The next day, Cassius sat on the sofa in the faculty lounge, lost in thought. Victory at this stage had not been easy, but he had managed it. All that time spent standing at the cauldron had not been wasted. Hassan and the rest of the boys went to explore the local Quidditch stadium, while Cassius decided to visit the Durmstrang library. After asking around, he soon found the local repository of knowledge.
The library worked on an interesting principle. While in Uagadu there was a librarian at the entrance who handed out the necessary books and monitored their return, here it was different. At the entrance to the library stood a special artefact that instantly assessed various parameters of the wizard. It determined the colour of the magical power and its volume. Sometimes a stern old man appeared before the visitors. This was the so-called spirit of the artefact, the guardian of the library. He could tell you something or answer questions if a visitor had difficulty finding books, but he always appeared on his own, not on request. Everything in the library was tied to the level of development of the students. It determined which books a visitor could take from the library.
A book could easily be taken to one's room or read in the large reading room, but exactly 24 hours later, it would disappear. Practically everything that the library issued was a materialised copy. Therefore, there was never a problem if students needed the same book for a particular subject. Unlike Hogwarts, there was no restricted section here. All books that would be considered banned in England could easily be taken and read, provided, of course, that you met the library's assessment criteria.An ordinary first-year student would hardly be able to understand all the delights of advanced transfiguration, so until they grew up and became much stronger, they simply would not see anything. It happened that some students, especially those who were not particularly bright, simply did not know that there was anything else in the library besides the school curriculum.
Since the entire system had been created in ancient times, the school administration had no way of censoring the knowledge provided by the library. However, it was possible to add new books to the library's collection. To do this, one simply had to bring the book and place it anywhere. If the book contained something new, it was automatically added to the general collection. Every year, the school allocated money to buy new publications for the library.
In his time, Grindelwald, who possessed incredible strength and dark magic abilities, found a wealth of useful knowledge here, and if he hadn't been expelled from school for attempting to murder students, who knows what he might have achieved.
Cassius entered the library, stood by the artefact, felt a cautious touch on his mind, and walked along the tall shelves that only he could see. To all visitors, it seemed that the boy had stood by the artefact for a moment and then simply disappeared. Cassius had already begun to think that, at least in spirit magic, he would not see anything new, but the library simply blew him away. With a faint hope of finding something interesting, he mentally narrowed down his search and was simply stunned by what he found. There was more here than he had read in his entire life. Carefully picking up the first scroll he came across, Malfoy saw a manuscript by Hipparchus of Nicaea, in which he shared his thoughts on the influence of the position of the stars on summoning spirits. Grabbing another, he was amazed to recognise the author, Sargon of Akkad, who had reigned during the Mesopotamian era and was not only a magician and ruler, but also a scholar. Looking around with new eyes, Cassius realised where he was.
When he finally emerged from the whirlwind of books, Cassius felt as if only a few minutes had passed, but his sense of time told him that the day was drawing to a close. Shaking his head, the young man sighed, put down another scroll and headed for the exit.
At the entrance to the library, he almost bumped into his rival in the tournament.
"Hi," Lisa dodged the collision with ease. "Did you see our library in all its glory?"
"That's for sure," Cassius's eyes finally focused on the girl. "You're lucky you can use this source of wisdom all the time.
"Ha-ha," Adlerberg laughed cheerfully, "but you can't lure many people here, no matter how tempting it is. Are you always so cold? Even at the tournament, you didn't show any excitement or fear, nothing. Or do you always keep your occlumency shield up?
Cassius smiled crookedly in response:
"It's probably hereditary, and my teacher's lessons help too. Especially meditation.
The girl nodded understandingly:
"I think I know what kind of magic you're studying. Be careful, Cass. Our school also teaches the basics of dark magic to students, and the teachers constantly drill into our heads about controlling our emotions.
She looked closely at Malfoy, then suddenly smiled:
"All right, serious dark wizard, we'll see you around. Let's see how you fare against Magnusson.
In the evening, the kids were enjoying their day when Cassius appeared in the living room, looking around with bewildered eyes.
"What happened to you?" Hassan asked cheerfully. "You look like you've seen the ghost of our combat magic teacher."
Cassius smiled crookedly and said,
"No, I just stayed too long in the library.
The other kids burst into laughter.
