CHAPTER 26
COLD
"Hermione! Oh my God! You're alive!! I thought I'd lost you.'' Ron gasped, hugging Hermione closely to him, letting his tears of relief fall down into her thick hair. "Oh I thought that you were.... that you were...dead.''
"Ron.'' Hermione croaked he held her away from his body where he had been slowly rocking her body back and forth. "I need...help.'' She whispered, before her eyes rolled back and she had passed out once again.
"Oh my god!'' Ron gasped, as he lay Hermione back down and got up from where he was sat next to her. "LUPIN!!'' He shouted anxiously, "Help!! She's alive!" Ron shouted out, listening as pounding footsteps got closer and closer to the room that he was in.
The door swung open violently and Lupin stood in the doorway, his greying hair, had been swept back carelessly, revealing his vivid eyes and the wrinkles that had started to crease at the corners of his eyes.
"What's the problem!'' He asked quickly and calmly, never betraying the dread and doubt that had settled in his heart.
"She's alive!!'' Ron shouted. "She's alive, but she needs help, we have to help her.''
"Right ok then. What's the problem?'' Lupin asked rushing over to Hermiones side and kneeling beside her, his large hands swept her hair gently out of her eyes and he felt her forehead. "She's cold.''
"I don't know what's wrong.'' Ron admitted, "She woke up, she spoke to me. She told me that she needed help. Then she fainted.'' Ron continued, unaware of the crowd of faces appearing in the doorway, all looking grave, staring down at their classmate's motionless body.
"Don't worry Ron, we'll help her.'' Lupin said, looking slightly relieved as Tonks knelt down beside him, and cast her experienced gaze over Hermiones limp body. She silently pulled her wand out of her pocket and positioned it over Hermione's body she slowly started chanting. The words were foreign to Ron; he'd never heard a spell like this one before. Tonk's words became louder and louder as her wand waved all over Hermione's body emitting a soft glow that seemed to emanate from Hermione, but the light was faint.
"It's not good.'' Tonks whispered softly. "She's very weak.''
"What's the matter with her?'' Ron asked urgently.
"She's been hit with a very powerful curse, and she's lucky to be alive.'' Tonks said soberly.
"But you can help her? Right?'' Ron asked, his heart was pounding, sweat was pouring from every pore in his face. He'd never experienced such terror before, this was the girl he loved and he didn't know whether he'd ever get to hear her sweet voice ever again, or to feel her touch on his skin.
"Fortunately, I think I can.'' Tonks said seriously, but her eyes held a trace of doubt. "The only problem is I've never actually had to use this spell before, I did it once in auror training and that was it. I can't guarantee that it will work, it could be very risky.''
"Don't we have any other options?'' Remus asked quietly, looking down at his pupil's pale drained face.
"I'm afraid not.'' Tonks said quietly. "If I don't do this, she won't make it.''
"Then we have to try.'' Harry said from the doorway, his eyes were fixed straight ahead of him and his voice held no trace of the worry and fear that he would lose his closest friend. "There's no other option.'' Harry prompted. "Hermione would want us to try, you know what she's like with new spells, she'd love the challenge.''
Ron smiled to himself, as he looked down at her small hand that he held in his own, he brushed his thumb over her smooth skin. Hermione would love the challenge of trying a new spell, and he wanted her to live, so that she could try as many new spells as her heart wished. He'd never moan at her again if she got through this, he'd never laugh at her hunger for knowledge or make fun of her ever-increasing collection of books. She was perfect and he'd give anything for her to survive.
"Harry's right.'' Ron said at once. "You have to try Tonks.''
"Alright then it's the only way.'' Tonks replied hesitantly, looking over to Remus for moral support. 'You can do this' he mouthed silently to her. She smiled back and nodded, before turning her full attention back to Hermione. She once again extended her wand out over Hermione, blanking out the faces out Remus, Ron, Harry and Ginny, who had entered the room silently and crouched down beside Hermione, and focused only on Hermione.
She started whispering strange words, moving her wand in repeated patterns over Hermione's body, pink light started spilling from her wand, falling over Hermione's body and sticking to her skin. A few minutes passed and not once did Tonk's break her gaze at Hermione and not once did she falter with the enchantment, it seemed as the she were in a trance and would only break out when Hermione awoke.
