Hogwarts Legacy: A Queen of Infinite Space

When Odelia awoke the next morning the other four girls had already left, no doubt on Imelda’s orders. It wasn’t even that late - the morning sun was only just beginning to shine through the stained glass skylight in the ceiling. She patted the quilt and smiled to herself. No bad dreams.

At the foot of her bed lay her trunks; it seemed that someone had delivered them during the night. Thank goodness! She changed quickly into a white blouse and grey skirt, then buttoned up a green Slytherin waistcoat, and a green tie to match. Smart enough for her but more importantly, smart enough for her grandmother. Hair was brushed and her fringe pushed neatly to the sides of her forehead - not that it would stay neat for long. Perhaps she ought to clip it back? Her grandmother had given her some pins, they must be in one of the bags. As she leaned over the bed to grab her school robe from where it had fallen on the floor, the sound of chattering conversation filled the hallway outside. She froze, listening intently.

It’s not Imelda. Sounds too cheerful.

So she left her new dorm, and made her way down the passage to the common room. The air seemed thicker the closer she got, and Odelia swallowed nervously.

Not that you’re going to let people see that.

Her grandmother’s instructions came into her head: back straight, shoulders relaxed, chin in the air.

And she walked down the final few steps to the sound of muttered rumours.

“Did you see the way she just waltzed in at the end of the Sorting Ceremony last night?”

Her ears felt hot.

“She’s lucky she didn’t end up as dragon food, like that poor man from the Ministry.”

I’ll feed you to a dragon if you’re not careful.

The cluster of students turned away, and so that she might be able to escape anyone else’s notice, Odelia backed away along the wall, not looking where she was going until - oh!

She whirled around to find the boy from the night before, the one who had winked at her so insolently. He wasn’t winking now though, his brows were furrowed with annoyance as he looked up from the heavy book he was holding. But his expression cleared as soon as he met her startled gaze.

“Ah, you’re the new fifth-year. I’m Sebastian Sallow. Welcome to Slytherin.” His tone was friendly, even, not a trace of the threat that had been there before he realised who she was.

Odelia sniffed and stood up straighter. “Thank you.”

Sebastian looked her right in the eye. “Not everyone has a Ministry escort to school.”

“He was a friend of Professor Fig’s who merely joined us for the ride.”

“Still impressive. Dreadful way to go, poor fellow. Glad you and Fig are all right.”

A hint of sympathy had entered his voice. She hated that. “It was dreadful, certainly, but quite an experience nonetheless,” she replied haughtily.

“Interesting perspective. How did you and Fig manage to escape?”

Odelia glanced away, no she was not going to go around telling random boys what had happened to her. “It’s all still a bit of a blur, to be honest.”

“Didn’t mean to press. You just get yourself settled. We can talk more later.”

There was a little twist in her gut at his words. They were assuring, as if the matter was already decided. He seemed to like her, maybe they could be friends?

And of course, he seems to command quite a bit of respect here. You could use that. And it looked like Imelda might have a bit of a thing for him…

So she smiled shyly, a little bit of colour rising to her cheeks. “It was nice meeting you, Sebastian. I’ll let you get back to your book.”

He grinned right back. “Nice meeting you too. Good luck today.” Odelia stepped deftly around him and he moved to let her pass, turning as if in a dance. But as he went back to his book and she looked up at the room beyond, a slim figure leaning casually against a column caught her eye. Something in the way he held himself with a poised stillness evoked a distant memory in the back of her mind, but it slipped away before she could catch a hold of it. And the dim underwater light from the window shone through his blond - it was him! He was the one who had walked out of the Sorting Ceremony.

Indignation rose in her throat. But as she made her way over to him, someone else stepped into her path, smirking unpleasantly. “We didn’t get a chance to properly meet last night, after you barged in with Professor Fig. I’m Imelda Reyes. Interesting tactic on your first day - taking all of the attention away from the first years.”

Oh, so it’s attention that she is worried about. Of course, it was embarrassing that she couldn’t get Sebastian's, even after trying so hard.”

Taking the disdainful wrinkle of Odelia’s nose to be the reply, she continued. “Shame I wasn’t with you and Fig. I could have lured that dragon away. My skills on a broom are legendary.”

“I think you’re underestimating the nature of a dragon. A broom would have been kindling.”