"Be careful, my friend," Hassan said cheerfully, "libraries won't do you any good!
With a forced smile, Cassius went to bed. The knowledge he had gained weighed heavily on his mind, and he wanted to rest. Many of the spells used by the Akkadians and Sumerians were far beyond the capabilities of modern sorcerers. Even the ancient Roman scrolls, which he had also managed to look through, did not impress him as much. The only thing stopping him from trying something right away was that many truly serious magical acts required a sea of sacrifices, the construction of ziggurats, and the invocation of gods or demons of the past. Summoning demons had long been banned, ever since the first meetings of the international confederation of magicians, and supported by all other magical communities. Since the adoption of the secrecy statute, no sorcerer had even attempted to summon demons into this world.
Today, the weather was clear, and the stadium was packed. The first of three games was about to begin, and the teams from Durmstrang and Beauxbaton took to the field. The Durmstrang players were all tall, strong guys, and only Seeker Viktor Krum looked a little smaller in comparison. "I guess the Seeker has to be skinny and small," thought Cassius. The Beauxbaton Seeker fit that description better. She was a short, skinny girl, but she sat very confidently on her broomstick. In general, there were more girls than boys on the French team. Only two beaters were boys, and the bats in their hands looked like toys. All three seekers and the chaser were girls with a clear admixture of Veil blood, because their appearance on the field immediately aroused the interest of the male part of the audience. One of the hunters, the team captain, was familiar to them, and Hassan was already waving cheerfully in greeting. Fleur paid no attention to the Moroccan; it was clear that she was completely focused on the upcoming game. The goalkeepers took their places at the rings, and everyone else spread out across the field according to their tactical formations. The match was refereed by Hassan Mustafa, the chairman of the International Quidditch Association, who had been invited by the schools. After releasing the bludgers, which immediately began to flash across the field, he called the captains over to him.
Lars Magnusson and Fleur Delacour immediately flew over to him for the coin toss. Lars gave Fleur the right to choose, and Mustafa, turning to the girl, tossed a galleon into the air.
"Dragon or wizard?" he asked Fleur.
"Wizard," replied the Frenchwoman.
Mustafa tossed the coin and slapped it down hard with his other hand. Opening his fist, he showed the coin to both captains:
"Dragon. The Durmstrang team starts the game.
The captains flew into the air, and Lars immediately threw the Quaffle to one of the hunters. The hunters immediately rushed forward, and the Beauxbatons hunters rushed towards them, and the game began. The first goal for Durmstrang was scored by one of the hunters, who flew up to the opponent's rings at high speed, feinted to distract the goalkeeper, and energetically sent the Quaffle into the far ring.
"Yes!" shouted Durmstrang's students joyfully.
But the French players immediately launched a counterattack. The nimble girls deftly dodged their heavier opponents, dodging Bludgers, and within seconds, Delacour received a pass from her teammate and elegantly sent the ball into the empty ring.
"Ten-ten," shouted the Charmawans, "Go ahead!"
The game became more and more intense, the players flew faster and faster, and points rained down on both sides. Suddenly, the Seekers, who had been barraging the top, fell sharply.
"Snitch!" rang out across the stands. "Cram has seen the Snitch!"
The French girl was closer to the coveted ball and was now catching up with the golden ball flying in front of her. She had already reached out her hand when the Snitch suddenly veered to the right, avoiding being caught by the French Seeker, and flew towards the stands. Both Seekers, side by side, rushed after it. Crumb accelerated as fast as he could and also stretched out his arm, trying to grab the Snitch before the French Seeker. After a feint, the ball came closer to Crumb and its golden wings fluttered in the air right in front of his hand. "Come on! Faster!"
The stands were rapidly approaching. Krum glanced quickly at his opponent, and in the same instant, his fingers closed around the Snitch. Viktor jerked his broom to the side and raised his arm triumphantly, clutching the Snitch.
"Hurrah!" the stands erupted in cheers. "Dumbledore has won!"
"Krum caught the Snitch, Krum caught the Snitch!" the crowd began to chant.
The disappointed Beauxbatons team slumped sadly, some of the girls even crying. The Durmstrang students, who landed happily on the pitch, were almost torn to pieces for souvenirs. Krum was lifted up and carried around by the jubilant fans.
