AN: Ah, my dear readers, this chapter was so difficult to write. I found myself stuck at many points, and as I still don't have a beta reader, the quality of this chapter may not be up to snuff. I would like to apologize for this chapter in advance and let you know that it's with this chapter the story begins to earn its M rating. Please, if you suffer from anything like what happens in this chapter, tell someone about it.
-Pyrdiu Lefquo
TWs for: Homophobic slurs, violence, and bad language
Chapter 13: The Art of Negative Reinforcement
Hermione was shocked at the sounds of her new (and only) friend crying in the bathroom. Coline seemed too mature and in control to do something like fall victim to her emotions. Perhaps she wasn't as stable as Hermione had first though? No, that couldn't be, since Coline had handily swept through the train, the great hall, the Gryffindor common room, and even the dorm room with what Hermione thought was the utmost grace and composure. After ruminating on this for a bit, Hermione came to the shocking conclusion that she had been looking at Coline as an older girl, rather than the eleven year old witch she was. It wasn't hard to do, in Hermione's opinion. Only judging from the few hours she'd gotten to know the pale girl, Coline positively bled an aura of calm and confidence.
After listening to Coline break down for a couple minutes, Hermione shook her head of those thoughts and got Parvati's attention, motioning silently over to their beds. Getting the hint, The Indian girl took Lavender by the hand and pulled her away to their beds. Then, taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that Coline needed her help right now, just like on the stairs, and opened the door just enough to get in and let it latch softly behind her.
*****ASiYoB*****
Coline was just getting to the point of her misery where she was able to banish It from her mind, when she heard the door open, then close sound of light footsteps approaching caused Coline to curl into herself, not wanting any of the others to see her like this. She was surprised when she felt someone sit next to her, and even more surprised when hands pulled her gently sideways, and her head landed on a warm leg.
Coline's sobs began anew. Her body shook with the effort of keeping quiet while tears streamed out of her eyes and onto Hermione's skirt. This continued for longer than either girl felt comfortable with. Eventually, when Coline seemed to be calming down a bit, Hermione ran her hand through Coline's thick, raven hair. 'soft', she noted absently, then cleared her throat to get Coline's attention.
"Hey now, uhm, do you, uh, maybe wanna talk about it?" Coline heard a very familiar voice ask hesitantly from above her. Coline, startled out of her spiral of bad thoughts, adjusted herself to look up at her friend. Her eyes still leaked tears, her eyes were puffy, and her face was flushed with embarrassment, but looking up into Hermione's eyes, she didn't see any judgment. There was only concern, and a little bit of nervousness.
Her head still on Hermione's lap, Coline shook her head, blotted her eyes with her jersey as best she could, then took a deep breath. Exhaling slowly, she gave Hermione a watery smile and sat back up. "I... I should prob *sniff* probably let you girls get ready for bed, huh?" Coline mumbled, voice wavering.
Hermione, feeling very out of her depth, didn't argue the point, though she still felt like she should offer some kind of comfort to her new friend. Mind made up, she leaned forward to Coline and gave her a light hug, patting the petite girl's back awkwardly. "You, uh, you can talk to me later if you want. My mum says it helps to tell someone about sad thoughts."
Coline chuckled lightly and stood up. "Hermione, you are a good friend." She said, voice a little rough from the crying. Checking her face in the mirror and patting cold water on her face to try and calm down, she continued. "You just met me today, and you want to help me when I'm a sobbing mess on the washroom floor." Coline sniffled a bit as she turned around to Hermione, eyes red and still a little puffy.
Holding out her hand to Hermione and helped her up, smiling sadly as she pulled her friend out of the bathroom. "C'mon. Lets get out of here and you can get ready to sleep. I'll be better tomorrow."
*****ASiYoB*****
True to her word, Coline woke the next morning with the sunrise, feeling infinitely better than when she went to sleep. Scratching her head a bit through the absolute chaos of her bedhead, the tired girl swung her feet out of bed, pulling the covers off. Immediately regretting her decision, Coline squeaked quietly at the sudden cold. Mustering her courage, Coline hopped out of bed and did her best to pad silently over the freezing stone floor. She absently thought about sending a message with Remus to Mrs. Pierson to send her some warm slippers.
