Chapter 19 - The Assignment
"Okay class. Today we are going to start our ongoing unit about Muggle literature. At the end of this year our class will be putting on a muggle play called A Streetcar Named Desire. However to start off the unit I'd like to talk about William Shakespeare. Everyone who has heard of him raise your hand."
All the students raised their hands. 'This is so boring,' thought James.
"Excellent," said Professor Litana, the Muggle Studies teacher. "Who can tell me something about him?"
James spoke up. "He was a wizard who lived during the 14 or 1500s and he wrote many plays of different genres."
"He wasn't a wizard he was a bloody muggle!" Lily exclaimed as she turned around to look at James.
"He was a wizard Lily."
"No he wasn't. Just because you've heard of him doesn't make him a wizard. There's no way a wizard could write the way Shakespeare did. All the greatest authors have been muggles. Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens. All muggles."
"Lily you don't get it. Shakespeare was a wizard."
"No you don't get. He was a muggle. Wizards don't write good literature and I should know seeing as I've read both muggle and wizard literature."
"Lily this is the last time I'm saying this. Shakespeare was a bleeding wizard."
"Actually James," Litana cut in mildly, "Shakespeare was a muggle."
"See?" said Lily.
"Lily," said Litana in a warning tone.
"Sorry Professor." As Litana explained about Shakespeare and his plays Lily turned around and stuck her tongue out at James. James glared at her then turned his attention back to Litana to make look like he was listening. For the rest of the class Litana talked about Shakespeare and how he influenced muggle literature. Just as the bell was about to go Litana announced what they would have to do for the next class.
"I'm going to put you into groups and assign each group a scene from a Shakespeare play. Each group will have to learn the lines and then next week perform their interpretation of the scene. James Potter and Remus Lupin: Act 2 Scene 2 from Romeo and Juliet." Lily burst out laughing.
"What's so funny Li?" asked Remus.
"Nothing. Just that Act 2 Scene 2 is the balcony scene. The only characters are Romeo and Juliet which means one of you will be a girl."
"May I continue Ms Evans?" asked Litana.
"Of course Professor. Go right ahead," Lily answered.
"Lily Evans, Julie Matthews and Belle Parle: Act 1 Scene 1 from Macbeth. Marc Stewart, Michael Andersen and Michelle Wilkins: Act 1 Scene 3 from Hamlet. Lisa McCarthy, Ben Little and Edgar Soto: Act 1 Scene 1 from Othello. Cathie Mills, William Bard, Tristan Lewis and Alisa Redcliff: Act 3 Scene 4 from Much Ado About Nothing." The bell rang and everyone began getting out of their seats.
"Don't forget everyone," called Litana, "this has to be done by next week and you have to do everything the muggle way. You also need costumes. Oh and if you were given a long scene then I want you to pick a section and recite at least 30 lines."
"This is gonna be so cool," Lily said to James and Remus as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Remus you're playing Juliet," James said.
"I don't think so Jamesie-boy. You're Juliet," Remus replied.
"No way. I refuse to play a girl."
"Well so do I."
"Okay Moony let's let Lady Lily decide. Li you've read the whole play of Romeo and Juliet haven't you?"
"Yeah. But how am I meant to decide who plays Juliet?"
"Just tell us who would make the better Romeo."
"Remus."
"WHAT?!" James screeched.
"I said Remus. Which means you're Juliet Prongs ol' man."
"No. Please no. Don't make me wear a dress."
"James you mightn't have to wear a dress," said Remus. "Litana said that we're performing our interpretation of the scene. We could set the scene in modern times and you could borrow a pair of Lily's jeans."
"No he can't," Lily protested. "He won't fit into my clothes. He'll rip them all."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Anyway you know what I mean. Besides we have a week to work it out. Now let's go eat."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Oh Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo," James read dully.
Remus sighed in frustration and looked at James. "James do you wanna get a good mark for this or not?"
"I really don't care if I get a bad mark. You know me Remus."
