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{{Pottermore}}
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{{Pottermoreold}}
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{{Wonderbookold}}
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{{Spell infobox
  
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{{Spell_infobox
 
|name=Severing Charm
  
|name=Severing Charm
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|image=[[File:Diffindo.jpg|250px]]
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|image=[[File:DiffindoCrop250.gif|250px]]
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|incantation=''Diffindo''<br/>(deef-IN-doe)
 
|type=[[Charm]]
  
|type=[[Charm]]
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|incantation=''Diffindo''<br />(Deeh-FIN-doh)
  
 
|hand=[[File:Severing-charm.png]]
  
|hand=[[File:Severing-charm.png]]
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|light=White
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|effect=Divides the target.
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|effect=Cuts the target
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|}}
  
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|creator=[[Delfina Crimp]] ([[15th century|1400s]])
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{{Quote|I couldn’t get the Horcrux off you. It was stuck, stuck to your chest. You’ve got a mark; I’m sorry, I had to use a Severing Charm to get it away. The snake bit you too, but I’ve cleaned the wound and put some dittany on it.|Hermione Granger to [[Harry Potter]] in [[1997]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
  
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}}
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{{Quote|With the Severing Charm, cutting or tearing objects is a simple matter of wand control. The spell can be quite precise in skilled hands, and the Severing Charm is widely used in a variety of wizarding trades. Useful as it is, this charm should be practiced with caution, as a careless swipe of the wand can cause injury.|[[Miranda Goshawk]], ''[[Book of Spells]]''.|Wonderbook: Book of Spells}}
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The '''Severing Charm''' (''Diffindo'') is a [[charm]] used to precisely and accurately cut something.<ref name="WON">''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''</ref> It is taught in [[second year]] [[Charms (class)|charms classes]],<ref name="VG2">''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]''</ref> and if used inappropriately can cause [[death]] or injury<ref name="WON"/>.
   
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==Invention==
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The '''Severing Charm''' (''Diffindo'') is a [[spell]] that rips, divides, and separates objects into parts. At [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], it is learned in the [[second year]]. It can cut human flesh if used inappropriately or defensively, and therefore can cause [[death]] or serious injury.
  
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{{Quote|The Severing Charm was created in the fifteenth century by wizarding seamstress [[Delfina Crimp]] who created it as an easy and convenient way of cutting cloth and thread.|''[[Book of Spells]]''}}
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This [[spell]] was [[Spell creation|invented]] in the [[15th century|fifteenth century]] by [[Wizarding world|wizarding]] seamstress [[Delfina Crimp]]. She made the spell because prior to her discovery, cutting spells were apt to burn or shred things. However, a fellow seamster nearly killed her after he raided her shop, having realised that she could do [[magic]], and held her tied up. Nonetheless, upon being released to scratch a wart on her chin the wart brought her wand forth and she [[Disapparating|disapparated]] with a sack of [[Galleon|gold]].<ref name="WON"/>
   
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==Known uses==
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==Uses==
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===15th century===
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{|class="wikitable" border="1"
  
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The [[charm]] was invented in this time by [[Delfina Crimp]] and used by her to make and tailor clothing.<ref name="WON"/>
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|-bgcolor="#cccccc"
  
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!width="20%" align="center"|Known Caster
  
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!width="80%" align="center"|How Used
  
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|-
  
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|[[Harry Potter]]
  
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|Used in [[1994]] on [[Cedric Diggory]]'s bookbag to delay him from class so Harry could warn Cedric privately about the [[Triwizard Tournament|First Task]].<ref name="GOF">{{GOF}}</ref>
  
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|-
  
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|[[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]]
  
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|Used to sever the lace sleeves of his dress robes before the [[Yule Ball]].<ref name="GOF" />
  
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|-
  
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|Harry Potter
  
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|Used to detach the front cover of the shop-bought [[Advanced Potion-Making]] and the [[Severus Snape|Half-Blood Prince]]'s [[Severus Snape's copy of Advanced Potion-Making|version]], then swapped covers and repaired with the [[Reparo]] spell.<ref name="HBP">{{HBP}}</ref>
  
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|-
  
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|[[Hermione Granger]]
  
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|Used in [[1997]] to remove the [[Incarcerous|bindings]] on Ron Weasley after a [[Skirmish at Luchino Caffe|skirmish]] at the [[Luchino Caffe]]; she trembled while doing this, and cut Ron in the process, suggesting that the Severing Charm can have a slicing effect on flesh.<ref name="DH">{{DH}}</ref>
  
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|-
  
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|[[Hermione Granger]]
  
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|Used this spell again to remove [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket]] from Harry Potter's chest shortly after they [[Attack at Godric's Hollow (1997)|narrowly escaped]] [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] in [[Godric's Hollow]].<ref name="DH" />
  
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|-
  
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|Harry Potter
  
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|
  
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Used in the [[Forest of Dean]] to break the ice of the frozen pool where [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword]] lay at the bottom.<ref name="DH" />
  
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|}
  
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[[File:Diffindo.JPG|thumb|right|180px|Harry using this charm to crack the ice concealing Gryffindor's sword.]]
  
