Memorial Service

[Roman Ivo]

It was an immense, devastating shame that a student’s life had to end at an age so young. The young boy lost his life to a centaur hunting via means of the small child entering the Forbidden Forest when prohibited. If there were a way to warn ignorant students to not venture into the forest – as rules are there for a good reason – without the cost of a young man’s life, it would be so. Roman situated his form by the podium, narrowed eyes the colour of grey touched the students rounded in the Great Hall. It was a great displeasure for the Headmaster to summon a Memorial Service, notably on Roman’s first year at this school.

Clapping his scarred hands together once and loudly to receive order in the Great Hall, Roman waited patiently for the students to quiet down. Rumors of the death possibly spread through the school like wildfire, and it was time to confirm it. Roman spoke once silence was commenced, "We gather here today to celebrate the life of a second year Slytherin: Jareth Wardwin. He passed while venturing into the forest. It was a tragic accident, as some would have guessed. A great student, one to be cherished and remembered. No one could have saw this coming, in addition to someone so young that had many years ahead of him."

Roman continued with a stern, quiet voice, "We come here today to remember Jareth Wardwin as his friends, his peers, his professors and family to remember what has been lost." Roman exhaled and he concluded, "If anyone would like to have a word and share thoughts of this young man, feel free to come to the podium and speak." Roman stepped from the podium and he walked to the staff table, resuming his seat amongst the professors as those that were saddened by this tragedy that has befallen upon the school.

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(Any student, feel free to post and share their thoughts on Jareth)

 

[Xavier Snow]

Xavier didn't really know the kid who had died or even how he died but he still found that it would be extremely rude to the memory of this boy if he didn't attend. It was really nice for the school to hold the service for the boy, especially when it seems like not many knew him to begin with because there were many confused faces around him, sure he was confused true but it was masked slight hurt upon knowing that it must be an extremely hard time for both his friends, girlfriend, and family to lose someone so special to them at such a random time was truly a heart breaker.

'I wonder what happened to him. And wasn't he Part-Goblin or something, and I thought Goblins worked at the bank.' A confused look overcame the sadness for a moment before he sighed softly and sank into his chair, the poor boy was so young too that he barely got to experience the fun in life and the thrills of being older. Hopefully his friends would be holding up alright during this whole memorial, Xavier didn't want to witness any weeping children

 

[Ariah Zhefarovich]

Ariah scratched her cheek as she listened to the stern old Headmaster speak to them about the memorial service for some boy named Jareth that had died in the Forbidden Forest. She didn't know this boy at all other than he had been seen with some girl named Artemis and was also Part-Goblin, or what Ariah liked to call Mini-people because they were about one of the few people that she had met that were actually shorted than she was. "This is terrible." She said under her breath as she adjusted her Slytherin robes and sunk into her chair a little bit and tried not to let the sadness that she was feeling as she witnessed the broken faces of the people who cared about him reacting to this whole memorial thing. As she listened her mint green eyes darkened and she let her gaze travel around to see if she saw anyone interesting around.

 

[Amelie Hennion]

All the students had been gathered in the Great Hall. Amélie was shocked to hear it was to commemorate the death of a student, barely older than her. She didn't knew Jareth but she had seen him around with a Ravenclaw girl. Amélie remembered seeing the girl showing one of her friends an engagement ring in the common room, it saddened her even more. Amélie was rarely sad about the death itself, it sure was sad that he wouldn't have to experience all the good things life had to offer him, but she mostly thought about those who stayed. Family, friends, girlfriend... Amélie never had to suffer the loss of a close one, and she was very thankful for that, but to only imagine the death of one of her brothers made her throat clench and put tears in her eyes.
The Headmaster didn't tell what kind of accident it was and Amélie only understood it had something to do with the forest. One more reason not to go anywhere near this place...

 

[Nixie Neolani]

Nixie sat frozen in her seat as the Headmaster spoke, her eyes widening with every word. The whole place was filled with the loudest silence as people remembered Jareth.
No, she did not know him. But she was still affected by his death.
She remembered the death of her own father, looked down and let a tear fall from her violet eyes. But this wasn't the same. All in all, her father had lived a full life. This boy, Jareth, had not even begun life but it had already been taken away from him. She couldn't understand the unbearable pain, or numbness being felt by those who cared. She couldn't even believe that someone so young was actually dead.
Nixie heaved the sigh and slumped back into her chair, staring straight ahead of her, overwhelmed.