"You mightn't care but I do so you're gonna be the best Juliet any one has ever seen. Got it?"
James flipped through his script and squeaked, "Eek!" He looked up at Remus and said, "Uh Moony old pal, have you read the whole scene?"
"Most of it. Why?"
James hesitated. "Well, uhh, did you realize that Romeo and Juliet, er, kiss in this scene?"
"THEY WHAT?!" A dazed look came over Remus' face and he began muttering "No way. No way."
"Well didn't Litana say if it was a long scene that we would only have to do 30 lines? Let's just find 30 lines where they don't kiss."
* * * * * * * * * *
Lily, James and Remus were sitting at their table in their costumes watching the first group perform their scene. Lily was wearing a patched robe and hat with her straight hair teased and full of knots and dirt. Remus had managed to talk Lily into letting James wear her clothes so James was currently wearing a pair of tight bootleg jeans and a pink halter-neck top. Remus simply looked normal in everyday muggle clothing.
As they were watching Michelle and her group perform a scene from Hamlet, Lily began biting her lip and jiggling her leg nervously. James noticed and pointed it out to Remus. "Li are you okay?" he whispered.
"I can't go up there."
"But Lily you were so excited about this," Remus said.
"Look at all the people in here. Litana wants us to perform in front of the whole class. I don't want to do this."
"Lily you have to. We're being marked on this."
Lily looked at James with scared eyes and shook her head. James sighed and glanced at Remus. "Lily we're getting group marks for this assignment. If you don't do it you're whole group will fail."
Lily gulped and looked back to the front of the room where the second group was performing. Lily still had fear in her eyes and her group would be next. 'It's a bloody good thing the girls have such a short scene,' thought James. James automatically began clapping as the group walked back to their seats. James looked at Lily and saw that she was sitting rigidly in her chair with a facial expression of a frightened mouse.
"Okay next up are Lily Evans, Belle Parle and Julie Matthews."
Lily took a deep breath and slowly walked up to join the other girls at the front of the room.
"Okay class. Today we are going to start our ongoing unit about Muggle literature. At the end of this year our class will be putting on a muggle play called A Streetcar Named Desire. However to start off the unit I'd like to talk about William Shakespeare. Everyone who has heard of him raise your hand."
All the students raised their hands. 'This is so boring,' thought James.
"Excellent," said Professor Litana, the Muggle Studies teacher. "Who can tell me something about him?"
James spoke up. "He was a wizard who lived during the 14 or 1500s and he wrote many plays of different genres."
"He wasn't a wizard he was a bloody muggle!" Lily exclaimed as she turned around to look at James.
"He was a wizard Lily."
"No he wasn't. Just because you've heard of him doesn't make him a wizard. There's no way a wizard could write the way Shakespeare did. All the greatest authors have been muggles. Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens. All muggles."
"Lily you don't get it. Shakespeare was a wizard."
"No you don't get. He was a muggle. Wizards don't write good literature and I should know seeing as I've read both muggle and wizard literature."
"Lily this is the last time I'm saying this. Shakespeare was a bleeding wizard."
"Actually James," Litana cut in mildly, "Shakespeare was a muggle."
"See?" said Lily.
"Lily," said Litana in a warning tone.
"Sorry Professor." As Litana explained about Shakespeare and his plays Lily turned around and stuck her tongue out at James. James glared at her then turned his attention back to Litana to make look like he was listening. For the rest of the class Litana talked about Shakespeare and how he influenced muggle literature. Just as the bell was about to go Litana announced what they would have to do for the next class.
"I'm going to put you into groups and assign each group a scene from a Shakespeare play. Each group will have to learn the lines and then next week perform their interpretation of the scene. James Potter and Remus Lupin: Act 2 Scene 2 from Romeo and Juliet." Lily burst out laughing.
"What's so funny Li?" asked Remus.
"Nothing. Just that Act 2 Scene 2 is the balcony scene. The only characters are Romeo and Juliet which means one of you will be a girl."