Then suddenly, Tonk's stopped chanting and the wand movements ceased, and everyone waited with baited breath to see if Hermione would wake up.
**********************///////////////////////////////////////////////////*** ***************
Sirius sat on the window ledge staring out of a window that faced directly towards the Great Lake, the death eaters had encircled the lake, and there were gaps in the ring, where Sirius suspected the fallen Death Eaters were meant to be positioned. But there were still a formidable amount of cloaked figures surrounding the once clear blue lake that had now turned a murky shade of brown. Bodies of dead mer-people lapped around the shores of the lake. He watched resentfully as the death eaters grew more an more excited, obviously something was happening at the lake, something that would change the fortune of the death eaters something that would change the course of this war.
And as he watched with ever increasing anger, a wave of despair washed over him. No one was going to help them now. Who else was there? All the people willing to fight had been rallied to the castle, they had no back up. They weren't going to win this war. No one was coming to save them, this was it!
"Professor Hounding!!'' Parvati called from across the hall. "Professor Hounding!''
Sirius looked up startled, he had forgotten where he was for a moment, and he knew the polyjuice potion had worn of hours ago, but the mask had protected his identity.
"Yes Parvati.'' He answered.
"What's going on out there?'' She asked her voice quivered as she spoke and he could see in her eyes that she was terrified.
"I don't know, but its not good, I can tell you that know.'' He knew that hi reply was harsh, and that if Remus had been there he would have told them le bluntly, and made their situation sound a bit more hopeful that it was. But what was the point in lying to them, they were going to find out sooner or later, they might as well be prepared for it.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////*****************////////// //////////////////////////////////
The pink glow clung to Hermione's skin and for a moment nothing happened, Ron's hopes had started to fade when suddenly the light was disappearing, but it wasn't dispersing into the air as it usually did with other spells. It had started to seep into Hermione's skin and as more light seeped, in more life seemed to flow into Hermione. She started to blink her eyes and her fingers started to move slowly, she was waking up as the light was flowing into her. In a short burst all of the light shot into Hermione, and she sat up suddenly gasping for breath.
It had worked she was alive.
She sat bolt upright staring in amazement around her. "What...what happened?'' She asked as she sae Ron sitting in front of her.
"Tonks saved you Hermione. You're going to be alright.'' Ron said softly as he looked happily into his girlfriends now bright eyes.
"Oh Ron!'' Hermione gasped as he hugged her tightly. "I don't want to lose you.''
"You're not going to.'' Ron replied happily. "Not now, not ever.''
"Good job.'' Lupin whispered quietly to Tonks who sat smiling at Ron and Hermione, who had quickly been joined by Harry and Ginny. "I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it.''
"I had to do it didn't I. They'd never forgive me if I didn't.'' Tonks grinned.
"That's true.'' Remus agreed slipping his arms around Tonks and pulling her close to him. "There was no doubting it, you can do anything you set your mind to my love.''
"Thank you.'' Tonks said soberly looking into Remus's eyes. The eyes of the man she loved, the only man she had ever loved. "Whatever happens during this war I want you to know that I will always love you.''
"I'll always love you too.'' Remus replied, watching as tears filled the eyes of the woman he loved. "You're very special to me Nymphdora, and I will love you forever.''
"Do you know what?'' Tonks said smiling up at the man who made her feel like she was special.
"What?''
"My name doesn't sound so bad when you say it like that.''
*********************************/////////////////**************************
The ripples, were fast becoming waves upon the shore of the Great Lake, and the circle of Death Eaters positioned carefully around the edge of the lake were becoming more and more restless. A tall dark man stepped out from the circle and began patrolling the circle, he seemed to be the leader for with every step he took the circle grew ever more silent.
The raucous laughter had died down and the rumble of voices had ceased completely, after walking a few metres the man turned around and stepped back into position, he seemed to be looking for something, ore someone, whose position had not yet been filled in the circle.
"Where is Malfoy?'' The man shouted, hiss deep booming voice, sounding out over the crashing of waves upon the shore.
"He hasn't turned up yet.'' Another Death Eater replied, steeping forward from his position.
"Well I can see that Brommen.'' The tall man replied, "What I want to know is why hasn't he turned up?''
