Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition: Season 7
Title: Harry Potter and the Lazy Sphinx
Team: Arrows
CHASER 3: "The Holy Grail" King Arthur is challenged to a duel by the Black Knight, who promptly loses all of his limbs. The Black Knight then decides to call it a draw. Write about a canonly stubborn character faced with insurmountable odds.
Optional Prompts: 1: humor; 8: Catch-22; 10: Sail – Awolnation
Word Count: 1318
Disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter
Harry hated mazes. He ran into several dead ends, but the increasing darkness encouraged him on, assuring him that he was close to the heart of the maze. As he turned on a long, straight path, his wand light revealed a bizarre creature he had never laid eyes on – a sphinx.
It had the body of an overlarge lion, a long, yellowish tail that ended in a brown tuft, and its face was a blend of human and feline features, like the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. The sphinx was lying down, stretched out to block the path, her head rested on her massive paws. She lazily opened an eye to see Harry before speaking in a deep, hoarse voice.
"You are very near your goal, young competitor. The quickest way is past me if you answer a riddle correctly."
"A riddle?" Harry asked with a frown.
"Answer on your first guess," the sphinx said, "and I'll let you pass. Answer wrongly, and I will attack. Remain silent, and I will let you walk away unharmed."
Harry felt knots in his stomach, but he swallowed the nausea and nodded. He briefly wished Hermione was with him; she was always solving riddles and logic problems. This was her area of expertise, not his. But if this was the fastest way to the center, he would try his best.
"Okay," he said. "Let's hear it."
The sphinx stared at Harry a moment longer before closing her eye once more, sighing contently. Harry waited, but the animal did not say anything more.
"Well? Are you going to tell me a riddle or not?"
The sphinx hummed in thought, her eyes never opening. "No, I don't feel like it."
"What? Fine, then I get to pass you."
Harry tried to step around the massive beast, but the sphinx's almond shaped eyes opened, and she lifted her head and snarled, forcing the teen to quickly step back. The sphinx huffed and laid her head back down. "No one passes here without answering my riddle."
"But you're not giving me a riddle. I can't just wait here forever. And I really don't want to backtrack, really, it took me forever to get to this point."
"That's not my problem." The sphinx closed her eyes again.
Harry bit his lip. He really wanted to take this path. If the sphinx was right and this was the quickest path, then he had to go this way. He was so close to the heart of the maze. He just had to get this cat to give him a riddle. Or find a way to pass her. Maybe he could just Stupefy her. He hesitantly raised his wand.
Hyper-aware of the movement, the sphinx's eyes flew open once more, ears flattened, and she leaped at Harry. Using a clawed paw, she swatted him with a roar. Harry fell to the ground, clutching at his stinging, scratched arm. The sphinx snarled as she paced from side to side of the path, her tail flicking irritably.
"Threaten me with your wand," she said, "and I attack."
"So I see," Harry muttered, groaning at the pain in his arm. He pushed up to his feet once more, keeping his wand at his side.
"Be glad I did not attack to kill," the sphinx spat. "Silly human, daring to use that stick against me."
"I'm just trying to get through this game and be done with it. You're just delaying that."
"I was put here for a reason." The sphinx sat down in the middle of the path, glaring at Harry. "To continue on in this maze, you must answer a riddle I give you and you must answer correctly. Only then will you be permitted to pass me. That is the rule of the game."
"But you won't give me a riddle."
"I'm a wild animal. Just because it's the rule doesn't mean I will follow it like some domestic lap cat."
"Then, if you're not going to participate, you should let me pass. If you won't play by the rules, then you can't expect me to listen either."
"I expect that you don't want to be eaten."
"Ugh," Harry growled loudly. "You've got to be kidding me. This isn't fair. I can't pass and continue the game without answering a riddle, but you won't give me a riddle. I can't just sit here forever."
"I'll give you one in time." The sphinx stretched her front legs, flexing her claws, then laid back down, stretching out her body to block the path. "Right now, I'm not in the mood. You can either wait or go around a different way."
"The game will be over no matter what I chose at this point," Harry said, collapsing into the damp grass, criss-crossing his legs. He sighed, turning his attention to his wounded arm. The scratch, which traveled from his shoulder down to his elbow, was not too deep, and it had already stopped bleeding. It stung when he touched it and ached when he tried rotating his shoulder. He let it be, looking back at the resting sphinx. "So, now what? Am I supposed to entertain you?"
"I doubt you could if you tried," she answered without opening her eyes, though her ears flicked attentively.
"Well, I know you like riddles."
"Stereotyping me, eh? Maybe I like to give riddles, not receive them."
"Well, you're not giving me one, so the latter it is. Let's see, I'm not great with these . . . err – ah! I know one. What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"
The Sphinx slowly lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at Harry.
"Really? That's the best you can do. One of the greatest sphinx's riddles of all time? My great ancestor came up with that one herself. I should be insulted."
"You could just say "do better." I'll try again. Let me think . . . how about What can speak without a mouth and . . . err, no-no, too easy. I've got a better one. Yes, you'll like this one. "What disappears as soon as you say its name? That is a good one. Actually, I think you'd probably know the answer, maybe it's too easy. Let me do better. Hermione taught me this one. A is the sister of B. B is the . . . err, uncle of C and C is the brother of D, no the nephew, I think. And then D would be the father of B . . . no this is all wrong . . ."
"Can't you concentrate on one thing at a time!" the sphinx snapped, baring her teeth at Harry, her paws covering her ears. "What happened to remain silent and you'll be left unharmed?"
"Sorry for trying to break the silence. It's hard to focus and not be so attention deficit in a game like this."
"If you must sit there, shut up."
Harry huffed indignantly while the sphinx rested her head on her paws, closing her eyes. After an intense minute of silence, Harry asked, "So, about that riddle . . ."
The sphinx hissed.
"Okay." Harry held up his hands defensively. "Not yet."
Harry sagged where he sat, pulling at a few blades of grass while the sphinx rolled over and yawned, content to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the gloomy darkness of the graveyard, surrounded by several tombstones and a chilly fog, Pettigrew waited with the baby-sized Voldemort, who was growing rather impatient.
"What is taking him so long?" Voldemort snapped. "He should have won already!"
"All was set, my Lord," Pettigrew said. "He'll be here. A little more patience is all. The games can be difficult. Although, our little spy should be keeping the boy's path clear of dangerous obstacles to make things easier. He'll get here soon. He will."