“Ha! Not the way I fly. Perhaps one of these days I’ll show you a thing or two about flying. I can teach you more than Kogawa ever could. Speaking of which, I’d like to get in some time on my broom before classes.”

And she barged past, bumping roughly into Odelia’s shoulder. She shrugged it off. Whatever. What would be the point in getting angry with her. Besides across the room, someone had now turned in her direction.

Odelia walked over. At the window beside him, two first years were jumping up and down with excitement, trying to catch a glimpse of the legendary lake-dwellers. “I - I think I heard one!”

“Hmph,” he turned back towards the window. “I doubt the mermaids find us that interesting. Based on all the chatter when you entered the common room, I’m guessing you’re the new fifth-year. I’m Ominis. Ominis Gaunt.”

But the familiarity of the name was lost on Odelia. His eyes were a cloudy white, though bright enough for her to almost see her reflection in them.

“Nice to meet you Ominis,” she said uncertainly.

A brief smile passed over his face - there was a touch of tragic irony to it. “Well, you certainly had a memorable arrival.”

Odelia might have been annoyed by this - it seemed like the only thing anyone had to say to her - but found that she wasn’t. Putting her hands behind her back and swaying from side to side, she playfully replied, “Well, if I’m going to make my mark here, I had to start right away.”

“Ha! You’re definitely in the right house. Do let me know if I can be of any help as you navigate your first day here. Though I doubt you’ll need it.”

She opened her mouth to reply - what could he mean by that? True, she was good at navigating, but how would he know? But instead, she found herself saying something else entirely. “Do mermaids often appear outside the common room?”

Ominis laughed, that had been the right choice then. “Yes. But I’ve never heard of a mermaid showing up outside our common room window. It is fun to play along, though. Been known to keep some first years on the lookout for hours.”

Just then, the imperious voice of Violet McDowell called her from by the spiral staircase which led up to the dungeons. “Is the new fifth-year Slytherin in here?” She paused, bored with her assignment. It was clear that fetching people was beneath her. “Professor Weasley’s waiting for you, just by the stairs.”

Odelia exhaled frustratedly through her nose. She was having quite enough of people addressing her as ‘the new fifth-year’.

So make them remember your name.

She looked up, Ominis was waiting with a raised eyebrow. “I suppose I should go. It was very nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure was all mine. Don’t be a stranger.” There was something about the way he said that last line that perplexed Odelia - it ran through her head again and again as she climbed the staircase. He had sounded affectionate, wistful even. Longing. But he didn’t even know her?

However this train of thought was broken by Professor Weasley, who as promised, had been waiting for her just outside the entrance to the common room. She was nice, if a little stern, though Odelia did not have the mental capacity to spare to make much of a judgement on her. They walked up past a statue of a Kelpie, then outside across a bridge and into what appeared to be the main centre of the school. The Professor gave her a worn, leather-bound book - a Field Guide, she called it - and explained that it would help her catch up with the rest of her classmates. And that her professors would be setting her extra assignments individually. Odelia nodded, not bothering to inquire further. She could figure it out later on, on her own. Professor Weasley gave her a timetable too, though Flying lessons wouldn’t start for another two weeks meaning this afternoon was free. In time, they came to a fountain in the middle of the central hall, a unicorn and what looked like a dog springing around each other in the spray of the water.

The Professor cleared her throat and turned to face Odelia directly, her manner suddenly more business-like than usual. “Professor Fig has been terribly vague as to the events preceding your arrival - specifically, about what happened after that awful dragon attack. My suspicion is that there is more to the story than a search for belongings and an extended trip up to the castle.”

Odelia’s defences went up immediately - a drawbridge raised to protect the fort.

Wow, a real master detective aren’t you?

Professor Fig had warned her about this, how people might try to take their secrets from her. Well she wasn’t going to let it happen; she would have to lie.

“I’m sorry, Professor, but I’m afraid that’s all there is to it.”

“Hmm. Almost precisely what Professor Fig said. Speak of the devil.”

He had wandered up from behind Odelia and she gladly moved aside to make space for him.

Professor Weasley continued. “Professor Fig! Your ears must have been burning.”

“Oh?”

“You seem to have provided our new fifth-year with a solid foundation in the basics of spell casting.”