The excited crowd moved towards the faculties. Cassius looked at Hassan:
"What do you think? I think this Krum flies like lightning. I've never seen a Seeker like this guy before, it's unbelievable.
Al-Mansur nodded gloomily:
"It's going to be tough. Let's try to beat them on points.
"The main thing is not to end up in last place," Cassius shrugged. "Our team already has two hundred points, and I can win a duel against anyone. Our next match is against Beauxbaton, the main thing is not to lose to them.
The pensive boys began to descend from the stands.
***
The next day, Cassius nervously climbed back up to the stands. Today, the school of Uagadug was playing against Beauxbaton.
"Friends, welcome to the second test of our tournament. And that, of course, is Quidditch!" Carcarov's voice boomed through the sonorus. "Good luck to everyone, and may the strongest win! Captains, please come to the centre of the field for the draw."
The headmaster of Durmstrang waved his hand and sat down in his chair. Hassan and Fleur approached the centre of the field and stopped near the referee.
Mustafa took out a golden galleon and said:
"Welcome, captains. You know the rules. Whoever guesses the side of the coin will start the games.
Fleur fluttered her eyelashes, and Al-Mansur immediately gave her the right to guess. The referee tossed the coin into the air, the galleon glinted in the sunlight on both sides and landed in his hand. Mustafa slapped the coin with his palm and looked at Delacour. Fleur thought for a moment and chose the dragon. Opening his palm, the referee announced:
"Dragon! The Beauxbaton players start first.
Fleur, satisfied, took the Quaffle and, elegantly swinging her leg over the broomstick, soared into the sky. Hassan clicked his tongue and followed her a second later.Already in the air, Fleur looked down at Hassan mockingly:
"Better luck next time, Al-Mansur. We're going to win today anyway.
"You remembered my name, charmer," the boy grinned, "but victory will be ours.
Scattering to their teams, after a brief consultation, both teams spread out across the field. Mustafa released the bladers, and they immediately rushed towards the players.
"Valerie, you know what to do. Be ready for the pass!
"Got it, Fleur!
A bludger hit by a Wagadu beater tried to knock Delacour off her broom, but she dodged it deftly.
"Not so easy, guys," and passing the ball to each other, the Beauxbaton hunters rushed forward. One pass, two, three. But suddenly one of the hunters was knocked down by a bludger, and Hassan intercepted the ball.
The game continues with renewed excitement. Fleur attacks the ring again, but Al-Mansur intercepts the ball. Flying a little closer and braking sharply beside her, Hassan smiles at Fleur:
"Moonface, you can't get past me!
"We'll see!" hisses the Frenchwoman angrily.
The game became even more intense, Ouagadougou had already pulled ahead by a wide margin, and the Beauxbatons were falling further and further behind. The beaters and the keeper diligently blocked all of the Beauxbatons girls' attacks. An hour had passed, but with every minute that passed, the situation was getting worse for France. Suddenly, the seekers raced down and the stands gasped. Hassan shouted his team back into attack, ordering them to ignore the seekers.
While the Seekers were chasing the Snitch along crazy trajectories, the Wagadine hunters managed to hit the Beauxbaton rings once more. And then the female Seeker was the first to catch the nimble ball. Clutching it in her hand, she shot up from the ground and shouted in victory. The Seeker from Wagadu had picked up too much speed and rolled over on the ground, but he got up and started swearing, looking sadly at his broken broomstick. The other French girls didn't look happy either. Even though their Seeker had caught the Snitch, Wagadu still won on points. The referee blew his whistle, and the players gradually gathered in the centre of the field.
"Two hundred and fifty-one," Mustafa summed up laconically. "The Wagadu team wins.
"Hurray!" Cassius shouted, and the rest of the team joined in.
Those who wanted to could now get a job at Pomela Patongi after school, and maybe even make it onto the national team.
The joyful and satisfied Africans headed for the exit together, continuing to praise their players. Tomorrow was the decisive match against Durmstrang, and riding the wave of euphoria from the victory over Beauxbaton, the boys were on cloud nine. Cassius was also very happy because, even in second place, the Uagadu team still had a good chance of winning the entire tournament.
Cassius spent the rest of the time in the library again, studying the previously incomprehensible aspects of dark magic. It turned out that adding negative emotions to a spell could greatly enhance it, but this was also the danger of this method. The wizard became so accustomed to adding emotions to his spells that he began to change over time. He became more evil, fierce and uncompromising. All this dulled the wizard's mind and made him very powerful, but insane.