"Malfoy has been killed.'' A small voice piped up from the left side of the tall man, a short man in torn robes had stepped forward and looked down towards his feet as he spoke. "I saw his body as I was summoned.'' "Well its too late for Malfoy now, therefore it is my unpleasant duty to step into his shoes and perform the spell that will bring the wizarding world as we know it crashing to its feet.''
The tall man once again stepped out of the circle, only this time he stepped closer to the lake, until the water was lapping around the hem of his robes. He raised his wand high above his head and started performing several complex wand movements, with each movement the wand performed the waves started to get stronger and stronger.
"Blood of the enemy, spilt on home land, Souls of our kin, sacrificed to win
Years of injustice finally avenged Revenge will be ours, they're blood we will seek
The boy became our downfall, but when the moon rises
The world will be ours.
Water will disappear
Light will fade
And from the darkness, evil will rise''
The tall man finished the spell, his wand was moving faster now, and the water in the lake was beating ferociously around his legs, and all the time it was getting darker and darker, lightening forked through the sky, and hard pelts of rain, poured down around them all. And through the darkness the Death Eaters chants could be heard.
"Evil will rise, evil will rise, evil will rise.''
*********************************/////////////////////********************** **
The ghostly chants could be heard up at the castle, and as Sirius squinted out through the darkness towards the lake, he struggled to see the surface of the lake. But managed to pick out the deathly pale masks of the Death Eaters, illuminated by the flashes of lightning. The loud roar of thunder accompanied the sound of chanting, and as Sirius surveyed the scene around him, he felt hopeless to do anything. The people who were meant to be fighting were mostly barely over sixteen, what hope did they have against the most evil wizard in history and his army of Death Eaters. He could see the fear in the eyes, of the students and their parents. They had faced Voldemort before, they knew what to expect, and the looks of fear were justified. The first war had been terrible, all families in the wizarding world had lost someone to the Death Eaters, only this time the war would be ten times worse. Voldemort was angry, he had waited years for this chance, a chance to overthrow the wizarding world and take over. But they weren't going down without a fight, they were going to fight until the very end.
"Right then everybody listen to me!'' Sirius barked, through his mask, smiling briefly beneath it as he saw Hermione walk out of the side room that Ron had taken her to, supported by Ron, but looking as though she were perfectly capable to walk alone. He saw Harry follow behind them and his stomach sunk, this was all down to him in the end, he had such a huge burden on his shoulders. Yet as Sirius watched him he could see that this was the first time he had seen Harry look remotely happy in the past few months. It was as he watched his two friends, the people who had loved him and cared for him since the first year of Hogwarts that made him so happy. Even though Ron Wasn't talking to him, all Harry cared about was seeing his friends safe and unharmed.
He snapped out of his reverie, and turned once again to the crowd of people that had now turned to him for advice and support. "This isn't going to be easy.'' He shouted above the chants and thunder. "But we have got to fight. We aren't going down without a ............''
He stopped suddenly as a wave of cold dread washed over the entire castle.
"Oh No.'' He whispered silently to himself.
*********************************//////////////****************************
The Death Eaters at the lake fell silent, and watched in awe, as the water from the Great Lake rose up into a huge towering column of water, swirling at high speeds, adding the heavy sheets of rain already pouring down on the Hogwarts grounds, turning the lush grass lawns, into muddy, slippery banks. Then all of a sudden the water disappeared, vanished into thin air, and out of the Lake, rose an army of Death Eaters, two hundred strong at least. The air turned cold, and the sound of their rattling breaths echoed around the Death Eaters.
But what came next was the worst shock to everyone. Lord Voldemort appeared from the lake, flanked by two huge burly death eaters. He stepped out from the lake and on to the muddy lawns of Hogwarts and smiled, showing his fang like teeth, his red eyes glinting ferociously.
"Hogwarts is mine!''
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(A.N THANK YOU SO MUCH. The reviews I have been receiving for this story have been fantastic and I am sooooo sorry for the appalling amount of time that it has taken for me to update. I know you probably all hate me. But I have been so busy lately I just haven't had the time. I hope this chapter was all right, I know it was short but I really wanted to get something out. Sadly this is the last but one chapter, the story will be finishing in the next chapter. But that's where the fun begins, for then I can start the third story, which is the one I've been most excited about.
So drop me a review and let me know what you all think.
Thanks.)