“Ah. I’m afraid I can’t take all the credit there, Professor. She’s a rare aptitude for magic, it seems.” Professor Fig’s eyes glinted with amusement - clearly he found a little bit of deception fun, and Odelia was beginning to as well.

“Hmm. Well, I’m just glad you both arrived in one piece. Perfectly good boats and carriages to Hogwarts and chose to fly in the path of a dragon.”

At this, his eyebrows raised in mock innocence. Odelia tried not to laugh. “I wouldn’t say I chose the dragon’s path, Professor. Rather unfortunately, it would seem that it chose us.”

Professor Weasley sighed in resignation. She had had enough of the cryptic answers and humorous deflections. “Yes well. Enough chit-chat. I need to get to class myself.”

She turned to speak directly to Odelia now. “Good luck today. Come and find me in my classroom after you’ve attended both classes today, and I’ll explain more about those assignments I mentioned. And we’ll see if we can’t get you to Hogsmeade for those supplies.”

Odelia watched her go, then looked to Professor Fig who had dropped the unconcerned air, a crease had appeared on his forehead.

“It’s good to see you, Professor.”

“And you. I was hoping our paths would cross today before you immersed yourself in studies. Did I hear you masterfully evade Professor Weasley’s interrogation regarding our late arrival?”

“I did my best. But - I’m fairly certain she suspects that we’ve not been entirely forthcoming.”

“Yes well - Professor Weasley is a brilliant, and astute, witch. It was right to keep the details to yourself for now. We don’t know where this path we’ve embarked on will lead. It may require a bit more - flexibility - with your time than she would approve of. And she may feel obliged to share details with the headmaster that would better be left between us.”

“Understood, Professor.” Odelia did not want word of this getting back to her uncle. She wouldn’t put it past him to stop her from learning more about this Ancient Magic - anything to keep him ahead in the family rivalry.

He nodded, assured that she did. “Now, sounds like you’ve quite a day ahead what with classes and a trip to Hogsmeade for supplies - including your own wand.” Smiling, he looked around at the other students now beginning to dissipate in the direction of their classes. “You’ll enjoy Mr Ollivander. He’s an exceptional craftsman and a good friend. I shall reach out when I have more information about our mysterious locket. For now, focus on your classes and pay attention. More than your O.W.Ls may hinge on the magic you are able to master within these walls!”

And having given her that wise, though quite foreboding, piece of advice, he departed.

Odelia sat down on the edge of the fountain and opened the Field Guide that Professor Weasley had given her. It was filled with general sort of advice about the magical world, but flicking through she came to a section full of maps. And here was one of Hogwarts! Though even just from what Odelia had already seen of the castle, it was disappointingly lacking. Still, it would help her find her first class - Charms. Her timetable showed that on Tuesdays she had double Charms in the morning, followed by Defence Against the Dark Arts after lunch, and then double Flying - though not today, as the Professor had explained.

A snippet of conversation from the other side of the fountain caught her ear. Four students were standing there, gossiping about various students, and as she listened one of them remarked - “Isn’t Sebastian Sallow’s family from Feldcroft? Would have expected him to be from somewhere rather more posh.”

She smirked, closed her book and stood up, then headed off to her first class.

-----------------------

Whatever Odelia had expected from a class at Hogwarts, Charms was not it. Professor Ronen was enigmatic to say the least. From the moment he appeared at the top of the flight of steps, arms spread wide and purple robes flowing flamboyantly, she knew that he was not the ordinary sort of teacher, who made you sit down and take notes. And thank goodness for that! From the tuition she had received when she was younger she already knew that more practical subjects were her forte.

When she first walked into the classroom most of the seats had already been filled. Sebastian was sat near the front on the left, and Ominis was next to him, heads bent together as they talked under their breath. They were the only two people that Odelia knew. She had hesitated for a moment, hoping the two boys would look up from their tête-à-tête and ask her to sit with them, but before they did a Gryffindor girl with an open, friendly face waved her over. She introduced herself as Natty - Natsai Onai was her full name - and slid over her textbook for Odelia when she noticed her confusion. Despite her frustration at being so far behind the rest of the class in the school curriculum, Odelia smiled back at Natty. The Gryffindor was so matter of fact about the situation, that it did not feel at all like she was judging - as a certain person who shared a dorm with her would have. Imelda, and indeed Violet, were not in this class. Thank goodness for that.

