I thought it would be fun to go into background for this story. This in no way contributes to the story content, meaning, if you skip it, you won't miss out on key info. This is strictly for trivia, and fun random stuff.

So here we go!

Concerning The Story Plot:

I actually had trouble deciding how to make everything come together, but I got inspiration from a few sources. I loved Cars 2, and liked the whole "oil" criminal plot. Thus, I introduced oil as a component into this story. The idea of the drill came from reading Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception, where the villain Opal Koboi tries to get some billionaire dude to blow up the earth deep enough to find the fairy world. So I combined both ideas and came up with this rancid story.

The actual Book of Memory was by pure chance…literally. It all came together nicely, actually. I quite like the Book idea… It simply popped into my head.

Concerning Laura's Character:

The idea of Laura popped into my head while playing the first PL game. When nightfall comes to St. Mystere, and the song "Night Falls" starts, a watery female figure entered my brain, walking alongside the Professor and Luke. It was a calm, romantic sort of song, so I suppose that's why my mind began envisioning a female character, and (as the series didn't have any strong female main characters at that point) I wanted to create someone who would add a feminine flair to the setting. There was no inclination to make this person a romantic interest for the Professor.

I initially imagined her as an apprentice or old friend serving as a temporary help for Layton. And then I figured Layton needed a sort of foil to his character who was more of an equal and less of an 'apprentice'. We already have Luke, after all; I also didn't want to recreate an Emmy (once I'd played enough of the games to realize Emmy was in there!). So if this girl is to be more than just simply walking around solving fiddle-faddle puzzles, she needs a solid reason to know the Professor (as well as a solid backstory).

I personally like the whole 'teacher x student' motif. Older guys with class and brains and young girls to appreciate it? That's a no-brainer (no pun intended)… So I decided to make Laura a student of Layton's during the beginning of his college teaching days. I initially wanted a 17 year age gap (talk about arbitrary…) but I couldn't make it work given the Professor's supposed canon age in the series. In order to fit her into the story prior to Claire, Laura had to be on the verge of 18.

Creating her personality was child's play. I didn't capture it in the way I wanted, but Laura is basically a character insert of myself. SURPRISE! Yeah, that would be generic in most circumstances, as most people do a poor job of creating a unique character just by adding themselves into a story, but after a lot of analyzing, I concluded that I'm really strange and have a lot of quirks, so it makes for good characters. Essentially, Laura is simply myself, but augmented: all of her skills and traits are mine but to the extreme; I obviously don't go engineering giant drills capable of destroying the world. However, I'm very good at math/sciences/piano/etc. and I hate history. Also, I'm short and look very young for my age, I have OCD, and I'm extremely sarcastic. I'm terrible at showing emotions, but I adore children. Laura's German/English heritage is like mine. Her inner turmoil that sprouted from her brother's death is a direct connection to my constant fear that something bad is going to happen to one of my many siblings (I have 11, several of whom have been near death due to disease). Her lack of social acceptance is a direct correlation of mine, and Millie embodies all of those set on causing me grief with their silly drivel. Yet, as all 'bullies' and big mouths, they disappear with time… (and we never heard from Millie again, did we?).

In short, Laura is Layton-universe 'me'.

Laura is named after my mother, yet my mother hates the nickname 'Laurie'. There is nothing special about the last name 'Haris', except that it has one 'R'.

Hidden Secrets in The Chapters (and Chapter Title Meanings):

I'm going to explain title meanings and any hidden points or facts during the respective chapter. Random trivia time!

Chapter 1: Catalyst—The title simply refers to the letter that Professor Layton received in the mail, which is the start (or 'catalyst') of the entire story.

Chapter 2: En Route—Title simply means that the story and characters are "on the way" towards…whatever this story's goal is. Haha. Laura is bored in her classroom (we find school to be dull and boring) and decides she'll be bringing a FRUIT dessert (we don't care for chocolate much). The puzzle is loosely based on one that my grandfather gave me in our last conversation with each other, something he would often do. I never spoke to him again, as he committed suicide. The puzzle's stuck in my head ever since. Apparently it's based on one of Zeno's Paradoxes… Go research that.

Chapter 3: The Basket Weaver and the Charmer—The title refers to the fact Laura has cleverly hidden herself for 10 years (as in a basket, thus 'basket weaver'), yet she is also a 'snake', as she's hiding a secret (the drills); Layton is the charmer (one who would coax the snake out of the basket). He goes to find Laura at the ice cream shop in this chapter, thus bringing the snake out of the basket and into the light. Dilliam's and its motto are completely fictional and have no significant meaning.