"Hermione! Oh my God! You're alive!! I thought I'd lost you.'' Ron gasped, hugging Hermione closely to him, letting his tears of relief fall down into her thick hair. "Oh I thought that you were.... that you were...dead.''
"Ron.'' Hermione croaked he held her away from his body where he had been slowly rocking her body back and forth. "I need...help.'' She whispered, before her eyes rolled back and she had passed out once again.
"Oh my god!'' Ron gasped, as he lay Hermione back down and got up from where he was sat next to her. "LUPIN!!'' He shouted anxiously, "Help!! She's alive!" Ron shouted out, listening as pounding footsteps got closer and closer to the room that he was in.
The door swung open violently and Lupin stood in the doorway, his greying hair, had been swept back carelessly, revealing his vivid eyes and the wrinkles that had started to crease at the corners of his eyes.
"What's the problem!'' He asked quickly and calmly, never betraying the dread and doubt that had settled in his heart.
"She's alive!!'' Ron shouted. "She's alive, but she needs help, we have to help her.''
"Right ok then. What's the problem?'' Lupin asked rushing over to Hermiones side and kneeling beside her, his large hands swept her hair gently out of her eyes and he felt her forehead. "She's cold.''
"I don't know what's wrong.'' Ron admitted, "She woke up, she spoke to me. She told me that she needed help. Then she fainted.'' Ron continued, unaware of the crowd of faces appearing in the doorway, all looking grave, staring down at their classmate's motionless body.
"Don't worry Ron, we'll help her.'' Lupin said, looking slightly relieved as Tonks knelt down beside him, and cast her experienced gaze over Hermiones limp body. She silently pulled her wand out of her pocket and positioned it over Hermione's body she slowly started chanting. The words were foreign to Ron; he'd never heard a spell like this one before. Tonk's words became louder and louder as her wand waved all over Hermione's body emitting a soft glow that seemed to emanate from Hermione, but the light was faint.
"It's not good.'' Tonks whispered softly. "She's very weak.''
"What's the matter with her?'' Ron asked urgently.
"She's been hit with a very powerful curse, and she's lucky to be alive.'' Tonks said soberly.
"But you can help her? Right?'' Ron asked, his heart was pounding, sweat was pouring from every pore in his face. He'd never experienced such terror before, this was the girl he loved and he didn't know whether he'd ever get to hear her sweet voice ever again, or to feel her touch on his skin.
"Fortunately, I think I can.'' Tonks said seriously, but her eyes held a trace of doubt. "The only problem is I've never actually had to use this spell before, I did it once in auror training and that was it. I can't guarantee that it will work, it could be very risky.''
"Don't we have any other options?'' Remus asked quietly, looking down at his pupil's pale drained face.
"I'm afraid not.'' Tonks said quietly. "If I don't do this, she won't make it.''
"Then we have to try.'' Harry said from the doorway, his eyes were fixed straight ahead of him and his voice held no trace of the worry and fear that he would lose his closest friend. "There's no other option.'' Harry prompted. "Hermione would want us to try, you know what she's like with new spells, she'd love the challenge.''
Ron smiled to himself, as he looked down at her small hand that he held in his own, he brushed his thumb over her smooth skin. Hermione would love the challenge of trying a new spell, and he wanted her to live, so that she could try as many new spells as her heart wished. He'd never moan at her again if she got through this, he'd never laugh at her hunger for knowledge or make fun of her ever-increasing collection of books. She was perfect and he'd give anything for her to survive.
"Harry's right.'' Ron said at once. "You have to try Tonks.''
"Alright then it's the only way.'' Tonks replied hesitantly, looking over to Remus for moral support. 'You can do this' he mouthed silently to her. She smiled back and nodded, before turning her full attention back to Hermione. She once again extended her wand out over Hermione, blanking out the faces out Remus, Ron, Harry and Ginny, who had entered the room silently and crouched down beside Hermione, and focused only on Hermione.
She started whispering strange words, moving her wand in repeated patterns over Hermione's body, pink light started spilling from her wand, falling over Hermione's body and sticking to her skin. A few minutes passed and not once did Tonk's break her gaze at Hermione and not once did she falter with the enchantment, it seemed as the she were in a trance and would only break out when Hermione awoke.