After some practical partnerwork - reviewing the summoning charm Accio - Professor Ronen announced a ‘little excursion’, and led the class through the castle to the lawn outside the front entrance of Hogwarts. On the way down Natty was quite happy to talk and Odelia quite happy to listen, though her attention kept to the two Slytherins walking in front of them, still in quiet conversation. Neither of the boys had thus far even acknowledged her presence.

Guess they don’t want to be friends with you after all. Have fun spending the school year alone.

Fine. If that’s what they wanted, then so be it.

Professor Ronen had conjured a large wooden platform for them to practice their summoning charms on, seemingly out of thin air. Natty whispered that the game was called Summoner’s Court, and that the eccentric Professor held tournaments each year for it. He had an excited gleam in his eye as he explained the rules and selected pairs to go up and compete. The rest of them were free to laze about on the grass to the side of the court, and although Odelia sat near the other girls she didn’t feel much like talking to them.

Finally it was her turn to go up, with Natty as her opponent. The game seemed simple enough to Odelia, she had been vaguely watching the other pairs and it surprised her that no one had thought to knock their opponents balls off the platform using their own. Perhaps it was not strictly how the game was meant to be played, but equally the Professor had never said that it wasn’t allowed. So she waited until the last turn, then crashed the highest scorer right off the end, knocking off all of the points that it earned.

It was clear that Natty had not expected to be beaten, but she handled the defeat with remarkable grace, and the two girls walked back up to the classroom together. She told Odelia about how she had transferred here from the wizarding school Uagadou as her mother had accepted a post to teach Divination, and about her struggles adapting from wandless magic to the kind they teach at Hogwarts. Odelia couldn’t imagine being that candid with a stranger. Natty was an open book, it seemed.

Professor Ronen kept her behind after class - he wanted to know what she had thought of Charms, and seemed pleased with her responses. Then he informed her of an extra assignment he was preparing, but that it would be ready later; for now she was free to go to lunch. As Odelia left the classroom and went to go down the staircase, she noticed that the Ravenclaw girl who had sat in front of her and Natty was loitering by a plant pot, clearly waiting for someone. In fact, it was that same Ravenclaw who had looked up at her so inquisitively during the Sorting Ceremony.

“Hello there! You’re the new student aren’t you?”

Her tone was very friendly, but something in her eyes made Odelia wary of answering her questions.

“Yes, I’m Odelia. You wanted to speak to me?”

“Samantha Dale - I’ve been eager to meet you. You’re the one everyone’s been whispering about. Hope your first day’s going well. You certainly seemed to hold your own in Charms.”

Odelia sniffed haughtily. “Thank you, but it really wasn’t all that challenging.”

Samantha shot her an assessing glance, but continued in her amiable manner. “My brother William would tell you not to be so humble and to trust your abilities. Then again, he tends to be a bit overconfident in his.”

What? That’s not what I said? I do trust my abilities, and even if I don’t, at what point did I tell her that?

A light laugh from Samantha. “Well, better see to my Charms homework. I find Professor Ronen’s lessons a bit more challenging than you do.”

It was rare that Odelia met someone who she could not understand at all, but Samantha Dale was one of them. Where with other people she could sketch at least a partial picture, here the colour simply slid off leaving a blank canvas. As the other girl walked away down the stairs, Odelia pictured the cogs turning in the Ravenclaw’s mind, and had the uncomfortable feeling that even just their short interaction had yielded plenty of information.

She pondered the situation as she too made her way to the Great Hall. Skipping breakfast may not have been the best idea. The clatter of silverware and the bright chatter of students discussing their first lessons could be heard through the doors, and Odelia carefully pushed one open and took a step in.

At once, panic seized her. She backed out of the hall before anyone could notice, and rushed back down the stairs to the terrace outside.

Odelia couldn’t go in there, she just couldn’t. There were too many people but at the same time there were not enough to hide the fact that she might have to sit by herself. If you walk into a place like that and there’s no one there that you know well enough to go up to, it’s very noticeable if you leave. She took a few deep breaths - the fresh highland air helped clear her head. Most people were in the dining hall by now, so she could wander the castle until class started and hopefully not bump into anyone. Yes, that sounded like a plan.

