Ethan’s eyes fell to the front as Professor Cerulean walked in at the start of class. He knew this lesson probably wouldn’t be as fun as the other two – if he could call them fun- but he hoped that it wouldn’t be as boring as he had feared. The boy listened a bit as she introduced the lesson.. okay, he sorta got the connection between comic book super-heroes and real-life heroes, but he wasn’t sure he knew any. His classmates came up with some good traits.. and he didn’t really have any to add.
A personal hero? Did he have one? Ethan wasn’t so sure.. He listened as most of those around him mentioned one of their parents. The 16 year old wasn’t sure he considered either of his a hero, per se. Did they do anything that wasn’t just parent-like..? His head turned as Minerva spoke about her own father. He thought that might be a difficult topic for her and her demeanor only confirmed that for him. He tried giving her a small smile when she was finished, but was unable to catch her eye. The boy made a mental note to talk to her after class to make sure she was okay.. and hopefully the rest of the lesson would be a little more uplifting.
And now they were on to more examples.. this time a Muggle and a Wizard. Ethan furrowed his brow slightly. Could he think of any? He didn’t know any Muggles, did he? The boy watched as the others gave their examples on the board. None of the Muggles was he familiar with.. but the Wizards he at least vaguely recognized from History books, others he knew quite well. Until Max spoke.. OH.. yes, he knew who William Shakespeare was.. and now he knew who he would pick though he was not an author, but someone else as cultured.
Walking up to the front of the room, Ethan chose a marker and began writing his choices on the poster.
Quote:
Muggle: Ludwig van Beethoven – German musician and composer.. He was a great influence on music of his time, creating some of the most well-known symphonies and concertos. At the height of his career, Beethoven began to lose his hearing which did not deter him from creating music. His determination helped him to find different ways of creating music that he could not hear, such as cutting off the legs of a piano so he could hear the vibrations on the floor.
Wizard: Beaumont Majoribanks – Herbologist. Leading and inventive botanist of his time, Marjoribanks was among the first to discover and classify many varieties of magical and mundane plants. He is credited with discovering the uses of gillyweed.
And apparently he was the last to write on the posters because as soon as he sat down the professor was speaking about their final assignment. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to have to be doing it in class.. that meant he couldn’t do it at his leisure, though it also meant he couldn’t put it off till the last minute. He decided on the first option as he didn’t think he knew enough Muggle and Wizard hero-types to fit all the letters of the alphabet.. especially the harder letters.
Now which of the two that he had chosen earlier should he focus on? He decided on the first.. but as he began to write, he noticed Minerva was finished with her own and hurried out the door after turning in her assignment. Ethan stared sadly after her for a moment before hurrying to finish his own. Maybe if he finished quickly enough, he could catch up to her to make sure she was alright.
SPOILER!!: Option 1
Username: emjay
Character name: Ethan McCarthy
House: Ravenclaw
Member ID: 90357
The real-life hero I am honoring is the great composer, Ludwig van Beethoven. He lived during the late 18th Century and early 19th Century. He is one of the most influential and well-known composers of all time, creating hundreds of musical compositions. Midway through his career, Beethoven began to lose his hearing but still wrote music even after his hearing was completely gone because of his determination and passion. Some of his most famous work was done during that time.
This holiday will take place on, or around, December 16. It is the presumed date of his birth, though there is not documented evidence of his actual birthdate. It should take place on a weekend day, preferably Saturday, as it should be observed like a party which usually works best on the weekend.
Beethoven deserves a holiday in his honor because he was a great composer and musician. He even overcame a disability due to his love of music and great determination to produce some of the most famous and influential music compositions. Because he lived so long ago, I think many people don’t know how great he was or the difficulties he overcame and a holiday would be a great way to remind people. A holiday would be a great way to remember his music and leave a lasting impression.
The colors I think should be associated with this holiday are black, red, and gold. These are the colors of the German flag and, as Beethoven was from Germany, I feel these colors would most be appropriate. Traditions would of course include his music. People will be playing his compositions on the various instruments for which he wrote such as the piano and violin. There could also be dancing as many people of the age did that to his music.
This holiday will be called Beethoven Appreciation Day. I think the name is pretty self-explanatory, not to mention obvious. It will be a day to appreciate the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven. Hopefully people will become more aware of what a great person he was and how relevant his music can still be today.
Once finished, Ethan quickly gathered up his things and rose from his seat. Dropping of his assignment on the teacher’s desk, he gave her a quick smile and said,
“Here you go, Professor.. Hope you have a great summer.” Then he hurried out the door.