Chapter 4: Old Dog, New Trick—Title refers to the old adage that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". As stubborn as Laura is, she starts to exhibit a willingness (albeit a weak willingness…) to new things in this chapter, such as speaking with a professor one-on-one, and finding conversation not as dull as she typically would (with a silly classmate, anyway). So old dogs can learn new tricks! Laura alludes to not liking sweets and hot drinks, but she will take sour; I am the same. The name of Laura's college, Grissom's, is taken from the Grissom Air Force base in Indiana.

Chapter 5: You Are What You Eat—Title just refers to the ice cream and Laura's personality: cold on the outside, but sweet (deep down).

Chapter 6: One Lump Or Two?—Title refers to sugar cubes during tea time. That's all. Tea seems to be a connecting point between the Professor and Laura at this time. Laura's blue coat is based off of one I loved in my youth. The situation after the test is finished (when Laura gets into a confrontation with the other girls in class and the Professor hears her boiling over) is based off my oft inopportune luck of letting my anger get the best of me…when it's the worst time. It happens…often. And it's almost comically ridiculous, like a comic book or movie. Anyway, the thing that Laura was looking at in her wallet was a picture of her brother, Liam. That day happened to be the same date he died 5 years prior.

Chapter 7: Past Revisited—Nothing more than alluding to the Professor and Laura's chat about past events. This is the last chapter of the pair in the 'present' until the historical chapters are finished.

Chapter 8: The Beginning of the End—The title alludes to the 'beginning' of the Professor and Laura's relationship (which ends up being a sort of 'end of self' once it crashes to a halt). We get a brief look into Millie's family too. The mention of their table being made of Brazilian mahogany is in homage to a local historical house in my city (Ruthmere Mansion) which has a TON of Brazilian mahogany accenting on the walls; so much so, that it helped lead the way to the tree's extinction. The mention of Laura's yellow dress is in there because I ADORE yellow cotton dresses. The fictitious brand of 'Swainson's Chocolate' (which Laura gives to Millie's family as a gift) is named after a breed of toucan: the Swainson's toucan, one of my favorites. The woman known as Madam Lorraine (on the way to the party) is drunk…and her accompaniment (servant?) does not approve; that's the explanation for their awkward conversation. The guest who arrives immediately after Laura (Mr. Limburger) is named after a German cheese. The painting 'Bread and Circuses' is fictional (as is the artist, Gussfon) but it alludes to one of the few phrases I recall from world history class. The song Laura plays on the piano (Rachmoninoff's 'Prelude in C Minor') is one that I had to play as a recital piece when I was 13. The sad melody she played afterwards is 'Gate of Steiner'. Look them up on YouTube if you want to hear them. Laura's aversion to letting others hear her play piano is a characteristic I have. During the dinner, Layton explains he didn't use to like archaeology. Sound familiar (from his early days, as explained in Mask of Miracle)? I actually wrote this waaaaay in advance of that, so I find it funny that it ended up being true.

Chapter 9: Circus At Midnight—The Professor stays up late, mumbling and wondering to himself. It's all over the place, like a circus. Hence, the title. The QwiqLogiq scholarship is obviously a fictitious academic scholarship that I invented.

Chapter 10: A Reason for Rugby—The title refers to Laura's reason for liking rugby: her brother, Liam, who loved the sport. During the game, we become aware of Laura's aversion to others' worn garments. That's straight out of my idiosyncrasy pile. Same as Laura putting her preferences aside and tailoring her actions to suit others'. And her crazy love of scents and her problem with crying. Liam's date of death—Sept 28—is the birthday of one of my brothers. Her brother's death by leukemia is akin to one of my brother's near death due to neuroblastoma (a cancer). Laura's bittersweet feelings towards music are like mine: my father wanted to use my talent for financial reasons, and I hated the feeling of being used.

Chapter 11: Winners and Losers—The meaning behind the title is in reference to Laura winning the QwiqLogiq scholarship, yet due to the majority reaction, she feels like a sort of 'loser'. The affiliation between Gressenheller University and Grissom's College is based on the relationship between the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College, both of which I attended. Saint Mary's is an all-girl college, smaller than the University of ND, like how Grissom's is to Gressenheller. The mention of page 394 is referencing the 3rd Harry Potter movie when Snape tells the class to turn to that page. The HEFF conference is fictional.

