PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE GOLDEN TRIO
It was raining outside. Luke Triton was devouring an English muffin, thinking:
What does a basketball player who can't recognize the eleventh and twentieth letters of the alphabet call himself?
Well, this was one odd puzzle, requiring no math or science at all. A friend had given Luke this riddle, and Luke was determined to solve it.
Hmm, the riddle itself sounds very straightforward. The eleventh letter of the alphabet is "K", and the twentieth is "T". A basketball… basket… that's it! Basket has a K and a T in it, and since the basketball player can't recognize them, he'll just ignore them. So, basket without a K and a T gives you base, which then adds on to ball…
"IT'S A BASEBALL PLAYER!" Luke shouted.
Professor Hershel Layton, an archeologist and world famous puzzle solver, opened the door and asked: "Is everything quite alright, my boy?"
"No, err, professor; I just… solved a puzzle."
"Luke, you do know that you were supposed to be doing your homework."
"Ah, I've finished that ages ago."
The professor chuckled. "Even your grammar?"
"Check!"
"Reading?"
"Check!"
"Extra math homework I received in the mail?"
"HUH?"
Layton smiled. "I'm just joking, of course. Would you care for some tea?"
Luke stood up, face lit up. "Would I ever!"
The professor and his apprentice walked into the living room and sat down.
"So, tell me of your… puzzle," The professor said curiously.
"All right," Luke said. "Here it goes…"
"What does a basketball player who can't recognize the eleventh-mm… this tea is so sweet!-and twentieth letters of the alphabet call himself?"
The professor nudged his hat and grinned slightly. "This is one peculiar puzzle. Is it from one of your classmates?"
Luke gaped. "How did you know?"
"It has a funny, ah, taste to it."
"That's all very nice. Have you solved it? Have you? Have you now? Have-"
"Now, Luke, a gentleman never tries to hasten another fellow in the middle of his thinking. By the way… it's a baseball player."
Luke sipped his tea. "I suppose this wasn't that hard, now was it?"
At the same time, three friends sat at a table, discussing something important.
"Ron!" Harry Potter, a boy of eighteen years old, pushed his glasses up to his nose. "You're making it snow again! You're not a sixth year in Hogwarts anymore!"
"Sorry… bloody wand… I need to replace this load of dung, serious." Ronald Weasley shook his head as he put a dirty old wand back into his pocket. "Hey Hermione, what did you want to tell us?"
"Well, do you remember the Elder Wand?" The girl named Hermione Granger leaned forward in her chair.
"'Course," Harry answered. "Why?"
"Yeah, why?" Ron questioned.
"Well…" Hermione whispered. "It went missing."
"WHAT?" Harry and Ron shouted simultaneously. Sparks flew from their wands.
Luckily, they were indoors in a former secret headquarters called Grimmauld Place, Number Twelve. No one heard the commotion. No one with an exception of a small creature named… Kreacher.
"Master Potter, Master Weasley, Mistress Granger… is there anything I can do?" the old house elf smiled in greeting. He really was different from before.
"Err, thanks, Kreacher. We'll go for some tea," Harry said.
"Master Potter says he wants tea. Master Weasley? Mistress Granger?"
"Tea for all of us, please!" Hermione said politely.
"Hey, I wanted some butterbeer!" Ron protested.
"If Master Weasley wishes for butterbeer, he may have it." Kreacher started towards the kitchen.
"Okay, back to business," Harry said. "You said the Elder Wand went missing?"
"Precisely!" Hermione nodded.
"So… do we have to find it?" Ron asked.
Harry and Hermione looked at him, unimpressed.
"I take that as a yes…" Ron said.
"Not only do we have to find it…" Hermione continued as Kreacher served the drinks. Ron took the butterbeer and eyed Hermione. "We have to find out who stole it!"
Ron spewed butterbeer all over the ground. Kreacher set to work with a mop, as if he knew that would happen. The rest ignored Ron.
"Wait, so how are you sure someone stole the wand?" Harry said. "Doesn't everyone know the wand only works for its current owner?"
"How are you sure it's not some dimwit who knocked it off the table and kicked it in half?" Ron crossed his arms.
All eyes on Ron. He covered his face with the butterbeer bottle.
"Don't mind me…" he muttered.
"DEEELICIOUS!" Luke announced. "I just love how sweet this tea is, Professor!"