Hopping quietly from foot to foot, Coline unlatched her trunk and pulled her armoire extension out. Opening it, she grabbed a pair of trainers, some jogging pants, a sleeveless shirt, and a windbreaker from it, closing and re-latching her trunk. Going back to her side-table, Coline picked up her ribbon and her toiletry kit and proceeded to go through her morning shower and grooming routine.
***1 hour later***
As Coline opened the bathroom door, she peeked out to make sure if anyone was up, they were at least decent. Noticing her roommates just beginning to sit up and blearily rub their eyes and stretch, Coline stepped out in her exercise clothes. "Morning girls!" Coline chirped, a smile on her face. "I'm all done, see you at breakfast." Coline tied her hair up into a high ponytail with her ribbon, and stepped out of the dorm, briskly making her way through the empty common room and out of the portrait.
It took a bit of trial and error, but after about twenty minutes, Coline was able to find her way down to the entry hall of the school. The large front doors were surprisingly easy to open, considering their size. The dark haired girl decided it must be some kind of magic. She had a feeling she'd be using that excuse a lot in the future.
Once outside, Coline too a deep breath of the early morning air. It was fresh and clean, and it made Coline smile happily. It was the perfect morning for a run, if a little cold, in her opinion. "Well, best not to dawdle!" Coline said, in her bet Mrs. Pierson voice. With that self-admonition, and some light stretching, she took off toward at a moderate jog toward... well, she hadn't decided yet, but dang it, she'd find a good track somewhere.
*****AsiYoB*****
Coline, panting lightly and fanning her face with her hands, made her way back up to the girl's dorm, noting absently that the big clock in the common room said she only had about 15 minutes until breakfast. That would be enough time for another quick wash in the shower, and to get dressed in her uniform. After all that, she should have just enough time to hoof it back down to the great hall for the morning meal.
Stopping at her destination, Coline rapped twice on the door, then opened it a crack. "Everyone decent in there?" she called out.
Interestingly, it was Lavender that answered. "Yup, we're all dressed Coline, you can come on in."
Without further ado, Coline stepped in. Seeing the others just now slipping on shoes and robes, she decided that discretion was the better part of valor here, and decided not to poke fun at the still tired looks on her room-mates faces.
"Welp," she said lightly, unzipping her windbreaker. "Looks like you all are headed down to breakfast. I just gotta hop in the shower really fast, then I'll be down. See you downstairs, Hermione!" With that, Coline procured her uniform and toiletries again, set her bag and shoes down on her bed and popped into the bathroom. Coline took the fastest shower she'd ever taken (it was really more of a rinse to get rid of sweat and odor), got dressed, grabbed her bag, her meds, and her outer robe and headed down to the great hall.
*****AsiYoB*****
Coline had finally gotten around to shrugging on her thick outer robe when she stepped into the great hall and made her way to the Gryffindor table. A quick look down the table netted her a glimpse of Hermione, who she skipped over to immediately.
Plopping down next to her friend, Coline smiled as she started loading her plate with a light meal of fruits, toast, and eggs. "You look absolutely enthused for class this morning, Hermione." she noted smugly.
"Die." Hermione responded, shooting a tired, baleful glare at the black haired, infuriatingly chipper friend.
Coline paused her food gathering to put a mocking hand to her chest and scoff exaggeratedly. "Hermione! How could you say such things to your favorite person in the castle?"
The grumpy, frizzy-haired preteen took a mouthful of the juice she'd just poured (pumpkin again, ick), and gave a sigh she was sure she'd come to know very well in the near future. "Because she's being silly, that's how," Hermione retaliated, tiredly.
Grinning triumphantly, Coline pulled out the book for her reading project, then began to eat, leaving Hermione to her breakfast.
*****AsiYoB*****
Throughout the meal, Hermione was able to wake up and take better notice of the her surroundings. One of the first things she noticed (as expected), was Coline next to her, absorbed into a book, while spooning some eggs into her mouth. Curious, Hermione leaned over a bit to see if she could make out the book title.
Coline, noticing the interest, flipped the cover side of her book up. Hermione was surprised to say the least when she saw the title. "Shakespeare, Coline? What's the interest?"
"School reading project," Coline responded absently. Taking a drink of water, she continued. "Gotta turn it in by the first of October."
