TIII/L1: Witch Burnings.

[Russell Parkhurst]

Russell strolled into the classroom, unaware he was late, and headed for an open desk halfway up the classroom. He looked around at all the people staring at him, then to the professor. Oh dear! he thought.

"Sorry professor, am I late? I take it from your look that I am. Very sorry sir! Won't happen again."

Then he caught the bit about going into a memory and added, "going into a memory sounds like a smashing idea, prof." He had always wanted to intrude on another’s memory but knew that would be rather awkward. Now, the professor offered it freely, he couldn't pass this opportunity up.

[Loren Hayes]

Loren gave a relieved expression as the professor confirmed it would be a burning of a witch whom was protected by magic. She dragged her seat a little to the left so as to see the professor more clearly, and as she did so Russell walked into the room, rather late. 'Hello, stranger.' She smiled casually with a small wave, indicating an empty seat next to her.

Looking back at the professor, Loren raised her hand. 'Is this one of your own memories then, sir? Or one that you've borrowed?' she asked, more sure of the latter as the professor was surly not old enough to have seen a witch burning in his lifetime. They had been abolished and forgot centuries ago... hadn't they?

[siegetonks]

Siege slowly opened the door to the classroom and looked in to see that class had already started. She walked in and shut the door behind her and sat down at the nearest table without saying a word. She looked around at the other students trying to figure out what everyone was doing.

[jefferydeanmorgan]

Jeffery grinned softly "Where and how I came to poscess this memory, my dear, shall not be divulged... seeing as we are supposed to be discussing the lesson at hand. Now come up here and gather around this." he gestured towards a large bowl that looked similar to a Muggle Bird-bath.

[Loren Hayes]

Loren gave a lopsided smile at Professor Morgan's response, and she stood up, making her way past the others in the room to come and stand next to the small stone basin with odd runes and symbols carved around the edge, which sat on the teacher's desk, a strange liquid swirling slowly in the centre.

Loren titled her head sideways, narrowing her eyes as she studied it. It was like air, yet somehow seemed thicker than water. Memories are strange, she thought. 'It's a pensieve, isn't it, sir? You can store memories in it.' She said, looking from him to the wispy white contents once more.

[Russell Parkhurst]

Russell winked at Loren as she greeted him. He smiled around at everyone and made himself comfortable in his seat. As he listened to Loren speak he nodded his head and locked his fingers over his stomach. "Hmm," he agreed.

Upon the Professor’s instruction to gather around the fruit bowl, Russell waited for everyone else to get up. Being tall, he could stand behind everyone and still have a relatively clear view. Russell stood behind Loren and whispered over her shoulder, "this should be interesting!"

[Loren Hayes]

'Mmm, I expect so. It'll have to be, won't it? It's not like there are all that many witch burnings nowadays to watch... not that I want to, of course. It's horrible.' She gave a quick shiver at the thought of being bound to a post, the skin on your knees and toes slowly peeling away as the flames licked you, so that you would not miss a second of the agony. 'You lot are lucky, you know,' Loren raised an eyebrow at Russell over her shoulder. 'Wizards never got picked on!'

Tucking her hair behind her ears, Loren leaned forward and peered closer into the basin as more people gathered round. The silvery light danced across her face. 'So what's going on with you and Andie?' Loren suddenly asked, still inspecting the residue. 'She's quite infatuated. What about you?' She looked at him now, a naughty gleam in her eye.

[Russell Parkhurst]

Russell beamed at Loren as she mention had easy wizards had it. "It's true, all through history, men have been seen as being superior." He felt proud about that but was knocked off his pedestal when Loren brought up the topic of Andie.

He seemed to shrink slightly in stature as Loren asked him how he felt. Still unsure of how he did feel, Rus looked around for something to say. "Oh, uh, she's a nice gal," he began hesitantly, "but ... uh ... this is hardly the place for that discussion." Russell cleared his throat and looked at the professor. "So in what time is this memory set, Professor?"

[Loren Hayes]

'A nice gal?' Loren mimicked with raised eyebrows, giving a little huff of dubiety. 'You'll have to do better than that if you've got some explaining to do, Parkhurst. That won't exactly let her down gently.' She said that last part quietly, a light hearted warning.

Loren looked around, seeing that no one was really listening to them. It was not like Andie was in the room either. 'Anyway, stop being so avoidant,' she smiled, trying to cheer him up. 'You've got nothing to worry about... unless you've got something to hide?' Loren said slowly, offering Russell perhaps his only chance to unburden himself from any doubts he was having about Andie.

[phantom]

Adam rushed breathlessy into the room, his white shirt coming untucked, and his black hair falling around his face. "I'm- I'm s-sorry I'm late P-Professor." he gasped as he tried to catch his breath. He looked around for a seat and finally spotted one near two Ravenclaws.

[Russell Parkhurst]

Russell frowned darkly at Loren. If only she knew, he thought. "But what if I do have something to hide, Loren?" he said softly, "what if I have a deep dark secret that gnaws at me day by day with relentless guilt and pain?"