"Yes," Professor Layton smiled. "It's a bit sweet for my taste, but I can understand why many children enjoy it."
"Look! I can drink a whole pot of this stuff!" Luke laughed gleefully. "Just watch me!"
"Ha ha; I see you've got quite the sweet tooth, Luke," the professor chuckled. "Just be careful not to drink too fast."
The professor poured some more Oasis Berry tea into Luke's teacup and handed it to him. However, Luke didn't notice.
"Hmm?" the scholar turned his head to where Luke was looking, outside the window. There were three people discussing something important.
"Luke, a gentleman never minds another's business." Layton reminded Luke. Luke stayed still.
"Luke, what is it?" Layton turned his head again. The dark- haired man with the round glasses was holding an old map. The red- haired man was waving a stick of some sort and the lady was holding three cones of ice cream.
Later, the red- haired man said something and the rain gradually stopped. The puzzle fanatics stared, dumbfounded.
Without the constant patter of the rain, Layton could hear much easier.
"… The Elder Wand!" the lady said, handing each of the men an ice cream cone and keeping one for herself. Until then, Luke was almost sure adults don't eat ice cream.
The black- haired man said something as well. "But Hermione, where can we find Dumbledore? Oh, right, the portrait in Hogwarts."
"Yeah, that's right, the moving one in his office!" the red- haired man remembered.
It was too much to take in at the moment. Luke leapt off the armchair and ran out the door. He was heading for the three people. Professor Layton sighed. Looking outside again, the professor noticed that there was something different. The streets were cleaner, for instance, and an unusual car drove by.
All of a sudden, a copy of the daily newspaper slid in. Layton picked it up and it read:
"March 21st, 1999."
He chased after Luke and headed in the same direction.
"Curious…" he murmured to himself.
"So, this Layton figure looks pretty smart," Ron said.
"Hi to you too, Mr. Obvious!" Hermione said, impatient. "He's a genius in the Muggle world! His black top hat is known everywhere! He's…"
"...Right there!" Harry pointed.
A tall man in a top hat and a coat came over.
"Excuse me," the man said. "I am Hershel Layton. What is the date today?"
Hermione gasped. Harry slapped his forehead. Ron didn't know how to react, so he just kept quiet.
"Today is March the 21st." Hermione answered, but she was thinking of a different subject. "You're Hershel Layton, you say? Where's your apprentice?"
"Professor!" They heard a voice call out. "Professor, wait up!"
A boy dressed in blue arrived at the table.
Hermione had nothing to say.
Harry laughed nervously. "This, err, is Ron Weasley. She is Hermione Granger. I am Harry Potter."
The professor shook everyone's hand in a gentlemanly manner. "You know me, Hershel Layton. This is my…"
"I am his number- one apprentice, Luke!" The boy in blue cut the professor off.
"May I assist you in any way?" Layton asked politely.
Hermione looked around cautiously and said, "Can we talk somewhere else?"
Professor Layton nodded, not sure what was to happen next. "But of course."
Luke looked up at his mentor. His mentor looked down at him.
"Let's go and see what we can find out," the professor said.
"Okay, if you insist," Luke swallowed.
"Luke, there is nothing to worry about," the archeologist said, straightening his black top hat. "These are friendly people."
They looked up. The three were gone.
"Harry?" Luke called. "Ron? What's- her- name?"
"It's Hermione," Layton said helpfully.
"Hermione… where is everyone?" Luke scratched his head, confused and a little scared.
"Now, Luke, think of this as a puzzle," Layton advised. "There are three ways we may go. We have to figure out which way the two gentlemen and the lady went. Are you up to the challenge, Luke?"
"I'm on it, Professor!" Luke took out a small journal and began writing.
A mouse wrapping its tail around a stick.
Cats stalking prey. The Four Paths A parrot clutching a coin.
|x|
A hamster eating an apple.
(The four double- lines represent the paths, and the labels tell what is in each path. "x" represents the professor and Luke)
Luke thought for a long moment.
All paths are equally possible, so what could be the answer?
"Professor, I'm stuck on this one," Luke said, shaking his head.
"Luke, look for something that is suspicious. I'm sure you can see it too," the professor hinted.
Luke looked again. Immediately, he saw the stick and the mouse.
"That's the stick Ron was holding!" Luke exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes," Professor Layton said. "Well done Luke!"
The two headed down the path in front of them.