Hermione temporarily panicked. She hadn't seen Romeo and Juliet on her list of assigned books, and she'd not heard of a reading project due in the next month. Then, thinking a bit, Hermione recalled the entire supply list, the interactions with professors, and all the instructions they'd been given by the prefects.
Hermione shook her head slightly, and figured Coline could give her the information she needed later, when they weren't all busy. Then, like the world had decided to punctuate her thought, she heard a throat being cleared behind her. Looking back, she saw professor McGonagall behind her.
"Ah, good morning miss Granger," the venerable woman smiled lightly, before holding out a short piece of parchment. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes professor," Hermione responded, taking what she observed to be her class schedule. "The bed was very soft, though I 'm not used to waking up so early."
The transfiguration professor gave an indulgent smile, then tapped Coline on the shoulder. "miss Potter, I am sure your book is very interesting, but I have your schedule for you."
Coline absently made a noise of acknowledgment, then closed her book after placing her bookmark. She turned, and seeing who it was, her mood dropped visibly. "Ah," Coline said, as neutrally as she could.
"Good morning, professor McGonagall." The green eyed girl continued. The old teacher pursed her lips in frustration as her newest headache took the schedule from her. "It's my responsibility, professor, to let you know I was elected as room leader last night."
McGonagall's face went from irritated to confused for a moment, before inhaling deeply and responding. "And what, miss Potter, is a room leader supposed to do?"
Coline explained what her duties were, and Minerva pleasantly surprised at the child's (she refused to think of Coline as a female, even if she were required to address her as such) forethought. "That is a good idea, miss Potter. I shall endeavor to get the other dormitories to follow your example." The head of house then made her way further down the table.
Coline was glad she'd been able to have an amicable conversation with the Transfiguration professor, It was a good omen for the future, even if she'd never forget the rudeness the old woman had shown her in Diagon. Unfortunately, future interactions would be as easy.
*****AsiYoB*****
There were many types of people at Hogwarts. The generous, the brave, the hardworking, the reclusive, the assertive, etcetera. The person Coline was waylaid by on her journey to the hospital wing was none of these, Coline decided, holding her bruised and bleeding nose and waiting for the nurse to attend her.
Professor Minerva McGonagall looked down at Coline and Hermione, then asked "What in Merlin's name happened to you?"
***30 minutes ago***
Coline and Hermione were chatting as they tried to find the hospital wing from the great hall. There was an hour until the first class of the day, and Coline wanted to get her check-up out of the way. As the two walked across the entry hall, three boys in green and silver stepped in their path.
"Hmm." The shortest of them vocalized sarcastically, head tilted to the side with his chin in his hand. He seemed to take in the appearance of the girls before scoffing loudly. "It seems we have a cross-dresser here, gentleman," he said, an ugly smile on his face.
Coline's attention was immediately caught. Standing up straight and trying to pay them no mind, she took Hermione by the hand and tried to step around their right. Hermione, on the other hand, was shocked silent. She just was not able to conceive someone coming out of the woodwork only to insult someone like that.
Coline's attempt at absconding from the situation was foiled, as one of the two large, brown-haired boys stepped in front of her again. "Where you going, fairy?" The short blonde boy asked, mockingly. "We're just trying to have a conversation."
Hermione was very nervous about this situation, and tried to pull her friend away, but found a ring of students around them, pulled in by the loud voice of the boy in front of them.
Coline's eyes blazed in anger, but she took a deep breath and responded to the boy, her voice saccharine and her smile tight with frustration. "Hello, my name is Coline Potter. May I know yours?"
The blonde boy made eye contact with the girl, his grey holding the gaze of her green. "Ah, so he can speak politely at least." He responded. "Too much to hope you could dress appropriately in public though, is it?" With an exaggerated sigh, the boy continued. "I guess I can let trash like you know the names of your betters.
I am Draco Malfoy, on my left is Vincent Crabbe, and on my right is Gregory Goyle. I don't expect you to remember all of our names. It seems you can't even remember what clothes you're supposed to wear." The boy smirked at Coline, and all she wanted to do was to smack this boy across the face.
"Well, Draco," she said through gritted teeth, "it was lovely to meet you and your friends, but I have an appointment in the hospital wing, then Hermione and I must make our way to Potions. Good day." With that, Coline pulled her friend along behind her.