   
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==Attempted uses==
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===1994===
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[[File:Diffindo.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Harry using the Severing Charm to break a sheet of ice.]]
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*In [[1996]], Harry Potter cast this in an attempt to sever the tentacles of thought that the attacking brain wrapped around Ron during the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]]. <ref name="OOTP">{{OOTP}}</ref>
  
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[[Harry Potter]] cut [[Cedric Diggory]]'s bookbag with this [[spell]] to delay him from [[Charms (class)|class]] so that Harry could warn Cedric privately about the [[Triwizard Tournament|First Task]].<ref name="GOF">''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''</ref>
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*In [[1997]], Harry Potter used this spell to try to cut [[Mary Cattermole|Mrs. Cattermole]] free of the chained chair in the Wizengamot courtroom, but it did not work. <ref name="DH" />
  
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Later that year, [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] used it to sever the lace sleeves of his dress robes before the [[Yule Ball]].<ref name="GOF"/>
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*[[File:Harry_uses_Diffindo.png|thumb|228px|Harry attempts Diffindo on the Horcrux]]Also in [[1997]], Harry used this spell in an attempt to destroy the locket [[Horcrux]], which did not succeed. <ref name="DHF">{{DHF}}</ref>
  
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===1996===
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In [[June]] of this year, [[Harry Potter|Harry]] used this to attempt to defend Ron against some [[brain]]s that were attacking him.<ref name="OOTP">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''</ref>
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Later that year, he used the [[charm]] to detach the front cover of his [[Flourish and Blotts|shop-bought]] [[Advanced Potion-Making|potions textbook]] to replace it with [[Severus Snape's copy of Advanced Potion-Making|a vandalised version]] using the [[Mending Charm|mending spell]].<ref name="HBP">''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''</ref>
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===1997===
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[[Hermione Granger]] used this to remove the [[Incarcerous|bindings]] on [[Ronald Weasley|Ron Weasley]] after a [[Luchino Caffe Duel|fight in a cafe]]; she trembled so much that she cut Ron with it. She used the spell again to remove [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|a locket]] from [[Harry Potter]]'s chest shortly after they were [[Attack at Godric's Hollow (1997)|attacked by the dark lord]].
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Between her two uses, [[Harry Potter]] tried to break [[Mary Cattermole]] free of a [[Wizengamot chair|chained chair]]; it failed.<ref name="DH">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref>
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[[File: Harry uses Diffindo.png|thumb|228px|Harry's failed use on the locket.]]
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[[Harry Potter]] used this to attempt to destroy [[Salazar Slytherin's Locket|a locket]] in [[Forest of Dean|the woods]], but failed.<ref name="DHF">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)]]''</ref>
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[[Harry Potter|Harry]] used this a fourth time to break the ice from the frozen pool where [[Godric Gryffindor's Sword|a sword]] was hidden.<ref name="DH"/>
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==Known practitioners==
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*[[Harry Potter]]<ref name= "GoF20">{{GOF}} - Chapter 20 (''The First Task'')</ref><ref name= "DH19">{{DH}} - Chapter 19 (''The Silver Doe'')</ref>
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*[[Hermione Granger]]<ref name= "DH9">{{DH}} - Chapter 9 (''A Place to Hide'')</ref>
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*[[Ron Weasley]]
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*[[Delfina Crimp]]
   
 
==Etymology==
  
==Etymology==
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''Diffindo'' is the Latin first person active indicative for "to split, cleave, or open."
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The [[incantation]] is the [[Latin]] first person active indicative for "to split, cleave or open".
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
  
==Behind the scenes==
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*In the ''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]'', ''Diffindo'' is incorrectly labelled as a [[Transfiguration]].
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*In the ''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]'', ''Diffindo'' is incorrectly labeled as a [[Transfiguration]] spell.
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*In [[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]], the spell cuts through red LEGO walls, then the player can use the pieces to build different objects.
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*In ''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]'' it cuts through red LEGO walls so that the player can use the pieces to make new things.
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*A [[Diffindo spellbook|spellbook]] for this spell can be found in one of the [[Herbology greenhouses]].
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*A [[Diffindo spellbook|spellbook]] for this [[charm]] can be found in one of the [[Herbology greenhouses]]; this is also detailed in both ''[[Book of Spells]]'' and ''[[The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1]]''.
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==See also==
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*''[[Sectumsempra]]''
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]''
  