Chapter 12: Dancing With Blinders—The title refers to the line the Professor makes during the chapter: to "dance with blinders". I got inspired for the Professor and Laura's car conversation after reading a bit of St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica about God's simplicity. In this chapter, the Headmaster attends the HEFF conference, yet at Millie's party, he alludes to the fact that he won't be attending. This is not a mistake on my part. It's due to his involvement with Edward Chancey III, who is trying to ruin Layton. Ginlade's drunken splutter of saying "bundle of sticks" instead of "bundle of skills" is in reference to the unit of the 'faggot', which is actually a bundle of sticks. It makes me laugh… By the way, the whole dancing scene is inspired by the similar scene in the movie 'Scent of a Woman'. The same song in that movie plays in my head while reading that chapter. The unnamed person in the interlude in the middle of the chapter is Edward Chancey III, if you haven't figured that out. And Sandman Serum is fictional, by the way.

Chapter 13: Stille Nacht—Title is the German translation of "Silent Night". The 'Reuben bake' that Laura makes is something I'd like to try, as it's one of my favorite sandwiches, but I love casseroles too. The shark tooth Laura receives as a gift is based off a souvenir I got from South Carolina when I vacationed there.

Chapter 14: Sublimation—Title refers to the scientific term of when a solid goes straight to a gas form (instead of to liquid THEN gas). It describes Laura going from being icy (solid) about the Professor (who'd annoyed her by treating her like everyone else), and then to being as light as air (gas) when she gets to spend her birthday in London with Layton. The Professor's house exterior is strictly based off the house that the principal from Matilda lives in. That's what I think of when I envision the Professor's place. I. ADORE. THAT. HOUSE. Anyway, concerning the piano concert, Waldo Hauptwurk is fictional, but Erik Satie is NOT: he's a French composer, and happens to be one of my two absolute favorite pianists (other is Beethoven, haha). 'Hauptwerk' is the German word for one of the manuals (keyboards) on a pipe organ; I merely changed a letter in the pianist's name. The last name of Laura's 'alter ego' that she transforms into—Greta Wienhoft—is my mom's maiden name. It's a rare German surname.

Chapter 15: Only The Lonely Can Play—The title is from an old 80's song of the same name. It signifies Laura's loneliness, due to her cooping up her feelings while sorting them out about the Professor. The whole thing with Laura finding her piano tuned is based off of an experience I had, when a mentor of mine paid to fix and tune my piano while I was at school. One of the best gifts ever….

Chapter 16: Et Tu, Brute?—Simply a line from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" play. Caesar says it to his friend, Brutus, before being murdered.

Chapter 17: Mercury Rising— The title is referring not only to the weather becoming warmer, but the intensity of Layton and Laura's relationship becoming stronger. I thought of it after listening to Sting, who has an album entitled "Mercury Falling". The village that Layton and Laura visit—Mare Avenae—is fictional, and means "Sea of Oats" in Latin. Strictly because I love oatmeal. HAHA! Laura's purchase of a sunhat is based off of my memory of choosing a hat for Easter Mass when I was younger. I adore wide-brimmed hats. The Latin word for "solution" is "solutio"….yes, boring. The song that Laura is forced to play—'Le belle excentrique'—is a duet, and of course by Erik Satie. It's one of my favorite songs, and means 'The Eccentric Beauty'… Laura, anyone?

Chapter 18: Acceleration Due to Depravity—I was thinking of "acceleration due to gravity" when I wrote this chapter title. So…instead, it's the acceleration of Layton/Laura's relationship, due to what some feel is 'depravity' (a teacher falling for a student, a decade younger).

Chapter 19: (W)hole—When everything came out in the open for Layton and Laura, it was supposed to create a sense of 'wholeness'….but it only seemed to create a void (or hole) when Layton realized it couldn't work. Hence, the (w)hole pun.

Chapter 20: It's Nothing or Nothing—Nothing clever here. The options for Layton and Laura are only nothing. There's nothing that can continue between them (at least as Layton sees it).

Chapter 21: Gift Receipt—Gift receipts are handy for returning gifts you find to be subpar…and Laura would rather return the Professor's friendship and never have it in the first place. That's what the title refers to.

Chapter 22: Words to Live By—Title refers to the same words that the Professor says near the end of the chapter, in response to when Laura says that "some things never change". Indeed, and this alludes to the fact that Layton and Laura still love each other, despite their animosity and past. Laura's accident took place at the intersection of the streets Emerson, Lake, and Palmer; 'Emerson, Lake, and Palmer' is a rock band from the 1970's.