Russell crossed his arms, hunching his shoulders, and frowned deeper, "I feel dreadful for pulling Andie along like I am but ... but until I ... I can't help it, Loren, it's in my nature." Russell avoided Loren's eyes, instead taking to studying a crack in the floor.

[jefferydeanmorgan]

"Right now. That's enough. I'm sure we all want ot hear about your deep dark secrets Mr.Parkhurstm but now we must focus on the task at hand" Jeffery looked up at the sudden intrustion."Thank you for joing us Mr.Carson" Jeffery said, a quite annoyed look replacing his regular beaming smile.. "Come right up here. Everyone gather round, nice and close. Now everyone get ready, going into a memory for the first time is not always fun." He watched Loren turn slightly white as he mentioned going into hte memory "No one has to come, I remind you. No one will look down apon you if you wish to not come, and I will deal with those who bug you personally" he said, twirling his wand in his fingers threatiningly.

[Girty Hubbles]

Girty was quite intrigued with the idea of going into someone memory. A smile appeared on her face as she pushed the chair from under the table and walked over to where the rest of the class was standing. Giving a few glances at the others in the class before looking at the Professor.

“Well I am up for it. I think it will be fun…and an experience.”

She gave a shrug of her shoulders not knowing quite what else to say. Ti would be fun to be able to see something from a person point of view, but she did agree with some of the things Loren had said. The thought that this really happened was creepy and the person it happened to did not know that in hundreds of years time class of students will be watching on.

[jefferydeanmorgan]

Jeffery nodded "Right, everyone lean in nice and close and you should be sucked into the memory. Remember to stick close to me and that no one will be able to see you or hear you." Jeffery leaned in and felt himself be sucked in.

Jeffery looked around the familiar memory, he had delved into it more than once before. He waited patiently as the rest of the classroom appeared around him. "Follow me everyone." he said, watching some of his pupils turn white from the sudden lurch of landing on their feet."If you get lost, remember to follow that man." he said, pointing to a young man, no older than 20, he had dark, matted hair that stuck out at awkward and funny angles, covering most of his dirt streak faec , but allowing his bright green eyes to stare out.His eyes darted about, like the eyes of a paranoid person might. He leaned forwards as he walked and with a slight gimp in his left leg, there was a slight pattern in his steps, making a light *tap tap... tap, tap tap... tap, tap tap... tap.*

"His name is George Lerst, he didn't become quite as famous outside of his town as he was here." Jeffery waved his arm around, showing the class the ramshakled buildings, sod roofs with crooked chimney's sticking out and releasing the slow, twirling smoke from the fires inside. The walls were simple clay, with etches made here and there to show who lived there, mostly just simple "X"s.

"But he was knowen as one of the very few Muggles to catch an actual Witch." Jeffery gave the class a small, encouraging grin and started walking behind the young man. "Now pay close attention the the witch as we get closer to the actual flames." Jeffery said, as they neared the center of the small village. The ground was cobbled messily and Jeffery had to keep reminding himself to lift his feet up high and then watch where he was setting them down. They came to the crowd, they were cheering for George and jeering at the witch. HE watched carefull as George stumbled on a rock that stuck out at a strange angle and as the whole village hestitated to go forward and help him. Jeffery turned his attention back to the witch.

She was having trouble keeping a scared face, in fact if you looked closley you could see she was chuckeling. "You will notice as they set the the kindeling a light, she will start an incantation. Can any of you tell me what the key to an incantation is? Miss.Hayes perhaps?"

[Loren Hayes]

Turning away from Russell with a disappointed sigh, Loren leaned forward and dipped her nose into the pensieve without thinking. She had been told anticipation was always the worst part, and although there was no danger in a memory, Loren knew she would have stepped down if she had thought about the sickening plunge for too long. She contents of her stomach hit the roof as her body lurched, and she closed her eyes tightly as she passed down into the cold gloom, praying for the moment that she felt her feet hit earth once more.

Before she knew it her eyes were open, and she was already walking along side Professor Morgan without having to prompt herself to do so. 'This is so real...' She murmured as they began to follow the unlikely suspect - a fearful looking man who looked as though he belonged in St Mungo's more than anything. The day in the memory was dreary, and Loren could tell that it was meant to be chilly, although she could not feel any of her surroundings.

As they approached the centre of the village the crowds thickened, groups of threes and fours slowly growing into entire households on their way for what was commonly a popular gathering. 'Barbaric.' Loren said mournfully, shaking her head at the sight of a small boy and girl who had taken their grandfather by both arms and were tugging him along with excited eyes, encouraging him to hurry up. Loren looked back at the man Lerst, considering. 'How did you get this memory from him, professor?' Loren asked quietly. After all, this memory could be no one's but George's... right? Perhaps the professor looked younger than he really was...

In her bewilderment Loren paused in answering Professor Morgan's question. Her eyes remained fixed on the witch who was smiling confidently to herself. 'Incantations? Oh, eye contact...' Loren replied distractedly, staring up with fixation. 'She needs to keep her eyes open and not be interrupted.'