The map in the Field Guide really was not the best piece of cartography ever produced. Odelia meandered back over towards the main school, across the bridge which led to the Defence Against the Dark Arts Tower, and ended up in a nook off the Fourth Floor corridor stroking a fluffy cat.

It was nice sitting there, it was peaceful. Stray cats used to roam the cobbled streets of the village where she grew up; the cook used to sneak her scraps of leftover food to feed them with. When the lunch hour was over, it was an effort to drag herself away and walk over to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom on the floor below.

But just as she turned the corner, there was a sudden “bang!”, followed by a gleeful howl of laughter.

What on earth?

And for the start of her second ever lesson in formal education, Odelia was greeted by the sight of Sebastian Sallow duelling the red-headed Gryffindor boy from Charms, who had been backed almost into the wall at the opposite end of the room.

Why isn’t anyone doing anything?! They’re all just standing there, cowards.

As she watched, Sebastian whirled his wand over his head and flung it with force at the Gryffindor. “Bombarda!”

His opponents eyes widened, just managing to deflect the curse upwards, where it hit an enormous skull hanging from the ceiling. It tipped, then dropped. The boy fell to the floor, Odelia rushed forwards and -

“Levioso!” The skull froze in midair, inches from a crushing disaster.

A collective gasp went up from the rest of the students. “Professor Hecat!” one girl cried.

A small, wizened witch had appeared as if by magic at the top of the flight of stairs at the back of the room. She descended slowly, still keeping her wand fixed on the floating skull.

“Perhaps,” she said calmly, “you’d be good enough to blast each other to pieces on your own time. I get new students every year, but I only have one Hebridean Black skull.”

The class was silent. She continued.

“It was a token from the Great Poacher Raid of 1878. No doubt you’re heard of it. Now, you may be asking yourself how an old woman like me single-handedly took out the largest poacher ring in eastern Wales and lived to boast about it.”

With a wave of her wand, the skull was lifted back into its rightful place.

“Knowledge. To the wise, age matters very little. Today we will review a spell that has saved me from death at the hands of Dark wizards more times than I care to remember: Levioso.”

The red-headed Gryffindor snorted. He had by now got up off the floor and brushed himself off - it was clear that his pride had been wounded more than his hands and knees. “Levioso? A levitation charm?”

“Levioso!” Quick as a flash Professor Hecat had turned her wand on him; he was suspended helplessly, arms and legs flailing.

Sebastian turned to Odelia, who was now standing beside him, and grinned. Over his shoulder, she saw Imelda watching them with narrowed eyes.

“A surprised opponent is a weak opponent. Care to defend yourself, master Prewett? No?” She let him drop. “One thing I’ve learned as an Unspeakable is the value of simplicity, especially in the heat of battle. Now, let’s practise what we’ve just learned - starting with something small.”

And with that said, the excitement was over. Professor Hecat handed out feathers for them to practice on, and paced around the room offering corrections. Imelda had claimed the desk in front of her, and was loudly declaring her mastering of all flying-related spells. Then the Professor brought out a duelling dummy for them each to have a go with. Odelia went last. It was not very difficult.

“Very good,” proclaimed Professor Hecat, “but the best way to practice is by duelling.” She smiled encouragingly at Odelia, who was already at the front, then nodded - “We’ll start with you two.”

Odelia whirled around - Sebastian had come up from where the others were standing, and he smirked as he brushed past her. “Time for a proper Hogwarts welcome.”

She glared back stonily, holding his gaze. Professor Hecat conjured a duelling stage to rise beneath them and issued a stern warning. “Now, I want a fair duel using only Levioso, Basic Cast, and Protego.” She seemed to be directing this especially at Sebastian. “You may begin.”

The Slytherin boy stalked forward, brandishing his wand. “This should be easy. Levioso!”

Odelia flicked her wand, raising a shield just in time. Even so, she nearly lost her balance under the force of his spell.

Why was he acting like this? He was so nice to her this morning, what had changed?

Seems personal to me…

He threw a bolt of red light at her, again she blocked it, staggering backwards this time. Out of the corner of her eye, Imelda was sniggering.

“Come on, you can do better than that!” Sebastian called out.

Oh you have no idea.

So blocking out Imelda and all the other people in the room, Odelia slashed her wand up from her left hip and sent that same spell right back at him. He blocked - it was a proper duel now.