*''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)]]''
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]'' <ref>Prominently used and essential in [[Herbology]], where it can cut through tough vines.</ref>
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)]]''
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*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]''
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{1st}}
  
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{1st}}
 
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)]]''
  
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)]]''
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*''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]''
  
*''[[Harry Potter Trading Card Game]]''
 
*''[[Pottermore]]''
  
*''[[Pottermore]]''
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*''[[Wonderbook: Book of Spells]]''
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==See also==
  
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*[[Sectumsempra]]
  
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==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==
 
{{Reflist}}
  
{{Reflist}}
 
{{The Standard Book of Spells}}
  
{{The Standard Book of Spells}}
 
[[fr:Sortilège de Découpe]]
  
[[fr:Sortilège de Découpe]]
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[[it:Incantesimo di Taglio]]
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[[it:Incantesimo di Taglio]] [[pl:Diffindo]]
 
[[Category:Charms]]
  
[[Category:Charms]]
 
[[Category:Spells with Incantations of Latin Origin]]
  
[[Category:Spells with Incantations of Latin Origin]]
 
[[Category:Spells]]
  
[[Category:Spells]]
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[[Category:Amputations]]

Revision as of 06:07, 20 February 2014

"With the Severing Charm, cutting or tearing objects is a simple matter of wand control. The spell can be quite precise in skilled hands, and the Severing Charm is widely used in a variety of wizarding trades. Useful as it is, this charm should be practiced with caution, as a careless swipe of the wand can cause injury."
— Miranda Goshawk, Book of Spells.[src]

The Severing Charm (Diffindo) is a charm used to precisely and accurately cut something.[1] It is taught in second year charms classes,[2] and if used inappropriately can cause death or injury[1].

Invention

"The Severing Charm was created in the fifteenth century by wizarding seamstress Delfina Crimp who created it as an easy and convenient way of cutting cloth and thread."
— Book of Spells

This spell was invented in the fifteenth century by wizarding seamstress Delfina Crimp. She made the spell because prior to her discovery, cutting spells were apt to burn or shred things. However, a fellow seamster nearly killed her after he raided her shop, having realised that she could do magic, and held her tied up. Nonetheless, upon being released to scratch a wart on her chin the wart brought her wand forth and she disapparated with a sack of gold.[1]

Uses

15th century

The charm was invented in this time by Delfina Crimp and used by her to make and tailor clothing.[1]

1994

Diffindo

Harry using the Severing Charm to break a sheet of ice.

Harry Potter cut Cedric Diggory's bookbag with this spell to delay him from class so that Harry could warn Cedric privately about the First Task.[3] Later that year, Ron Weasley used it to sever the lace sleeves of his dress robes before the Yule Ball.[3]

1996

In June of this year, Harry used this to attempt to defend Ron against some brains that were attacking him.[4] Later that year, he used the charm to detach the front cover of his shop-bought potions textbook to replace it with a vandalised version using the mending spell.[5]

1997

Hermione Granger used this to remove the bindings on Ron Weasley after a fight in a cafe; she trembled so much that she cut Ron with it. She used the spell again to remove a locket from Harry Potter's chest shortly after they were attacked by the dark lord. Between her two uses, Harry Potter tried to break Mary Cattermole free of a chained chair; it failed.[6]

Harry uses Diffindo

Harry's failed use on the locket.

Harry Potter used this to attempt to destroy a locket in the woods, but failed.[7] Harry used this a fourth time to break the ice from the frozen pool where a sword was hidden.[6]

Known practitioners

Etymology

The incantation is the Latin first person active indicative for "to split, cleave or open".

Behind the scenes

See also

Appearances

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wonderbook: Book of Spells
  2. ↑ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  4. ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  5. ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
  7. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)
  8. ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Chapter 20 (The First Task)
  9. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 19 (The Silver Doe)
  10. ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Chapter 9 (A Place to Hide)
The Standard Book of Spells
Book of Spells 1
Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6 · Grade 7
Charms included in the series: Dancing Feet Spell (Tarantallegra) · Disarming Charm (Expelliarmus) · Engorgement Charm (Engorgio) · Fire-Making Spell (Incendio) · Freezing Charm (Immobulus) · General Counter-Spell (Finite Incantatem) · Levitation Charm (Wingardium Leviosa) · Locking Spell (Colloportus) · Memory Charm (Obliviate) · Mending Charm (Reparo) · Nonverbal spell · Severing Charm (Diffindo) · Skurge Charm (Skurge) · Softening Charm (Spongify) · Substantive Charm · Summoning Charm (Accio) · Tickling Charm (Rictusempra) · Unlocking Charm (Alohomora) · Wand-Lighting Charm (Lumos)

 

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