Chapter 23: Soluble—Again, referring to a science term, which is when something can be dissolved into water (or another liquid). Laura and Layton's whole relationship kinda dissolved into nothingness. The Professor that Layton talks to is named Schroedinger, like the physicist. Petrolite is a fictional company, with the word 'petrol' in there, since they deal with the stuff.

Chapter 24: Bittersweet—Referring to Layton and Laura's meeting after 10 years.

Chapter 25: Thesis Statement—While referring to the annoying female students' constant reason for badgering Layton (to help them with their thesis), also refers to the main setting (thesis) and titular object of this story, which finally has its debut: The Book of Memory.

Chapter 26: When In Rome—They all go to Rome, so…yeah. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'. Haha. The hotel is based on a Double Tree hotel I stayed in while I was in Dallas, Texas. The restaurant Rulli's is based on a restaurant owned by an Italian family here in my home town. Laura's hatred of Italian food is…you guessed it! My shared hatred. HOWEVER! Now that I've been to Rome, I now know their food is exceptionally better than any here in the States, so I have changed my opinion… Fiumicino and Ostia are real towns in Italy.

Chapter 27: Prelude to Interference—Just the part before Laura and Layton get further into their arguing. That's all it means.

Chapter 28: Sequel to Interference—And the bomb is dropped, and the happy couple argue pretty intensely. So that's the 'interference', and then…the sequel.

Chapter 29: Who You Know (And Who You Don't)—The chapter material is…well, more about how much no one knows about anybody…since Edward Chancey II is obscurely known, and Leopold is shrouded in mystery too. Stabilnon is first mentioned here; it's a made-up town, and is fake Latin for "not stable". Carbonite/Carbite was a word I randomly happened to like, then I found out it was an early explosive, and some other chemistry stuff….and apparently a compound in Star Wars? I chose to introduce a toucan as the main animal in this story because I LOVE toucans. I also love parrots so I put those in here too for good measure. The whole Polonius reference is from Hamlet, my favorite line from my favorite Shakespeare play.

Chapter 30: Of Locks and Snowflakes—It's winter time! Hence the mention of snowflakes… 'Locks' refers to locking down emotionally, which is what the Professor and Laura continue to do. The little café—The Daily Grind—is the name of a little local coffee shop in my city (that actually closed since I've written this story).

Chapter 31: An Unsettling Discovery—Refers to the duo finding out about the death of several archaeologists and Arthur Thackman.

Chapter 32: Stabilnon—Nothing hidden or special here. It's just the name of the town. It's fictional, and somewhere in South Carolina, near the coast. I imagine the setting to look like the area down around Charleston and Kiawah (where I vacationed once). The snow part is an anomaly of what their weather typically is, obviously. Souse is a food I happen to enjoy, so I put it in here. As well as the mention of jarlsberg cheese (which is actually Norwegian). 'The loudest duck gets shot' is apparently a Chinese proverb. Regardless, it's one of my favorite phrases.

Chapter 33: Englishman in New York Chicago-Arrival— The title is based off of a Sting song, "Englishman in New York". But…since they go to Chicago, it's crossed out. And they arrive so this is the 'Arrival' part... Duh. I've never been to New York and I love Chicago, so I made the Prof and Laura go there. The places mentioned (O'Hare Airport, the Blue Line train that they board, the destinations mentioned such as the silver bean, Navy Pier, etc.) are all real. However, the restaurant names are fake (Drink 'n Donuts is based on Dunkin' Donuts, Jungle Juice is Jamba Juice…). I brought in Don Paulo since he's a reoccurring character in the games. I also threw him in here so that Laura would 'slip up' and mention knowing about Layton's previous encounter with a ferris wheel… By the way, did you ever solve the riddle? The answer (which was never revealed) is MILK!

Chapter 34: Englishman in New York Chicago-Departure—Time to get outta Chicago. This is the last mention of the pair being in that location. The Museum of Science and Industry is a real museum in Chicago.

