Title: The Potter Game
Author: Randomly Various
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Notes: I'm in a good mood.. So expect it to show.
Chapter Nine: The First Riddle
In time, each of the ten people woke up, ate breakfast, had coffee, and everything else in a person's morning routine. Each person found a note on their door. It was strange, because no one knew who had written it. It wasn't any of their handwriting, surely. So who could possibly put it up here? Maybe that Unspeakable had put it up there in their sleep. Of course, that's what it had to be. But even he didn't seem capable of the curly letters that were so neatly placed on the parchment.
"At 10:00 AM, please go to the kitchen. There will be another note laying there for you. IMPORTANT: Do not read the note until everyone is in the room!" At 10:05, everyone had joined in the kitchen. (So what's all this about anyway..) An envelope lay in the middle of the table.
"Should I do it?" Lupin asked. He had been the first in the kitchen and was holding the envelope.
"Fair enough." Harry said. The others agreed, with a little convincing of a Malfoy. Lupin carefully opened the top of the envelope and pulled out a piece of parchment.
"Here's riddle number one. Figure this out and you get today's clue. At the end of the day, you will all state your answers here at the table at promptly 7:30 PM. Here you are:
'Count us if you will
Thrice you'll find, is just our fill
Mimed is one, the other ankle-high
But the leader isn't very shy
Take a DIP, we don't mind
And please leave a mess behind!'
"And uh.. 'DIP' is in capitals." Remus finished. They all sat there thinking about what it could mean.
"Well, I officially have no idea." Ron said, slouching back in the hard wooden chair. (Thrice? Who says 'thrice'?)
"Oh! Look, there are copies for each group." Remus said, pulling out four more pieces of parchment. He handed one to Harry, one to Ron, one to Hermione, one to Neville, and kept one to himself.
"So, I suppose we should all get to solving this riddle, eh?" Draco said. The others just shrugged and went with their partners to different places. (You can't be overheard when the stakes are high.)
Remus gave Camellia the riddle so that she could read it.
"You know, I think Hermione might get this. She's good at riddles. Always the top student when I taught at Hogwarts." Remus said. Camellia smiled.
"Ah yes, but you were the teacher, so maybe you'll get it."
"High hopes, high hopes." Remus said.
"Maybe we should figure it out one line at a time. That usually always works." Camellia said. Remus nodded.
"Good idea. Let's see.. 'Count us if you will'"
"Actually, this line goes with the second one. 'Count us if you will Thrice you'll find, is just our fill.'" Camellia pointed out.
"Yeah! That means that if we counted them, there would be three of them." Remus said, grinning.
"What do we know that come in three?" Camellia asked.
"Er.. Clovers." Remus said.
"What about four-leaf clovers?" Camellia said.
"Oh yeah, forgot about that." Remus said. "Let's just skip it and go to the next two lines."
"'Mimed is one, the other ankle-high But the leader isn't very shy'" Camellia said. "So, one is.. A mime? And one is only ankle-high.. And they have a leader that's outspoken."
"Gee, that tells us a lot." Remus laughed. Camellia shoved him playfully.
"'Take a DIP, we don't mind And please leave a mess behind!'" Camellia read the last of the riddle.
"Does that mean they like to cle-" Remus began but suddenly he jumped up from the bed. "I know the answer!" he shouted.
Draco sat down on the bed, straightening the comforter a bit from where Hermione had slept.
"This is strange.." Hermione said, reading the riddle over and over again.
"What is?" Draco asked.
"Hmm?" Hermione looked up.
"What's strange?"
"Oh.. The riddle.. Basically it says that there are a group of three. One is really quiet, one seems small, and one is loud and energetic... and.. They get into a lot of messes, maybe." she said.
"Sounds like some people I know." Draco smirked.
"If you're implying that Harry, Ron, and me are the answer to this puzzle then you-"
"I." Draco said.
"What?" Hermione shook her head. (He makes absolutely no sense!)
"Harry, Ron, and I." Draco said. He was correcting her! A blush formed on her cheeks.
"Well, anyway... I..er.. We couldn't possibly be the answer to this riddle."
"And why not?" Draco folded his arms.
"Okay, so that's our answer?"
"Yep."
Charlie sat down by the desk in the room with the riddle and Neville stood in the corner.
"What could this all mean?" Charlie asked. Neville raised and lowered a shoulder.
"I don't know at all. I'm not very good when it comes to riddles." he said.
"Well.. Clovers come in three. Do you think it's that?" Charlie asked.
"Could be. And the three different personalities could mean each leaf?" Neville said. Charlie laughed a bit.
"This is the best we've got, I suppose."
"Isn't there a Quidditch team called the Clovers?" inquired Neville.
"Yeah I think so. They're the only team that has two substitute chasers! So they have three chasers! It's perfect!" Charlie jumped up and gave Neville a high-five. "We have our answer."