 

[Tabitha Viridian]

Tabitha frowned as she tried to remember the person that the headmaster had mention. Jareth Wardwin. He was in Slytherin, like her. Tabitha had, in fact, been surprised to hear about the death of a student, but unlike many others, she didn't feel remotely upset or bad for his friends and family. She could feel an icy shiver run through the crowd of students. It felt like a large amount of dementors, or even death itself was looming over them. And she sat beneath the eye of the storm. Right after the announcement, silence fell. A silence that whispered both fear and grief before breaking into murmurs.
It was incidents like this that made Tabitha angry with people who believed that 'we all die for a reason' or everyone's 'time comes when it is right' or anything other rubbish that people said. This boy was twelve. His life was still beginning. He had a future ahead of him. For what reason could he have died? To break the hearts of his family? Or to shatter the souls of his friends?

Jareth's death had no reason. Just a cause.

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Artemis gazed up at their headmaster vaguely, almost unhearing. Apparently he had decided to omit the fact that Jareth was killed by a centaur, which she had no qualms about. It didn’t matter how he died; just that he was dead. Art knew that she had to speak; if not for anyone else, than for herself. There was not just grief but shame and a terrible, heart wrenching guilt that plagued her every day. Who knew better than anyone what creatures lurked the woodland surrounding Hogwarts Castle? Who had taken their fiancé and her good friends into a known dangerous area in hope of a cheap hour of fun? Who had left Jareth alone for only moments, enough to strike him dead and her not even there to shield his body? Who couldn’t even carry him back to the castle without letting them fall into the mud together? Artemis could not even breathe anymore. There was still silence as no one stood to speak. Had so few people known him? He was just a child like she was who had not even found his place in the world yet. But he who had been so innocent and carefree had chosen her as his life partner, even being so young. She was honoured; and she was devastated. She blamed herself. So this is my punishment for my pitiful mistakes, she thought dully. The nervous, flighty part goblin-girl would force herself to stand in front of so many people and speak on behalf of her loved one and of his death. Artemis stood and almost staggered, catching the table as she fell. She could feel the eyes on her and her stomach rolled in terror. She moved up to the podium.
This was pathetic. Artemis was only 3.25” high. Letting out a huff of frustration, she bent to give the small footstool a tap that extended it up so that she could face the school, tiny hands trembling and her entire body blanched white. Art began to speak in a soft voice, but she knew that everyone could hear her, the silence was so thick.
“The forest was my home, as it is for many of us. We know it is forbidden and still we sneak in in search of adventure and thrills. But even the wiliest of us are prey to fate and accident,” she said, the tiny girl staring down and seeming to fix a look onto every person in turn. “There are more than birds and beasts in the Forest. I now know better than anyone the least that could happen to you or your loved one. Jareth ... my fiancé, my beloved ... my home; gone in a heart beat.” Artemis swallowed, her enormous hazel eyes filling with tears. “Please. Don’t enter the Forest. For if I have to see the look on another one of your faces that was on mine ... I could not last another day.” Her face crumpled and she turned from the podium into the waiting arms of her friends who took the part goblin girl among them and shielded her from the many hundreds of faces that were still watching. No more... no more.

 

[Eden Silverback]

Eden could not believe this was happening. Artemis was her friend and her fiance's best friend. Eden could feel the tears in her eyes as she listened to Artemis speak. She knew how much Artemis had loved Jareth it was the same amount that Eden loved Chase more than life it's self. Just thinking about being with out Chase made Eden feel like she could not breath but having to live through it like Artemis was doing, Eden knew she could not do it. Blinking her eyes the tears fall from her eyes and Eden did not even try and brush them away. It made her so sad to think about anyone having to live without there loved one. Closing her eyes Eden sent up a prayer to heaven asking that Artemis be given the comfort that she needed to make it though the pain.