Just in case, Cassius decided to use this method only in the event of a real threat to life. He really didn't like the fact that he could secretly turn into a crazy maniac.
After visiting the library, Cassius went to the training ground to practise his spells and confirmed that the method really worked. "Bombarda" and "Confringo," fuelled by negative emotions, caused even the training ground's defences to flicker. The Durmstrang students present looked on in fear at the storm of elements caused by the black boy.
The next day, the competition between Uagadug and Durmstrang took place. It was the shortest match of the tournament. Before Cassius's friends could throw the second Quaffle into the opponent's rings, to the astonished gasps of the stands, Kram saw the Snitch. Fast as a snake's throw, the Seeker from Wagadu left his opponents far behind. A few more magnificent feints in pursuit of the fleeing ball, and it was already fluttering in Victor Krum's hand.
"Aaa!" roared the stands. "Krum caught the Snitch. Victory! Hurrah!" The stunned Africans flocked to the centre of the field and jumped off their broomsticks. When all the players were on the ground, Hassan Mustafa raised his hand solemnly and proclaimed:
"With a score of one hundred and fifty to ten, the Durmstrang team is the winner!"
His voice was immediately drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Durmstrang rejoiced unanimously for their team, regardless of their houses. Krum and the rest of the team were lifted up and carried triumphantly into the great hall. Gathered around tables, the entire Durmstrang and the tournament guests eagerly awaited the judges' decision.
"So," cleared his throat Igor Karkarov, "on behalf of the judging panel, I would like to announce that the Durmstrang team has won the second stage of our tournament.
Cheers erupted from all sides.
"In the overall standings," continued Karakorov, "Dumbledore has three hundred and fifty points. Uagadug has three hundred and fifty points, and Beauxbaton has two hundred points. Now let's give the teams a round of applause!" — the hall immediately supported the director with applause.
"In two days, the decisive competition of our tournament will take place, a magical battle between selected representatives of the teams, in an all-against-all format. The first to be defeated and eliminated from the competition will score one hundred points, and the winner will receive two hundred. I wish all participants good luck," said Karkarov and sat down at the table, "and now, let the feast begin!"
Snape and Flitwick sat in their room and quietly continued the conversation they had started in the stadium. Flitwick poured himself another small mug of aromatic coffee and said:
"One competition left and we can fly home. Although we must give credit to the hosts, everything has been top notch, not a single conflict or misunderstanding between the participants. But in England, many people think that Durmstrang is just a hotbed of black magic.
Snape smiled crookedly:
"In the whole week I've been here, I haven't felt a single truly dark spell being cast. I think the school's reputation was created by the students who studied here.
"Yes," sighed Flitwick, "you can find a dark wizard among the students here.
"Unlike Hogwarts," Snape continued for him.
Then the conversation turned to the upcoming duelling competition, and Flitwick just shook his head:
"Everyone against everyone is not a duel, but a real magical battle. There is no elegance of the rapier, no game of wits. Here, whoever has the biggest club is right.
"Come now, Professor," Snape disagreed, "there are all sorts of situations in magical combat too.
"We'll see tomorrow," Flitwick concluded.
The next day, Cassius woke up early as usual. He did some warm-up exercises, jumped around a bit, and decided he was ready for the day ahead. He was a little nervous because the school's reputation was at stake. Yesterday, Headmaster Ngono had asked him not to hold back, but also not to use any truly dangerous spells. Of course, there would be healers on duty at the competition, but they would have to get there first. And since Cassius was very fond of mass destruction spells, there might not be anyone left to heal him. Therefore, no meteor showers, lava explosions, or ice tornadoes. Only ordinary spells from European schools of magic, except for the unforgivable ones, of course. And even then, you have to be very careful, because a bombarda maxima spell that has been overcharged can easily tear a person in half.
"Try to use 'Expelliarmus', some immobilising spells, and nothing that would reveal your faculty," repeated the headmaster.
"I understand, mkurguzi," Malfoy bowed his head respectfully. "No dark magic.