Sybil sat down at a desk and pulled out a piece of parchment, starting to write.
"Aren't you going to try and figure out the riddle?" Ron asked, still holding it in his hand.
"Um, no.. You go ahead. I'm fine." she said. Ron sighed and sat down in a purple pouf. He couldn't do this on his own. Where's Hermione when you need her? With Draco, that's where. He shook his head in disgust. Poor Hermione, having to partner up with the Amazing Living Ferret... Speaking of Draco.. He lives with his mother and father.. That's three. And he's shorter than them.. His mother never talks and his father is an obnoxious freak! It works! But leave a mess behind? Maybe it's because Lucius was, or is rather, a Death Eater.
"I have the answer." Ron said to Sybil.
"That's nice." she muttered, entranced in her work.
"It's Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy." he said. That made her look up.
"I had to face a Sphinx in the Triwizard Tournament, this can't be much different." Harry joked. Luna laughed and looked at the riddle.
"Do you know what it could be?" she said.
"No idea." Harry replied.
"When I was little, my dad always told me a story about three giants that a man had to kill in order to marry the princess. Maybe that's what the answer is." she said.
"I doubt it.. But it's worth a shot." Harry said.
The sun started to set over the mansion, as it neared the time that they would all reveal their guesses. 7:30 came, and it was finally time for them to share with each other. They once more met at the kitchen table. Another envelope was waiting for them there. Lupin picked it up and opened it, pulling out a paper.
"'Now we will hear each answer. First, Lupin and Camellia.' Well, our answer is Nomi, Dipsy, and Wexler the House Elves." Lupin said. The others shrugged, they had never even seen the House Elves. "'Second, Draco and Hermione.'"
"We say Hermione, Ron, and Harry." Draco said. Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, confused. Hermione merrily shrugged.
"'Third, Charlie and Neville.'"
"We say the chasers for a Quidditch team called the Clovers." Charlie said. There were a few suppressed giggles at this, which Charlie and Neville chose to ignore.
"'Fourth, Ron and Professor.'"
"Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy." Ron said. Draco looked at Ron with a malicious glint in his eye. Ron shot it right back.
"'Fifth, Harry and Luna.'"
"The King and the Giants, a fairy tale." Luna said. Ron looked at Harry and Harry tried to hide his face.
"Ok, I guess the answer is on the next sheet in here." Remus said, pulling out another sheet of parchment from the envelope. "Let's see what it says."
Author: Randomly Various
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Notes: I'm in a good mood.. So expect it to show.
Chapter Nine: The First Riddle
In time, each of the ten people woke up, ate breakfast, had coffee, and everything else in a person's morning routine. Each person found a note on their door. It was strange, because no one knew who had written it. It wasn't any of their handwriting, surely. So who could possibly put it up here? Maybe that Unspeakable had put it up there in their sleep. Of course, that's what it had to be. But even he didn't seem capable of the curly letters that were so neatly placed on the parchment.
"At 10:00 AM, please go to the kitchen. There will be another note laying there for you. IMPORTANT: Do not read the note until everyone is in the room!" At 10:05, everyone had joined in the kitchen. (So what's all this about anyway..) An envelope lay in the middle of the table.
"Should I do it?" Lupin asked. He had been the first in the kitchen and was holding the envelope.
"Fair enough." Harry said. The others agreed, with a little convincing of a Malfoy. Lupin carefully opened the top of the envelope and pulled out a piece of parchment.
"Here's riddle number one. Figure this out and you get today's clue. At the end of the day, you will all state your answers here at the table at promptly 7:30 PM. Here you are:
'Count us if you will
Thrice you'll find, is just our fill
Mimed is one, the other ankle-high
But the leader isn't very shy
Take a DIP, we don't mind
And please leave a mess behind!'
"And uh.. 'DIP' is in capitals." Remus finished. They all sat there thinking about what it could mean.
"Well, I officially have no idea." Ron said, slouching back in the hard wooden chair. (Thrice? Who says 'thrice'?)
"Oh! Look, there are copies for each group." Remus said, pulling out four more pieces of parchment. He handed one to Harry, one to Ron, one to Hermione, one to Neville, and kept one to himself.
"So, I suppose we should all get to solving this riddle, eh?" Draco said. The others just shrugged and went with their partners to different places. (You can't be overheard when the stakes are high.)
Remus gave Camellia the riddle so that she could read it.
"You know, I think Hermione might get this. She's good at riddles. Always the top student when I taught at Hogwarts." Remus said. Camellia smiled.
"Ah yes, but you were the teacher, so maybe you'll get it."
"High hopes, high hopes." Remus said.
"Maybe we should figure it out one line at a time. That usually always works." Camellia said. Remus nodded.
"Good idea. Let's see.. 'Count us if you will'"
"Actually, this line goes with the second one. 'Count us if you will Thrice you'll find, is just our fill.'" Camellia pointed out.