 

[Evie Brennan]

Evie sat in one of the chairs provided for the visitors, feeling stunned. A boy of only twelve had been killed, and it was so shocking to even think about a child so young being killed. Evie watched Artemis speak to the crowd, and she felt so sorry for her. It had to be torture to lose a friend, or fiance. It was at this moment Professor Brennan thought about her own love life.

She would be devestated to lose someone close to her heart. It was sad to just be away from her adoptive parents, much less lose a would be husband. She gazed at the part goblin with pity, wishing her the best, and hopefully that one day Artemis would open her heart again and let a lucky young man be the one to take it.

 

[Jaden West]

Jaden never experience the lost of a love one, so when the headmaster announced the death of a young boy. Jaden felt her mouth slipped into a sorrow pout. The boy who life was taken had been so young, Jaden did not know him very well to say anything about him. With her antics of never
wanting to get close to anyone, this was a reason why she stayed away. Even if he had been in the same house and year as herself, she probably couldn't bare it to lose him as a friend. A few tear shed from the corner of her eyes, when the boys love said a few words about Jareth. To be young and in love for only a little while. It was a terrible lost indeed. Jaden sighed when the girl scrambled away, she felt a whole lot of pity. Turning her gaze away from the service, Jaden just hope the best for the girl in her near future.

 

[Aroha Jennings]

It was a shame. A mistake... it must have been. Aroha dragged herself solemnly to the great hall, hating every moment of it. A student had been killed, in the forest apparantly. Aroha was the one that had backed up a group of first years, asking for them to be allowed to stay for a little bit longer on the first morning. What if something had happened to them? The forest and the cliffs, two places you shouldn't go. Yet they were the places Aroha felt safest at. Aroha blocked out the speeches with thoughts, feeling immensely sorry for Artemis. This wasn't right.

 

[Tohoru Koshiba]

Tohoru did not know why he was here. The last time he had seen the boy he had put him in a full body bind curse and had kissed the boys fiance. He should not be here but he could not make his self leave. Listening to Artemis speak his heart went out to her. He had felt a pain close to it when Eden had left him and than more so when he had saw her with Chase. Looking up ahead Tohoru wondered what Artemis was going to do now that her love was gone. Looking around for a moment Tohoru stood up and left the hall. He felt bad for Artemis but he needed time to think.

 

[Snow Blaze]

Snow raised her eyebrows when the Headmaster mentioned someone dying. She was somewhat shocked and at the same time indifferent with the news. Shocked in the sense that it was the first time she heard news about dying here in Hogwarts, indifferent in the sense that she didn't know the guy and she didn't much care about strangers. Even so, she didn't stay looking at the Headmaster. Instead, Snow looked around, observing everyone. Almost everyone was saddened, even the ever so evil Slytherins looked sad. Snow found it really interesting, making her smile a little. But then she looked back at the Headmaster and listened.

 

[Lily Cliffeton]

Lily had heard about the death of a student. And while most saw this girl as a heartless b!tch, when it came to death, and the death of those young. Lily wasn't one to act insenstive. She couldn't show it though. But she sat at the very back of the Great Hall, paying her respects to a boy, who'd been in her year. It was quite strange to think that someone her age had been killed. Too young most would think, but really when wasn't a time too young. Death was strange, Lily hated it like most, but she believed that no matter an age someone is taken at it is a loss, and even if they suffered, to most it was just too soon. Not enough time to say proper goodbyes, not enough time to tell them everything you ever wanted. There just wasn't enough. Lily wasn't close to people. She hadn't been since about 5. And she intended to not get close to anyone. There was too much to lose in life and so little to gain.

Lily had always known the Forest to be dangerous, and while she didn't go there often, not from fear, but just because generally the place was muddy and horrible, but she knew that were other areas in Hogwarts that were also dangerous. Why then did they let people go into them. She figured that any restrictions would be somehow overcome. She did know hogwarts was made up of teens who wanted to do nothing more than rebel. This was just the way things were. And Lily would be one of the ones to fight the system. She looked down at her hands, just think about that night. The night everything changed. And Lily became who she was now. The night that had caused it all. Lily felt small tears prick to her eyes. Instantly she told herself to get a grip, and focused on something other. She was glad when she could leave, and put this moment of lapse behind her.