It was cool this morning, despite the warm season. But Cassius still dressed in his usual school clothes. Even though he promised the headmaster not to use any truly dangerous spells, that didn't mean he would give in to anyone. Telekinesis and other permitted European spells had long been practised to perfection. Moreover, there was no ban on using transfiguration and Legilimency in combat, which, even in passive mode, made it easy to guess the opponents' next moves in advance.
A circle with various hiding places was created on the Quidditch field, leaving three entrances on different sides. Approaching the stadium, Cassius found his team's spot and waved to his friends. They responded with approving shouts of support. Soon, the other competitors from the other teams were standing nearby: Bertrand de Foix and Lars Magnusson. The Norwegian towered over both of his opponents by a whole head and looked like a giant against them. Bertrand was completely focused and lost in his own thoughts. Of course, even if he won this competition, the Beauxbaton team would still finish last, but no one would question him personally. What's more, this victory would easily open the doors to the French Ministry's power structures. The young wizard had graduated from Beauxbaton this year, and his future career depended directly on how he performed today. Magnusson, on the other hand, was cheerful and relaxed. As Durmstrang's strongest fighter, he was confident in his abilities and expected to win the competition. Bertrand made him a little nervous, as he was two years older and had almost graduated from Beauxbaton, but the short, thin African seemed like an easy target. Lars didn't understand why they hadn't put up the same captain of the Quidditch team. The guy looked several times more dangerous than his comrade. At the same time, Lars had no intention of underestimating anyone. Anything could happen in a fight, and even a weak opponent, casting a spell at the right moment, could defeat a stronger one.
Fletwick, as the head of the judging team, flew up to the participants, levitating himself on a knight's shield.
"So," he said. "We are gathered here today to witness a beautiful and spectacular battle. Only participants armed with a wand are allowed to compete. Artifacts, potions, and elixirs are strictly prohibited. Anyone who uses any of the prohibited items will be immediately disqualified.
Despite his small stature, the professor hovering on the shield did not look ridiculous. It seemed as if he had shed his calm years of teaching at Hogwarts and was now a truly powerful and experienced wizard, a seven-time world champion in magical duelling.
The warned participants just nodded. Flitwick waved his wand, checked the duelists' blood for prohibited substances, and, finding nothing, nodded approvingly:
"Now disperse along the circle to the entry points on the field and begin when I give the signal. I will watch the competition from above and, in case of injury, will be able to quickly deliver the injured participant to the healers.
Cassius moved in the indicated direction and soon reached the starting point. A stone doorway revealed a sandy area with scattered stones and half-ruined columns.
"Wow," Cassius thought to himself, "it's just like in our forgotten cities." A few minutes later, a sharp whistle sounded, and Malfoy quickly moved onto the platform. His opponents had no intention of falling behind, and within seconds, the first spells flew from both sides. Cassius was in no hurry to attack anyone, hiding behind a large boulder, but not forgetting to keep an eye on his opponents. Lars and Bertrand quickly exchanged spells, trying to hit their opponents while keeping their defences up. Flashes of spells repeatedly struck the shields, causing a clatter and sparks to fly. Assessing his opponents, Cassius realised that despite his strength and height, Magnusson was lagging behind Bertrand. The latter struck with economical and sharp blows, alternating disarming spells with fiery ones. Lars defended himself, periodically launching counterattacks, but it was clear that he was unable to keep up, and it was only a matter of time before he was hit by his opponent's first spell.
Seizing the moment, Cassius quietly shifted the sand beneath de Foix's feet, and Bertrand, caught off guard, flailed his arms, trying to keep his balance. Already slightly burned and out of breath, Magnusson did not waste any time. He cast "Incarcerus" sharply, followed by "Petrificus Totalus." Bound hand and foot, de Fua collapsed as if he had been cut down. He didn't have time to enjoy his victory before an Expelliarmus spell hit him in the back, first knocking the wand out of his hands and then slamming him against a column with all its force. Seeing the end of the duel, Flitwick immediately signalled the end of the battle. Cassius lowered his wand and approached his defeated opponents. Lars was fine, although he had lost consciousness from hitting the stone, while Bertrand looked like a stone statue wrapped in a cocoon of ropes. Flitwick broke the spell on the defeated and helped them to their feet.
Bertrand glared at Cassius, who just grinned.
"If you hadn't stopped me from fighting, I would have won," the Frenchman said heatedly.
