Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
dandelions lost in the summer sky

The Major

"I fucking hate people."

I laughed along with Edward at Isabella's mumbled sentence. We were currently in the training fields waiting for each and every vampire in the castle to come out.

"Relax. Angela is going to bed." Edward said to her. "Said she's not needed and her head is hurting."

"She's getting sick." Isa answered. "I don't need her for this anyway so she's fine."

"Fair enough." I said in acceptance. "Aro and Caius it'd be beneficial for you to get your asses out here this fucking minute or else you'll have to deal with me and whatever Isabella does to you will be a fucking cakewalk." I added as the last of the vampires entered the fields.

At my statement, Isabella and Edward climbed one of the massive trees that stood in the center of the field. When they were settled, I made my way to the base of it and lounged against, leaning my back on the trunk and crossing my legs.

"So this is what we're gonna do." Isabella started just as Aro and Caius walked out. "This is an impromptu lesson and all of you are gonna shape the fuck up and pay attention."

Her voice carried easily throughout the fields and everyone shifted to focus on her.

"The Salem witch trials were a series of hearing and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1963."

Like during every other lesson, Isabella's voice took on a musical tone and entranced everyone listening.

She's a fucking siren.

"Close but not quite." Edward whispered from behind her.

I rolled my eyes. Later.

"The trials resulted in the executions of twenty people, most of them women and all but one by hanging. Twelve other women had been previously executed in Massachusetts and Connecticut during the 17th century." She paused as each vampire shifted almost uncomfortably.

With a toss of her hair and a shift in her perch on the branch, Isabella started on the more detailed explaining of tonight's form of spy hunting.

"In 17th century colonial North America, the supernatural was considered part of everyday life. Many people believed that Satan was present and active on earth. This concept emerged in Europe during the 15th century and spread with the later colonization of North America. Peasants used a kind of witchcraft to invoke particular charms for farming agriculture. Over time, the idea of white magic transformed into dark magic and became associated with demons and evil spirits. From 1560 to 1670, witchcraft persecutions became common as superstitions became associated with the devil."

As she continued, I monitored the emotions of the vampires. Most of them were intrigued and there was a fair few that were indifferent. However, there was a couple that was anxious.

Did you pick up on them? I asked Edward.

He sent me his recognition and I made a mental note to keep an eye on them.

My phone buzzed as Isa spoke. Isabella picked up on it so she's gonna skip ahead to the claims and how they were dealt with.

Fair.

"After someone concluded that a loss, illness or death had been caused by witchcraft, the accuser entered a complaint against the alleged witch with the local magistrates. If the complaint was deemed credible, the magistrates had the person arrested and brought in for a public examination, essentially an interrogation, where the magistrate pressed the accused to confess.

"If the magistrate at this local level were satisfied that the complaint was well-founded, the prisoner was handed over to be dealt with by a superior court. In 1692, the magistrates opted to wait for the arrival of the new charter and governor, who would establish a Court of Oyer and Terminer to handle these cases. The next step, at the superior court level, was to summon witnesses before a grand jury." She paused as the vampires shifted uncomfortably before continuing. "A person could be indicted on charges of afflicting with witchcraft or for making an unlawful covenant with the Devil. Once indicted, the defendant went to trial, sometimes on the same day."

Isabella paused again and smirked with a glint in her pretty violent eyes. She is the most beautiful creature I have ever encountered.

I felt Edward's agreement and a hint of lust as she slid into his lap to sit more comfortably.

I laughed silently as she started what would be her favorite part of this impromptu lesson. As she spoke, she reiterated the spread of hysteria surrounding the witchcraft.

"In medieval and early modern Europe, before the development of modern prison systems, the death penalty was also used as a generalized form of punishment. During the reign of Henry VIII, as many as 72,000 people are estimated to have been executed.

"During early modern Europe, a massive moral panic regarding witchcraft swept across Europe and later the European colonies in North America. During this period there were widespread claims that malevolent satanic witches were operating as an organized threat to Christendom. As a result, tens of thousands of women were prosecuted and executed through the witch trials of the early modern period."

There was a pause in the breathing of all of the vampires in the field. Isabella continued as if she didn't notice though.

"An Act Against Conjurations, Enchantments and Witchcrafts was passed early in the reign of Elizabeth I. It was in some respects more merciful towards those found guilty of witchcraft than its predecessor, demanding the death penalty only where harm had been caused; lesser offences were punishable by a term of imprisonment. The Act provided that anyone who should "use, practice, or exercise any Witchcraft, Enchantment, Charm, or Sorcery, whereby any person shall happen to be killed or destroyed", was guilty of a felony without benefit of clergy, and was to be put to death.

"In 1604, the year following James' accession to the English throne, the Elizabethan Act was broadened to bring the penalty of death without benefit of clergy to anyone who invoked evil spirits or communed with familiar spirits. The acts of Elizabeth and James changed the law of witchcraft by making it a felony, thus removing the accused from the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts to the courts of common law. This provided, at least, that the accused witches theoretically enjoyed the benefits of ordinary criminal procedure."

She paused and continued with a huge grin as she finished up.

"Burning at the stake was eliminated except in cases of witchcraft that were also petty treason; most convicted were hanged instead. Any witch who had committed a minor witchcraft offence (punishable by one year in prison) and was accused and found guilty a second time was sentenced to death."

She took a sip of the water bottle she held and let out a quiet breath.

"Any questions?"

A/N: Another chapter is done! Hopefully this version is better and easier to keep up with.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Review please!