 

[Lola Rowann]

Professor Rowann dabbed at her eyes as the headmaster spoke. The loss of any life was sad but the loss of one so young was infinitely sadder. She gazed out among the students wondering if any were really paying attention to how truly dangerous the forest was. Sure she along with her colleagues often brought the students into parts of the forest that they had designated safe zones especially for class purposes but she knew especially after last years debacle that she was also guilty of trespassing where she was not suppose to go, having sent a few students out into the forest on detention the year before.

There were plenty of names she wanted to call those beasts but she refrained from doing so, aloud and in ear shot at least. As Artemis Blackmore-Yearling stood up to speak, Lola had to block her mouth to stifle the sob that was close at hand. It was just too sad, incredibly sad.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

She sat by her best friend plagued with guilt that she had not been there for her in any way. Feeling utterly helpless Shalamar could only every so often reach for Artemis' hand and give it a gentle squeeze. Having never lost anyone close to her she could not empathise with her at all though she sympathised greatly. The headmaster spoke and they all listened. Only once had she herself ventured into the forbidden forest and that had almost been the end of her. Hadn't a centaur attempted to take her own life that daylast year? The forest was filled with many things that they could not even begin to comprehend and yet every day she could see students entering as if out on a ramble.

Her heart lurched painfully as her best friend stood up to speak. For the first time she could remember Shalamar began to cry publically. Her tears coursed down her face, for the loss of Jareth, for the heartache of her friend and for the pain she knew Artemis was shrouded in. Shalamar knew that the next few weeks perhaps months would be a long road for her dear friend but she would do all she could to be there for her.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries sat numbed by the events that had transpired, on his watch students had gone into the forest and one had gotten himself killed. He felt as if he seriously wasn't living up to the badge he wore at all. He felt a tightness in his chest, a choking in his throat as he tried to picture the young boy in question but he couldn't. A young life was lost and he could not even put a face on him. How many hundreds of others about the school would he not recognise by face or name?

He knew he couldn't be everywhere at once and he knew he couldn't really blame himself if every student knowing the dangers still ventured into the forest. They were all warned at the beginning of every year and still none paid much heed. With a sigh he listened as the smallest girl imaginable stood up to speak. Aries had always counted himself as a logical person but all logic went out the door when she spoke. Her pain was so tangible, the loss of the boy she so evidently loved was soul destroying. Did it really take the heartache of a little girl, the loss of a young boys life for the students of this school to understand that there were simply some places they should not go?

He waited a while after she had finished speaking and feeling it his own duty, he stood up and walked to the podium. A slight cough to clear his throat as he looked out on the sea of students.

"We are gathered here today ... as brothers and sisters in grief. Not all of us knew Jareth but that does not take from the sadness that abounds around this room and this school. We take for granted how very mortal we are. Each year it is pressed upon us the dangers of the forest and yet, many still rashly choose to enter with little thought to the consequences. If you have learnt nothing from this, then we shall be here again like this another day but I am hoping and wishing that all of you are listening not just with your ears but with your hearts. If you will not listen to sense, listen then to the words that Artemis Blackmore-Yearling has begged of you. A young life is gone."
he stopped wondering had he perhaps said too much or not enough.

"I was given a book of poetry by Robert Frost, a long time ago by my grandfather. I would like now to relate one of those to you" he looked down the hall directly to Artemis as he spoke and hoped she took comfort in the words.

"Out through the fields and the woods
And over the walls I have wended;
I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.

The leaves are all dead on the ground,
Save those that the oak is keeping
To ravel them one by one
And let them go scraping and creeping
Out over the crusted snow,
When others are sleeping.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch-hazel wither;
The heart is still aching to seek,
But the feet question 'Whither?'

Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season? "

Slowly he left the podium and returned to his seat at the Ravenclaw table.

 

[Riley Mauven]

Riley sat in her seat and listened to the speeches. A tear emerged from her eye, it was true that she had only known the boy a term but he seemed nice and his death was such a mistake. Riley couldn't even imagine what Artemis was going through right now, it was so heartbreaking. As the head boy spoke it made her think how this death had shook the whole school, turned it upside down. It made her realise how connected the houses were, they had come together and were helping oneanother in their time of need.