Cassius shrugged melancholically:
"I didn't try to fight, I came to win. In a battle where it's everyone against everyone, I chose a strategy, and that's all. You tried to arrange a duel," Bertrand frowned and turned away.
Lars, on the contrary, smiled and slapped Cassius on the shoulder:
"You're a good guy, I couldn't figure you out until the very end. I saw Bertrand right away, but I didn't understand where you were hiding, and then there was no time to distract myself, de Foix was putting a lot of pressure on me.
Leaving the training ground, they were almost deafened by the noise of the crowd cheering for their representatives. The Africans shouted and danced, celebrating their victory, while the Charbotonians looked sourly at the winners.
Fleetwick raised his shield higher and, raising his voice with a sonorus, said:
"Dear participants, I congratulate you all on the completion of the duelling competition and hasten to announce the winners, although you probably already know who they are. So, the winner of the duelling competition is Cassius Malfoy! Second place goes to the representative of Durmstrang, Lars Magnusson! And third place today goes to the representative of Beauxbaton, Bertrand de Foix!"
The roar of cheers and applause was so loud that it probably caused avalanches in the mountains surrounding the school. At least, the seagulls sitting on the shores of the lake took to the sky with loud cries.
Everyone gathered around the festive tables in the large hall. Headmaster Karkarov rose proudly from his chair and said loudly:
"Dear participants of the three-school tournament. You have demonstrated the excellent qualities of true wizards. You have steadily marched towards victory and demonstrated a high level of skill. I am proud to say that I am delighted with all of you. You have proven with your perseverance and talent that the future of the magical world is in good hands. A new generation of wizards, such as yourselves, is capable of raising the level of magical arts even higher, discovering new spells and creating new potions. I would not be surprised if some of you, who have advanced so far in the favourite game of all wizards around the world — Quidditch — will soon be able to take your places in your countries' national teams. And now, Carcarov continued solemnly, it is time to announce the winner of our tournament. So, with a lead of just fifty points, the champion of the tournament is the school of Uagadu, for the first time in its history.
Cassius jumped up from the table along with everyone else. Everyone hugged each other, patted each other on the shoulders, and shouted something. Pierre Ngono shook the old potion maker's hand and said something excitedly.
Karkarov solemnly took the large challenge cup and handed it to the headmaster of Ouagadougou.
"Let this cup symbolise the victory of your school, dear friend," he said.
"Thank you, Igor," Ngono said, smiling broadly, his face beaming with happiness, and raised the cup above his head.
"Hurrah, Uagadu!" he shouted, and all the Africans immediately joined in the roar.
As soon as the noise died down a little, Karakarov spoke again:
"Second place in our tournament goes to Durmstrang School!
The hall erupted again in a single burst, everyone clapping and cheering, some even setting off fireworks under the ceiling.
"And third place," continued Karakorov, shouting over the noise, "went to Beauxbaton. They fought well, but this time they were unlucky.
Madame Maxim, towering above everyone, nodded sourly. "Never mind," she thought, "next time we'll win for sure."
The festive dinner lasted a long time, but eventually came to an end. The French delegation, accompanied by everyone, entered their carriages in orderly rows, and the huge magical horses, flapping their wings in farewell, soared into the sky. After making a small circle above the castle, they instantly disappeared into the portal. Cassius and his friends left the same way, first moving to a cliff somewhere in the north, and then also using the portal to move to their native African mountains. After saying goodbye to his friends and professors and promising not to disappear, Cassius appeared on the grounds of the Chibuzo Inu estate just a few seconds later.
***
Severus Snape sat pensively in the kitchen of his home in Spider's Alley. There were still more than two months before classes began, and he intended to spend them resting from the usual routine of the school year. Perhaps he would write a long-awaited scientific article for a potions journal, or perhaps he would work on a new spell. His thoughts returned to the winners of the Triwizard Tournament, the team from Uagiri. Who was this Cassius Malfoy, and how was he related to Lucius? The boy was clearly growing into a powerful wizard and had definitely not shown his full potential, but the most important thing was the level he had demonstrated in the Potions competition. It was a pity that he had not yet graduated from school; he could have been invited to be an assistant, or perhaps even a student. Unlike the usual herd of sheep that Snape had to teach, this boy clearly knew which side to hold the ladle on.
***
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