Chapter 35: Rock and Rule—Title is a play on 'rock and roll'. One, the Professor deals with rocks. Two, there is a discussion on the 'rules' of the Book of Memory (based on the Professor's encounter with Laura when she was a student at Holmes and Chesset). Three, Leopold gets more weird, and expresses more megalomaniac behavior with his cryptic events and demeanor, hence, a 'ruler'/dictator. Anyway, I came up with the name 'Holmes and Chesset' by looking at 2 boxes in my bedroom: one of a fan (which had the brand Holmes), and one of a Lord of the Rings chess set…which became Chesset. The missing person report was made by 'Maybe Chancey'. This is a code name for Mabel Chancey, Edward Chancey II's wife, and Edward III's mother. Edward III stuck his mother in an asylum, however she was completely capable of using all her mental faculties. She started the missing person's report to find her husband, whom had gone missing prior to her going into the asylum. It was quickly ended though when her son found out about it. When I wrote Emmy into this story, the last Layton games hadn't come out. Thus, I didn't know how things went between her and the rest of the characters…. So this is a discrepancy in the canon information of the Layton series. I may rewrite this chapter and just leave Emmy out…

Chapter 36: The Drill—This is about the drill! Duh! Southend-On-Sea is a real place in England. The physics I used in this chapter are entirely made up. I tried to make it logical as best as I could.

Chapter 37: All That Is Gold—Referring to when the Professor is on his way to investigate Leopold's office, and he looks around him and takes note of what really is important to him. You know the phrase, "all that is gold does not glitter…"

Chapter 38: Pin The Tail—In reference to the classic children's game, Pin the Tail on the Donkey. So…who's the 'ass' in this whole thing? Hahaha. That's mainly what I was going for. During Leopold's speech, he mentions about 'washing away iniquities' and 'cleansing from sins'. This is a direct use of Psalm 51:2 in the Bible. Also, Laura leaves her coat behind here… And yet sports it later on in another chapter. That wasn't a mistake on my part. SHE GRABBED ANOTHER ONE AT SOME POINT. I PROMISE.

Chapter 39: Instinct—What do you do in a crisis? You have to rely on instinct sometimes. And that happens a lot in this chapter. I had actually written this chapter years before I finally got to this part in the story… Haha.

Chapter 40: Spider Tactics—What does a spider do best? What tactics does he use? He builds a highly elaborate web, and ensnares. Leopold is the spider. Or…is he? There's a lot of cunning work going on in this story, but the title mostly alludes to Leopold/Edward the 3rd.

Chapter 41: White-Collar Delusions—Simply alludes to the delusions of the rich, and in this case, that is Edward. The scuffle between Laura and Edward in the beginning of this chapter was written while listening to the song "Detra-Giant Appears" from the "Eternal Diva" OST, and if read and listened to at a synced pace, the action matches up with the song.

Chapter 42: 9.8 m/s^2—The acceleration due to gravity… Things fall apart rather quickly in this chapter, much like an object falling straight towards the earth. Splat!

Chapter 43: The One-Thousand Masks of Laura Haris—The 'masks' in the chapter title allude to the fact that Laura has many emotions bottled up inside of her, and she starts losing control of herself in this part of the story.

Chapter 44: Map to Forgiveness—Although it seems odd since the Professor and Laura are close to dying, they explore a very emotional route to a final bout of forgiveness for their transgressions. Professor Layton gets a bit out of character here but…given the circumstances and the finality of Laura's decision to save everyone herself, perhaps it's a bit warranted.

Chapter 45: A Plan Unraveled—It's in this chapter we realize Edward's plan is finally put out. This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I loved the emotion in everyone.

Chapter 46: The Quiet Voice of Truth—The 'quiet voice' simply alludes to the Professor's brief conversation upon entering Laura's hospital room.

Chapter 47: Geist—'Geist' means 'ghost' in German. A certain specter hangs over the group at this point, as Laura's future is in the air. 'Wurstplatz' is a made up German word meaning "sausage plaza". Oh, and remember the man and little boy in the court audience…they'll be important later.

Chapter 48: No Luck For The Germans—This is a chapter title I meant to use a while ago, but…. It's completely random, based on the fact Laura is half-German and she indeed is out of luck at this point. I hated this chapter. I am not good at court scenes, apparently. The lawyer, Alduous Buxtehude, is a character I invented. His first name is from the author Alduous Huxley; the last name is from the organist Dieterich Buxtehude.

Chapter 49: The Molentary Express—Well, it's named after the train. Duh. Laura got out of prison early. Good behavior…? Hmm… We shall find out.

Chapter 50: Epilogue—Oh. That's just a little sampling of something sinister happening… :)


If there's anything else you are wondering at, throw it at me in a PM.

Please stay tuned and keep an eye out for part 2 of this little trilogy: Professor Layton and the Enchanted Labyrinth!