A large hand grabbed her arm roughly and spun her around to face the boys again. This cause mutterings of discontent among the surrounding students. "Where your you going miss Potter? Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" Malfoy asked condescendingly.
Coline closed her eyes, tipped her head back, and inhaled deeply, praying for the patience to get through this without gouging this boy's eyes out. "Draco, Gregory, Vincent, this is my friend Hermione Granger. Now, if you don't mind, I still have an appointment to get to."
Coline shoved her way past Crabbe with her shoulder, and was once again stopped, this time by someone pulling her backward by her robes, causing Hermione to exclaim in panic, and Coline to fall harshly on her bottom. After a moment to process the slight pain, Coline felt anger take hold. She stood up, brushed off the back of her robes, then turned around, her burning emerald gaze falling upon Draco Malfoy, who, for the first time, thought he may have bitten off more than he could chew this morning.
"Alright Draco Malfoy," Coline began, her voice tight and very obviously angry. "I have tried to be patient. I have tried to remove myself from this situation, and I have even tried to be polite." Coline stepped into Draco's personal space, shooting hot glares at the bookends on either side of him. Crabbe and Goyle, reminded unpleasantly of their parents took a couple steps back each.
"Hermione," Coline began again, voice softer, as not to frighten her already nervous friend. "Please go and get one of the professors so we can resolve this situation without further violence." Hermione nodded, a little concerned at her friend's tone of voice, and dashed into the crowd before anyone could stop her.
With Hermione out of her anger's splash zone, Coline addressed the blonde in front of her. "Now, Draco. You have been very rude this morning, and I find myself not appreciating" she looked at Crabbe "your friend pulling me to the ground." Despite being shorter than Malfoy, she seemed much taller as she built up a head of steam. "I will be having an apology," she snarled, eyes narrowed "or we will be going before the headmaster and I will get my apology there."
Malfoy seemed intimidated slightly, but looking around, he saw other students snickering at the dressing down he was receiving. Needing to save face, Draco sneered at Coline "Like any of us would apologize to a fruit like you. Go back to your dorm and cry, homo." With that, he shoved her back, knocking her down again.
Coline, now irate, saw red as she rose once more. "You utter bastard!" She hissed. "How dare you treat anyone like this, you absolute bigoted prat!" Coline stomped back over to Draco, hand pulled back. "You are the most immature, BULLYING snot I have ever had the misfortune to lay my eyes on!" Coline's hand came forward quickly, whipping across Malfoy's face so hard he staggered to the side a couple steps. "Your parents should be ashamed of you."
Malfoy could only barely hear the snickering and whispers of the crowd through the ringing in his ears and the rage he felt well up inside him. Standing tall (well, relatively), he curled his hand into a fist and retorted "Like a faggot like you would know anything!" He then pulled his hand back and threw it forward.
Coline felt the crunch of her nose being broken and when she brought her hands up to cradle her face, she felt warm blood dripping down and through her fingers. Trying to blink through the tears the pain brought, Coline saw the two gorillas at Malfoy's sides cart him off as quickly as possible.
Coline tried to stem the bleeding as she looked around at the crowd. There was a lot of muttering and some laughing as the students dispersed. Coline was dumbfounded, as not a single person had intervened, and there were people laughing.
***Present, Hogwarts Hospital Wing***
"... and that's what happened."
Coline was fuming on one of the cots in the hospital wing, having been seen to by madame Pomfrey, while Hermione relayed the events of the last half hour to the transfiguration teacher. Coline was frustrated. No, she was furious. 'Oh, that idiot boy was just like all the other idiot boys in primary school,' Coline thought. She noted that she'd had no confrontation ever go that far in the normal world. Normally boys were easily cowed by an assertive rebuke. It seemed wizard boys (or at least one of them), would need a little more... educational... conversation.
Hermione and McGonagall must have felt the brewing storm that was Coline's temper, because they immediately took action, albeit in completely opposite fashions. The brown eyed girl grabbed Coline's hand and started muttering what seemed to be soothing words so quickly as to be nonsensical. Minerva, on the other hand, paled and backed away slightly, not looking forward to another sighting of hurricane Coline.
"So, professor," Coline began in a chillingly neutral tone; one that Minerva had heard from Coline's mother when James Potter was digging his own grave. "Is Draco Malfoy's behavior something I should expect from all people here, or is he just particularly discriminatory?"