Then suddenly, Tonk's stopped chanting and the wand movements ceased, and everyone waited with baited breath to see if Hermione would wake up.
**********************///////////////////////////////////////////////////*** ***************
Sirius sat on the window ledge staring out of a window that faced directly towards the Great Lake, the death eaters had encircled the lake, and there were gaps in the ring, where Sirius suspected the fallen Death Eaters were meant to be positioned. But there were still a formidable amount of cloaked figures surrounding the once clear blue lake that had now turned a murky shade of brown. Bodies of dead mer-people lapped around the shores of the lake. He watched resentfully as the death eaters grew more an more excited, obviously something was happening at the lake, something that would change the fortune of the death eaters something that would change the course of this war.
And as he watched with ever increasing anger, a wave of despair washed over him. No one was going to help them now. Who else was there? All the people willing to fight had been rallied to the castle, they had no back up. They weren't going to win this war. No one was coming to save them, this was it!
"Professor Hounding!!'' Parvati called from across the hall. "Professor Hounding!''
Sirius looked up startled, he had forgotten where he was for a moment, and he knew the polyjuice potion had worn of hours ago, but the mask had protected his identity.
"Yes Parvati.'' He answered.
"What's going on out there?'' She asked her voice quivered as she spoke and he could see in her eyes that she was terrified.
"I don't know, but its not good, I can tell you that know.'' He knew that hi reply was harsh, and that if Remus had been there he would have told them le bluntly, and made their situation sound a bit more hopeful that it was. But what was the point in lying to them, they were going to find out sooner or later, they might as well be prepared for it.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////*****************////////// //////////////////////////////////
The pink glow clung to Hermione's skin and for a moment nothing happened, Ron's hopes had started to fade when suddenly the light was disappearing, but it wasn't dispersing into the air as it usually did with other spells. It had started to seep into Hermione's skin and as more light seeped, in more life seemed to flow into Hermione. She started to blink her eyes and her fingers started to move slowly, she was waking up as the light was flowing into her. In a short burst all of the light shot into Hermione, and she sat up suddenly gasping for breath.
It had worked she was alive.
She sat bolt upright staring in amazement around her. "What...what happened?'' She asked as she sae Ron sitting in front of her.
"Tonks saved you Hermione. You're going to be alright.'' Ron said softly as he looked happily into his girlfriends now bright eyes.
"Oh Ron!'' Hermione gasped as he hugged her tightly. "I don't want to lose you.''
"You're not going to.'' Ron replied happily. "Not now, not ever.''
"Good job.'' Lupin whispered quietly to Tonks who sat smiling at Ron and Hermione, who had quickly been joined by Harry and Ginny. "I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it.''
"I had to do it didn't I. They'd never forgive me if I didn't.'' Tonks grinned.
"That's true.'' Remus agreed slipping his arms around Tonks and pulling her close to him. "There was no doubting it, you can do anything you set your mind to my love.''
"Thank you.'' Tonks said soberly looking into Remus's eyes. The eyes of the man she loved, the only man she had ever loved. "Whatever happens during this war I want you to know that I will always love you.''
"I'll always love you too.'' Remus replied, watching as tears filled the eyes of the woman he loved. "You're very special to me Nymphdora, and I will love you forever.''
"Do you know what?'' Tonks said smiling up at the man who made her feel like she was special.
"What?''
"My name doesn't sound so bad when you say it like that.''
*********************************/////////////////**************************
The ripples, were fast becoming waves upon the shore of the Great Lake, and the circle of Death Eaters positioned carefully around the edge of the lake were becoming more and more restless. A tall dark man stepped out from the circle and began patrolling the circle, he seemed to be the leader for with every step he took the circle grew ever more silent.
The raucous laughter had died down and the rumble of voices had ceased completely, after walking a few metres the man turned around and stepped back into position, he seemed to be looking for something, ore someone, whose position had not yet been filled in the circle.
"Where is Malfoy?'' The man shouted, hiss deep booming voice, sounding out over the crashing of waves upon the shore.
"He hasn't turned up yet.'' Another Death Eater replied, steeping forward from his position.
"Well I can see that Brommen.'' The tall man replied, "What I want to know is why hasn't he turned up?''