Odelia was gaining on him; she was quicker by only a fraction of a second but it was beginning to add up.

Sebastian’s shield shattered, he put another one up but it was weak. “This can’t be your first duel!”

Imelda was no longer laughing. Odelia felt a wave of fury rise within her, though she was no longer sure why. “Let’s just say I’m a quick learner.” Every word now was punctuated with a blast from her wand. Sebastian was no longer retaliating. “And STOP calling me ‘The New Fifth-Year! I. Have. A. Name!”

And as Sebastian was opening his mouth to reply, she blasted him off the end of the stage.

-----------------------

Time seemed to slow down, the buzz of static left in the air was ringing in Odelia’s ears. She could count the seconds ticking by between the beats of her heart. The stage was at such an angle to the floor that she could not see where Sebastian had fallen.

Why isn’t he getting up?

The rest of the class was moving in slow motion, turning to each other in shock.

What have I done.

And as she stood there alone, tears forming in her eyes and threatening to spill down her hot cheeks, Sebastian’s tousled head popped up from behind the stage. His hands were raised in mock surrender, and he was grinning.

Odelia let out a breath that she hadn’t realised she was holding. It was as though she had been underwater and had suddenly reached the surface - the rest of the class began to move at a normal speed again, chattering in amazement. She carefully stepped down and began to walk away back to her desk at the back, avoiding eye contact with her fellow students.

A hand reached out to tap her shoulder, asking her to turn around. Of course it was Sebastian. Unlike the boy from the duel at the beginning of the lesson, he did not seem any worse for wear by his defeat. As a matter of fact, he seemed rather impressed.

“Not bad for a beginner. You give as good as you get!” he chuckled, then walked off.

The other students were beginning to file out now, the class was over, but Professor Hecat requested that she remain behind for a moment. The old witch smiled at her approvingly, and congratulated her on the victory. Odelia blinked - she had been expecting a reprimand. As it turned out, all the Professor wanted was to encourage her to keep working hard and tell her that she would reach out soon regarding the extra assignments. And that was that.

-----------------------

Odelia sighed as she made her way down to the Transfiguration classroom to meet Professor Weasley. It had already been a very long day, she did not much feel like being interrogated about her progress in the lessons. Yet inevitably, that was exactly what the Professor wanted to know, as well as finding another way to ask about her journey here. But it was to no avail - Odelia was now more determined than before to keep what had happened a secret between her and Professor Fig. Professor Weasley then informed her that Professor Ronen would meet her in the courtyard outside for her first additional assignment, and that after that she was to make her way to the front entrance of the castle where someone would meet her to accompany her to Hogsmeade. Odelia would have shrugged, but the stern teacher did not seem like someone who appreciated casual language.

The Charms teacher was indeed waiting outside, by the statue. He taught her how to properly cast Reparo, something she had seen her parents use many many times to fix the things she would break, and encouraged her to practice whenever she could.

It was getting later and later, and Odelia did not want to have to spend more of the evening than necessary hanging around with whatever do-gooder teacher’s pet that Professor Weasley would send with her to keep her in line. So she made her way through the castle as quickly as possible to the entrance hall, and who should she see slouching against the pillar by the door but Sebastian Sallow. His hair was more messy than usual. He noticed her and pulled a face, so she rolled her eyes and walked very deliberately down the stairs towards him.

What is he doing here.

But before Odelia could vocalise this thought, Sebastian grinned, even wider than usual. “Ready to go?”

Seriously? Him?

A thousand different retorts went through her head, most of them extremely rude. But she exhaled through her nose, and the fight went out of her completely. “That was really dangerous what happened today.”

Sebastian watched her, completely unconcerned. “Nah, it was fine. Besides, Professor Hecat was there, so there's no reason to worry.”

Yes there is.

Odelia couldn’t quite meet his gaze. He didn’t understand.

“Look,” he said, “I’m actually supposed to be in detention right now. First day back, impressive right?” She couldn’t help but smile, eyes still on the ground. “So,” he continued, “I say we go to Hogsmeade and have a jolly good time. To celebrate my freedom, you know.”

She sighed and finally looked up. “Okay.”

Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows and with a grand flourish of his arm threw open the door. “Après vous, Miss Black!”

Odelia rolled her eyes once more, this time laughing, and stepped out into the bright sunshine.