McGonagall knew there was no good (or correct) answer to this without lying. So she did the worst possible thing she could at this point in time: she deflected the question.
"*ahem,* Miss Potter. Stories like these have more than one side to them. Mr. Malfoy will be brought in for his recollection of the events, as well as Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle." Minerva took a breath here, and noticed Coline was not happy with this statement.
Reminding herself that she was she authority figure here, not an eleven year old girl, McGonagall relaxed slightly and continued. "We shall also bring forward witnesses that observed the event, and once all perspectives are taken into account, punishments and apologies will be tendered."
Coline looked up, her eyes blazing with an inner fire. "I see. I should like to speak with madam Pomfrey now, if you don't mind, Professor."
As she nodded and made her way of the hospital wing, Minerva couldn't help feeling like she'd just failed an exam of some sort.
*****AsiYoB*****
As soon as Coline saw the door close, she pulled the pillow up off the bed and screamed into it. After doing it again, then twice more for good measure, she put the pillow down, took a deep breath, and apologized to Hermione for her behavior.
"Coline," Hermione responded, putting her hand on Coline's leg, "There's nothing to apologize for. That boy's actions were completely out of line. If this were a normal school, he'd have been suspended on the spot. It also wouldn't have taken any time at all for a teacher to get there."
Hermione took a breath to continue, but Coline interrupted her by putting a hand up in the classic 'stop' gesture. "Hermione, you're right, and if you haven't noticed, I'm really frustrated about it." Hermione scoffed at that, as if anyone couldn't tell Coline was angry.
"Yeah, laugh it up." Coline grumbled, then continued what she was saying before. "The thing is, what she said isn't unreasonable. Yeah, she didn't answer my question, but I think I already know the answer to it."
Hermione's eyes fell to her lap, nodding sadly.
Their conversation was interrupted suddenly, when the door to madam Pomfrey's office opened. Walking up to the two young witches, the school matron leveled a firm look at Hermione before saying "miss Granger, I'm going to need your to either give us some privacy, or leave."
"Yes, madam Pomfrey." Hermione responded. She then looked over at Coline, gave a little wave, and said "I'll see you at Potions, Coline." The younger girl waved back at Hermione, and watched her slip out of the hospital wing.
"Well, miss Potter," the nurse began, adopting a no nonsense attitude. "Let's get this exam finished." What followed was an uncomfortably personal, but blissfully non-intrusive physical examination (thank God for magic).
A couple diagnostic spells, a disgusting potion, and a very... frustrating... conversation about her physical well-being and hormone therapy later, Coline was sent along with a note to professor Snape that he should speak to Coline's guardian about replicating her medicine, and a disturbingly detailed warning not to try and transfigure her privates.
*****AsiYoB*****
If you were to ask Coline where her determination to be excel at potions began, she would point you to her first class with professor Snape.
Coline made her way from the hospital wing to the basement with only a moderate amount of difficulty. She'd found out on the way that the portraits on the walls not only moved, but talked as well. After marveling again at how magic seemed to be able to do anything, she asked directions to the potions classroom from a very dapper gentleman (gentle... portrait?) with wonderfully pale blue eyes.
As she arrives at the classroom, she was able to slip inside right behind Hermione. Thinking to spook her, Coline stayed right behind her until the bushy-haired girl tried to sit down. She then tapped Hermione's left shoulder, and when her friend went to look and see who it was, Coline slipped around Hermione's right side to quietly take a seat.
"Ugh, people, I swear..." Hermione mumbled, then turned back to the seat she was about to pull out. Surprised at suddenly seeing someone in it, she quickly moved to the left of the person, and asked "Pardon, are you saving this seat for someone?"
The black-haired girl turned in her seat to look back at Hermione with as straight a face as she could. "Yes, actually. Sorry."
Coline?!" Hermione hissed, astonished that her friend had managed to not only make class on time, but make it here before her. "When did you get here? Weren't you supposed to be getting an examination? How did you get into that seat?"
Coline smiled widely and motioned Hermione in close, looking around as if it were a secret. Once her mouth was right next to Hermione's ear, she whispered "Magic."
Hermione took a seat next to Coline, glaring offendedly at her friend as if her gaze could burn through the girl's entire head. Just then, before Coline could even begin to grin at Hermione, the classroom door slammed open hard enough to make everybody jump in surprise.