"Yeah! That means that if we counted them, there would be three of them." Remus said, grinning.
"What do we know that come in three?" Camellia asked.
"Er.. Clovers." Remus said.
"What about four-leaf clovers?" Camellia said.
"Oh yeah, forgot about that." Remus said. "Let's just skip it and go to the next two lines."
"'Mimed is one, the other ankle-high But the leader isn't very shy'" Camellia said. "So, one is.. A mime? And one is only ankle-high.. And they have a leader that's outspoken."
"Gee, that tells us a lot." Remus laughed. Camellia shoved him playfully.
"'Take a DIP, we don't mind And please leave a mess behind!'" Camellia read the last of the riddle.
"Does that mean they like to cle-" Remus began but suddenly he jumped up from the bed. "I know the answer!" he shouted.
Draco sat down on the bed, straightening the comforter a bit from where Hermione had slept.
"This is strange.." Hermione said, reading the riddle over and over again.
"What is?" Draco asked.
"Hmm?" Hermione looked up.
"What's strange?"
"Oh.. The riddle.. Basically it says that there are a group of three. One is really quiet, one seems small, and one is loud and energetic... and.. They get into a lot of messes, maybe." she said.
"Sounds like some people I know." Draco smirked.
"If you're implying that Harry, Ron, and me are the answer to this puzzle then you-"
"I." Draco said.
"What?" Hermione shook her head. (He makes absolutely no sense!)
"Harry, Ron, and I." Draco said. He was correcting her! A blush formed on her cheeks.
"Well, anyway... I..er.. We couldn't possibly be the answer to this riddle."
"And why not?" Draco folded his arms.
"Okay, so that's our answer?"
"Yep."
Charlie sat down by the desk in the room with the riddle and Neville stood in the corner.
"What could this all mean?" Charlie asked. Neville raised and lowered a shoulder.
"I don't know at all. I'm not very good when it comes to riddles." he said.
"Well.. Clovers come in three. Do you think it's that?" Charlie asked.
"Could be. And the three different personalities could mean each leaf?" Neville said. Charlie laughed a bit.
"This is the best we've got, I suppose."
"Isn't there a Quidditch team called the Clovers?" inquired Neville.
"Yeah I think so. They're the only team that has two substitute chasers! So they have three chasers! It's perfect!" Charlie jumped up and gave Neville a high-five. "We have our answer."
Sybil sat down at a desk and pulled out a piece of parchment, starting to write.
"Aren't you going to try and figure out the riddle?" Ron asked, still holding it in his hand.
"Um, no.. You go ahead. I'm fine." she said. Ron sighed and sat down in a purple pouf. He couldn't do this on his own. Where's Hermione when you need her? With Draco, that's where. He shook his head in disgust. Poor Hermione, having to partner up with the Amazing Living Ferret... Speaking of Draco.. He lives with his mother and father.. That's three. And he's shorter than them.. His mother never talks and his father is an obnoxious freak! It works! But leave a mess behind? Maybe it's because Lucius was, or is rather, a Death Eater.
"I have the answer." Ron said to Sybil.
"That's nice." she muttered, entranced in her work.
"It's Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy." he said. That made her look up.
"I had to face a Sphinx in the Triwizard Tournament, this can't be much different." Harry joked. Luna laughed and looked at the riddle.
"Do you know what it could be?" she said.
"No idea." Harry replied.
"When I was little, my dad always told me a story about three giants that a man had to kill in order to marry the princess. Maybe that's what the answer is." she said.
"I doubt it.. But it's worth a shot." Harry said.
The sun started to set over the mansion, as it neared the time that they would all reveal their guesses. 7:30 came, and it was finally time for them to share with each other. They once more met at the kitchen table. Another envelope was waiting for them there. Lupin picked it up and opened it, pulling out a paper.
"'Now we will hear each answer. First, Lupin and Camellia.' Well, our answer is Nomi, Dipsy, and Wexler the House Elves." Lupin said. The others shrugged, they had never even seen the House Elves. "'Second, Draco and Hermione.'"
"We say Hermione, Ron, and Harry." Draco said. Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, confused. Hermione merrily shrugged.
"'Third, Charlie and Neville.'"
"We say the chasers for a Quidditch team called the Clovers." Charlie said. There were a few suppressed giggles at this, which Charlie and Neville chose to ignore.
"'Fourth, Ron and Professor.'"
"Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy." Ron said. Draco looked at Ron with a malicious glint in his eye. Ron shot it right back.
"'Fifth, Harry and Luna.'"
"The King and the Giants, a fairy tale." Luna said. Ron looked at Harry and Harry tried to hide his face.
"Ok, I guess the answer is on the next sheet in here." Remus said, pulling out another sheet of parchment from the envelope. "Let's see what it says."