"May I continue Ms Evans?" asked Litana.
"Of course Professor. Go right ahead," Lily answered.
"Lily Evans, Julie Matthews and Belle Parle: Act 1 Scene 1 from Macbeth. Marc Stewart, Michael Andersen and Michelle Wilkins: Act 1 Scene 3 from Hamlet. Lisa McCarthy, Ben Little and Edgar Soto: Act 1 Scene 1 from Othello. Cathie Mills, William Bard, Tristan Lewis and Alisa Redcliff: Act 3 Scene 4 from Much Ado About Nothing." The bell rang and everyone began getting out of their seats.
"Don't forget everyone," called Litana, "this has to be done by next week and you have to do everything the muggle way. You also need costumes. Oh and if you were given a long scene then I want you to pick a section and recite at least 30 lines."
"This is gonna be so cool," Lily said to James and Remus as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Remus you're playing Juliet," James said.
"I don't think so Jamesie-boy. You're Juliet," Remus replied.
"No way. I refuse to play a girl."
"Well so do I."
"Okay Moony let's let Lady Lily decide. Li you've read the whole play of Romeo and Juliet haven't you?"
"Yeah. But how am I meant to decide who plays Juliet?"
"Just tell us who would make the better Romeo."
"Remus."
"WHAT?!" James screeched.
"I said Remus. Which means you're Juliet Prongs ol' man."
"No. Please no. Don't make me wear a dress."
"James you mightn't have to wear a dress," said Remus. "Litana said that we're performing our interpretation of the scene. We could set the scene in modern times and you could borrow a pair of Lily's jeans."
"No he can't," Lily protested. "He won't fit into my clothes. He'll rip them all."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Anyway you know what I mean. Besides we have a week to work it out. Now let's go eat."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Oh Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo," James read dully.
Remus sighed in frustration and looked at James. "James do you wanna get a good mark for this or not?"
"I really don't care if I get a bad mark. You know me Remus."
"You mightn't care but I do so you're gonna be the best Juliet any one has ever seen. Got it?"
James flipped through his script and squeaked, "Eek!" He looked up at Remus and said, "Uh Moony old pal, have you read the whole scene?"
"Most of it. Why?"
James hesitated. "Well, uhh, did you realize that Romeo and Juliet, er, kiss in this scene?"
"THEY WHAT?!" A dazed look came over Remus' face and he began muttering "No way. No way."
"Well didn't Litana say if it was a long scene that we would only have to do 30 lines? Let's just find 30 lines where they don't kiss."
* * * * * * * * * *
Lily, James and Remus were sitting at their table in their costumes watching the first group perform their scene. Lily was wearing a patched robe and hat with her straight hair teased and full of knots and dirt. Remus had managed to talk Lily into letting James wear her clothes so James was currently wearing a pair of tight bootleg jeans and a pink halter-neck top. Remus simply looked normal in everyday muggle clothing.
As they were watching Michelle and her group perform a scene from Hamlet, Lily began biting her lip and jiggling her leg nervously. James noticed and pointed it out to Remus. "Li are you okay?" he whispered.
"I can't go up there."
"But Lily you were so excited about this," Remus said.
"Look at all the people in here. Litana wants us to perform in front of the whole class. I don't want to do this."
"Lily you have to. We're being marked on this."
Lily looked at James with scared eyes and shook her head. James sighed and glanced at Remus. "Lily we're getting group marks for this assignment. If you don't do it you're whole group will fail."
Lily gulped and looked back to the front of the room where the second group was performing. Lily still had fear in her eyes and her group would be next. 'It's a bloody good thing the girls have such a short scene,' thought James. James automatically began clapping as the group walked back to their seats. James looked at Lily and saw that she was sitting rigidly in her chair with a facial expression of a frightened mouse.
"Okay next up are Lily Evans, Belle Parle and Julie Matthews."
Lily took a deep breath and slowly walked up to join the other girls at the front of the room.