A tall shadow with billowing robes swept through the center isle, silent as death itself. As it reached the front of the room, the door latched behind them with a click that made Coline think she'd bee trapped in this room with a dangerous predator.
A wave of his sleeve, and the candle light around the room increased enough that the shadow became a man. Specifically the rude man from last night's feast. Coline pursed her lips, knowing she would have to stay after class to give the man the note from the school nurse.
As he surveyed the classroom with his eyes, Coline took out her textbook, spiral notebook and a pencil, then looked back up at the professor, writing utensil poised and waiting for the man to begin teaching.
"Miss Potter," He snapped, voice whip-like and sharp. "Ten points from Gryffindor for being out of uniform." Coline gaped at him, offended, but stunned into silence.
The greasy haired man sneered at her expression. "And a further ten for not being properly prepared for class. Parchment and a quill are the correct note-taking tools at this school." With that, he waved his wand and Coline's spiral notebook and pencil vanished from underneath her.
Coline narrowed her eyes at the pale man, and was about to get up and give him a heaping helping of her mind, but was stopped by Hermione's hand on her thigh. So, not willing to go against her friend for now, Coline crossed her arms and glared at the man, waiting for him to continue.
Paying no further mind to the pouting preteen, the potions professor raked his eyes once more over his classroom, then in a low voice "You are all first years. This means that unless you or your parents were particularly reckless or suicidal, you have no practical experience brewing potions."
At this point, he began pacing in front of the classroom. The swish of his robes deafening in the silent classroom. "Your tiny minds cannot yet begin to understand the skill and careful preparation required to make a simple bruise salve, let alone something as complex and beautiful as felix felicis."
He stopped in the middle, tilting his head back with his eyes closed. After a moment, he ran a burning gaze along the students who were on the edges of their seats, equal parts hypnotized and terrified by the man's speech. "This year, I will be attempting to stuff your brains with enough knowledge that you will hopefully not become liabilities, or worse, active hazards in this classroom."
"All of the potions you will learn this year are benign, so only the worst of you" here, he sneered at Coline again, "will be able to harm yourselves."
The professor's words had Coline flushed with anger, which seemed to be a common emotion for her in the last 24 hours. She took a deep breath to attempt to calm herself as the man continued.
"Today, you will be preparing the simplest potion known to wizard-kind. It is so easy that even a drunken toddler could create a passable brew. This gives me hope for about half of you." At the outraged cries of the Gryffindors, he snarled "Be silent!" And they were.
"You may think me evil or insulting. You may think me any manner of insult you can imagine in your simple little minds. But you will do so silently unless called upon for your opinion." With that warning, he raised his wand and a recipe appeared on the chalkboard at the front of class. "If you have questions or complaints, you may address me as professor Snape, or Sir."
Coline, unable to hold herself back any further, stood up and raised her hand.
Snape, a dark smile on his face, addressed Coline. "Miss Potter, whatever question could you have for me already? Are you dense as to not understand the instructions given to you? Or is it that I've somehow offended your delicate female sensibilities?"
Coline, her mouth twisted in fury, packed her bag before walking up to her professor. "You Sir, are the worst teacher I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. You are even worse than my head of house, who I thought was the bottom of the barrel as far as educators go. I hope you are pleased with yourself professor Snape. You are worse than a prejudiced old woman."
The potions professor was struck at the utter gall of this brat, and loomed over her, before the ghost of a red-haired young woman overlapped the emerald eyed girl, and he was struck with a sense of horror and loss at the similarities between this girl and her mother.
"I don't know who you think you are, but nobody, nobody has the right to insult children as you have today. You are scum, sir. Even lower than the trash who followed Voldemort." Coline slapped the parchment with madam Pomfrey's request into the man's chest, then turned on her heel and stomped out of the classroom.
At the door, Coline stopped and looked back at Snape one more time. "I'll be going to the headmaster to discuss your conduct, professor." And with that, Coline was gone.
Silence reigned in the classroom for an entire minute, the remaining students highly uncomfortable. The potions master shook his head to clear it enough to address his students. "C-class dismissed." he muttered, white as a sheet. Memories of another foul-tempered young woman raged through his unusually disordered mind.