, he knew she was serious. She'd give her life for me. He didn't quite know what to do with that information. It wasn't like he didn't have others who cared for him. Ron and Hermione would definitely throw themselves between Harry and death. They had done so on several occasions before now. It wasn't something he liked to think about, but he knew in his heart that it was true, just as he would do and had done for them. "Ginny, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Getting close to me never seems to be a good thing, for anyone." Harry felt his stomach wrench as he spoke the words. His eyes were beginning to sting and he had to look away. Once again the cruel realty of his life had struck home. Once again he had hurt a friend, simply by existing. This beautiful, warm, and innocent girl was suffering through a horrific experience all because of him. "No, Harry, you can't blame yourself. Look at me, please," she implored. After a short pause he sighed and turned to face her. With the weight of his full attention now upon her, she spoke four small, but meaningful words. "You're worth the risk," she said quietly with a shy smile then she added. "It's okay, Harry; I'd do just about anything for you." He searched her eyes in bewilderment for the meaning behind her words. Before he could stop himself he had asked, "Why?" She seemed to be turning a bit flush as she answered, "I think you know." Changing directions suddenly she plunged on, "Actually, the Cruciatus wasn't really the worst of it." She added quietly. Harry gaped in disbelief. "What? What could be worse than that?" Her gaze returned to the floor as she answered in almost a whisper, "He comes to me as Tom, as his teenage self. I guess because he was a teenager in the diary and that's the part of him that possessed me. That's how he appears to me now. He wants… more than information. He said he knows I'm a…" She stopped and looked away as if she couldn't believe she was telling him this. Harry could feel her reluctance. It was as if she was embarrassed or ashamed to share this with him. Trying to encourage her he prompted, "He knows you're a what?" Ginny continued in silence which only allowed the horrendous possibilities to weave their way through the fabric of Harry's mind. He could feel his contempt for Riddle intensify as he asked more emphatically. "What has he done to you Ginny?" Her eyes filled quickly with tears. "A virgin," she said almost inaudibly. Harry gaped at her, unsure of what to say as she pressed on in disgust. "He knows I'm a virgin. He said that's how he likes his women…pure. Pure blooded and pure of virtue he called it. He, he kissed me and tou…did other things in my nightmares. When I fought him, he just laughed at me. He told me that if I didn't talk soon, he'd…make use of me in other ways." Ginny paused as she attempted to control her emotions. In her mind's eye she could see Tom looming over her. For a moment it was as though she had been pulled back into her nightmare. She trembled as she imagined his repulsive lips upon hers. A wave of nausea washed over her at the thought his vulgar hands making contact with her body. She winced and attempted to shake the vile memories from her mind before continuing. "Either way, he said that he was sure I would be…beneficial to him. That's when I knew I needed help. I can't get away, not without you." Harry could feel anger welling within him as she spoke. Voldemort was not going to hurt her anymore. He'd make sure of it. "I promise you Ginny, he'll NEVER touch you again." He looked toward the stairs, "I don't think they're coming back down. Let's finish this!" Ginny was stunned as she looked at him. "Now?" "Yes, now," he answered with finality. "Harry, are you sure you want to do this? Right now?" she asked feeling a surge of anxiety. He quietly rose from his seat with determination and held out his hand to help her up. "Go to sleep and I'll be with you as soon as I can. Until I join you, fight him." A wave of panic crossed her face as she looked into his eyes. "Harry, maybe we should talk more about this first. It could be dangerous for you to come to me while Tom's there. I don't want you to get hurt." He allowed his hand to drop to his side and tried to reassure her, "Ginny, you called me to you. Don't change your mind. You have to trust me. I have wanted to help you ever since our dreams mixed. I have to stop this. I can't stand the thought of him touching you or hurting you again. She looked up at his serious expression and nodded quietly offering a small smile of acceptance. With that he again offered her his hand to help her up from her seat on the floor. "Right then." He said as her small hand slid gently into his. "Come on Ginny, we're going to bed." A/N: Once again I would like to thank my wonderful betas, Tante and Sonicdale. Thank you for helping inspire me to push my imagination and my emotional insights. By the way, five points to the House of any student who spotted the Hitchhiker's Guide reference to the SEP field. Thank you to Douglas Adams for the use of his Somebody Else's Problem field for the back garden at Grimmauld Place. I'm sure Harry is quite grateful as well. ;-) |
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