"Malfoy has been killed.'' A small voice piped up from the left side of the tall man, a short man in torn robes had stepped forward and looked down towards his feet as he spoke. "I saw his body as I was summoned.'' "Well its too late for Malfoy now, therefore it is my unpleasant duty to step into his shoes and perform the spell that will bring the wizarding world as we know it crashing to its feet.''
The tall man once again stepped out of the circle, only this time he stepped closer to the lake, until the water was lapping around the hem of his robes. He raised his wand high above his head and started performing several complex wand movements, with each movement the wand performed the waves started to get stronger and stronger.
"Blood of the enemy, spilt on home land, Souls of our kin, sacrificed to win
Years of injustice finally avenged Revenge will be ours, they're blood we will seek
The boy became our downfall, but when the moon rises
The world will be ours.
Water will disappear
Light will fade
And from the darkness, evil will rise''
The tall man finished the spell, his wand was moving faster now, and the water in the lake was beating ferociously around his legs, and all the time it was getting darker and darker, lightening forked through the sky, and hard pelts of rain, poured down around them all. And through the darkness the Death Eaters chants could be heard.
"Evil will rise, evil will rise, evil will rise.''
*********************************/////////////////////********************** **
The ghostly chants could be heard up at the castle, and as Sirius squinted out through the darkness towards the lake, he struggled to see the surface of the lake. But managed to pick out the deathly pale masks of the Death Eaters, illuminated by the flashes of lightning. The loud roar of thunder accompanied the sound of chanting, and as Sirius surveyed the scene around him, he felt hopeless to do anything. The people who were meant to be fighting were mostly barely over sixteen, what hope did they have against the most evil wizard in history and his army of Death Eaters. He could see the fear in the eyes, of the students and their parents. They had faced Voldemort before, they knew what to expect, and the looks of fear were justified. The first war had been terrible, all families in the wizarding world had lost someone to the Death Eaters, only this time the war would be ten times worse. Voldemort was angry, he had waited years for this chance, a chance to overthrow the wizarding world and take over. But they weren't going down without a fight, they were going to fight until the very end.
"Right then everybody listen to me!'' Sirius barked, through his mask, smiling briefly beneath it as he saw Hermione walk out of the side room that Ron had taken her to, supported by Ron, but looking as though she were perfectly capable to walk alone. He saw Harry follow behind them and his stomach sunk, this was all down to him in the end, he had such a huge burden on his shoulders. Yet as Sirius watched him he could see that this was the first time he had seen Harry look remotely happy in the past few months. It was as he watched his two friends, the people who had loved him and cared for him since the first year of Hogwarts that made him so happy. Even though Ron Wasn't talking to him, all Harry cared about was seeing his friends safe and unharmed.
He snapped out of his reverie, and turned once again to the crowd of people that had now turned to him for advice and support. "This isn't going to be easy.'' He shouted above the chants and thunder. "But we have got to fight. We aren't going down without a ............''
He stopped suddenly as a wave of cold dread washed over the entire castle.
"Oh No.'' He whispered silently to himself.
*********************************//////////////****************************
The Death Eaters at the lake fell silent, and watched in awe, as the water from the Great Lake rose up into a huge towering column of water, swirling at high speeds, adding the heavy sheets of rain already pouring down on the Hogwarts grounds, turning the lush grass lawns, into muddy, slippery banks. Then all of a sudden the water disappeared, vanished into thin air, and out of the Lake, rose an army of Death Eaters, two hundred strong at least. The air turned cold, and the sound of their rattling breaths echoed around the Death Eaters.
But what came next was the worst shock to everyone. Lord Voldemort appeared from the lake, flanked by two huge burly death eaters. He stepped out from the lake and on to the muddy lawns of Hogwarts and smiled, showing his fang like teeth, his red eyes glinting ferociously.
"Hogwarts is mine!''
***********************////////////////////////////////////***************** *********
(A.N THANK YOU SO MUCH. The reviews I have been receiving for this story have been fantastic and I am sooooo sorry for the appalling amount of time that it has taken for me to update. I know you probably all hate me. But I have been so busy lately I just haven't had the time. I hope this chapter was all right, I know it was short but I really wanted to get something out. Sadly this is the last but one chapter, the story will be finishing in the next chapter. But that's where the fun begins, for then I can start the third story, which is the one I've been most excited about.
So drop me a review and let me know what you all think.
Thanks.)