DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Don't sue, I'm poor. EXCEPTION: I own the Witches of Trane, the Crystal Orb, the flying carpet idea for the story (kinda), the idea that the forests of Albania are next to the Dead Sea and the Door of Serenity.
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CHAPTER 16: Sphinx (Chapter rated PG)
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Meanwhile...
Ginny turned to look at what was in front of her and her school headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. It was a humongous Sphinx, like the ones that were in the Twiwizard Tournament, and that guarded Gringotts bank's vaults. The sphinx looked liked a large lion, with a large yellow mane, and soft-looking fur. Ginny gasped in fright. She knew that Sphinxes were famous for their riddles, and that they usually are used to guard treasure. They also are usually very violent.
This one looked very ferocious, and was drooling and foaming at the mouth.
"Who dares to enter my domain?" questioned the Sphinx, looking unpleasantly at Ginny and Professor Dumbledore.
Professor Dumbledore looked over at Ginny, pleading with her not to say anything.
"I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." he said solemnly. The Sphinx looked at Ginny.
"And this?" it questioned, glaring at Ginny.
"This is Ginevra Weasley. We wish to speak to your master."
"First, you must answer 3 riddles. If you answer them correctly, you can pass. If not, you can never come back."
Professor Dumbledore nodded.
"First riddle." said the Sphinx, sitting on its hind paws, reproachfully. "What is so fragile that even saying its name can break it?" asked the Sphinx.
Ginny's mind raced. So fragile even its can could break it? Surely it was some magical device she hadn't heard of. She looked at her Professor, who looked equally puzzled. Then he spoke, after a few minutes.
"Silence." said the Professor assuring.
The Sphinx nodded, amused. "Very good. This next one is much harder, and longer."
"I am a tale in children's' minds.
I keep their secrets and share them inside.
I blur their thoughts into fantasies kept like a canvas of art or a submarine depth.
Though an illusion, it occurs every night; I give them a fantasy, I give them a fright.
Nor good or bad, but always nigh'.
It's interesting to tell.
What am I?"
Ginny thought about this one. A tale in children's minds. 'This should be easy.' she thought. 'I was just a child. Dumbledore, however, is very old. I have to answer this one.' It occurs every night... It's a dream! Thought Ginny. It must be. What else gives children fantasy, but also a scare? But what if I'm wrong? The Sphinx could kill us both! She thought some more on it, and right when she was about to answer, the Professor spoke.
"A dream."
The Sphinx growled. "You're correct. Now it is her turn to answer." The Sphinx turned to Ginny. Ginny gulped, as beads of sweat started to form on her forehead.
"With thieves I consort,
With the vilest, in short,
I'm quite at ease in depravity;
Yet all divines use me,
And savants can't lose me,
For I am the center of gravity.
What am I?"
Ginny's head was pounding, and she was sure the Sphinx knew she couldn't answer. She decided to try it at least, she thought. Give it her best effort.
'Consort means to keep company with.' she thought.
'With thieves I keep company with.
With the unpleasentest, in short,
I'm quite at ease in...'
Ginny thought about what 'depravity' meant, as she looked nervously towards the Sphinx. He looked increasingly impatient.
Ginny remembered that depravity meant a corrupt practice.
'I'm quite at ease in a corrupt practice;
Yet all divines use me,'
'Divines?' Thought Ginny. Divines could be women, or something very spectacular.
'And savants, which were someone that was admitted to a membership in a scholar field, can't lose me.'
'Well,' thought Ginny, 'savants would love literature... A book? The alphabet?'
'And I am the center of gravity.'
What was the center of gravity, which scholars would hate to lose, and keep company with thieves?
The Sphinx finally spoke up, "Look, girl, I don't have all day! I have people to riddle, things to kill, places to be. Do you have the answer or not?"
Ginny gulped. "Just, 2 more minutes." she said stammering. The Sphinx sighed and nodded.
Ginny thought of a word, or a letter that was the center of gravity.
'V!' she thought. 'Savant has a v in it; they couldn't lose it because its part of the alphabet and it's also in thieves!' She was very proud of herself, and before she could hesitate and change her answer, she spoke.
"It's the letter v." said Ginny, not very sure of herself. The Sphinx smirked. "And so it is. You may enter, but beware. There are things beyond me, that are much much worse that you must encounter."
Ginny's headmaster thanked him, and Ginny smiled meekly. The Sphinx didn't look so fierce now, and it smiled at her as she walked by. There was a long passageway that they took walking briskly. Then, at the end, they faced a dilemma. 3 doors. One was rectangle-shaped, one oval-shaped, and one was extremely small. Which would they have to choose to get to her family?
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Ron finally landed, on a dusty floor. There were two hallways, one was dark and led farther into the ground, and one was brightly lit, going up. Ron noticed a small, two-headed snake in the brightly lit hallway. He wasn't sure what this meant, but he knew it probably wasn't good.
'It could be the baby of a bigger, meaner two-headed snake up the way!' thought Ron. The only thing he was almost as terrified of as spiders, were snakes. He hated snakes. Once, when he was a child, his family went to a Magical Wizard Circus, and Ron was nearly strangled by the tight-rope walking enchanted snake. He was never the same.
Ron remembered something he'd read in one of his favorite series, The Lord of the Rings. Gandalf, the wise wizard in the books told Frodo, the young hobbit, to always follow his nose. Ron sniffed both hallways. Surprisingly, the dark hallway smelled clearer. So he took a deep breath and started down it, hoping for the best.
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CREDITS: -- www . riddles-online . com-- for the riddles I used in this chapter. Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring Movie - I've never read the books, but I love the movies and in the first one, Gandalf and the Fellowship are stuck at a fork in the Mines of Moria, he tells them to fllow their noses when he doesn't know the way.
Good chapter! Not my favorite, but eh, we can't always not get what we don't want.
kriCket x0 - Yeah, now that you mention it I don't like the way he confessed it either... ack! Yeah I don't support Ron and Hermione either. I just thought it would add to the plot and romance of the story.
MiSs JoVaNNa - What did happen to Hermiones parents? I dunno. Good point. I'm glad you love it! Thanks for reviewing. :-)
Flavagurl - Wow! Denmark! Thats so exciting. You have alot of background. I'm so boring compared to you. Blonde-hair, blue-eyed European person thats family has been living in the US for a long time. I've never even been out of this country! We live in Florida now, though, no mountains here either. We used to live in Seattle, thats in Washington state, and there were mountains there. Thank you!
Lestatlover1784 - Good. I was waiting for you to get the hint! Haha, just kidding my faithful reviewer. Thanks.
