Archive of Riddles

Julia H. - Apr 27, 2008 3:03 am (#2711 of 2981)

The riddle: The answer is not the Room of Requirement, not the Pensieve, not a prophecy, not Tom Riddle, not Trelawney, not Veritaserum, not a Remembrall.

But Dryleaves has got the answer again. It is indeed Snape's Riddle from PS/SS. Congratulations! I'm looking forward to your next riddle.

"The truth I tell you, use your brains and mind"
Everything the riddle says is true but you need to think to understand it.

"Your destiny or destination find"
You may reach your destination if you solve the riddle and find the potion you need in order to go on or to go back. Or you may just meet your destiny (in the form of poison).

"My purpose is to fight against my name"
The riddle was made with the purpose of guarding the Philosopher's stone against Voldemort, also known as Tom RIDDLE.

"The question and the answer are the same."
The question is a riddle (my riddle) and the answer is another riddle (Snape's riddle).

Dryleaves - Apr 27, 2008 10:44 am (#2719 of 2981)

Hahaa, Julia! Congratulations! I hope you have a new riddle in store! I thought this would be an easy one, but that was quick!

I give a short explanation anyway:

I lead your way (It's a map...)
I lead astray (The mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school.)
I need a promise and a spell ("I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" is needed to use it.)
Then nothing but the truth I tell (The map never lies.)

Julia H. - Apr 28, 2008 1:14 am (#2725 of 2981)
Edited Apr 28, 2008 2:15 am

Dryleaves, of course, it is! I was sure it would take no time for you to guess this one but I wanted to make a riddle to honour the Hungarian Horntail anyway. It is your turn again!

Dryleaves - Apr 29, 2008 7:41 am (#2741 of 2981)

Well, Julia, this is almost getting spooky now, but you did it again! The right answer to the riddle is indeed Mr. Weasley's car. So you are on it again!

Julia H. - May 2, 2008 6:45 am (#2802 of 2981)

Do I have to say it at all? Dryleaves has done it again! Yes, the "true" answer is Veritaserum.

The explanation:

Watch four scenes to see the part I play:
There are four "Veritaserum-scenes" (if I am not mistaken).

Full and empty yet the same I stay
In the first scene we see a bottle FULL of Veritaserum, about which Snape makes an EMPTY (not fulfilled) threat to Harry (that he will put a few drops into his drink).

Truth in Falsehood, though it may sound strange
This is the summary of the scene where Fake-Moody (Falsehood) is given Veritaserum (Truth) and confesses everything (the truth).

Two more scenes but I'm not seen on stage:
As explained below:

Substituted once though I'm not ill
By a fake that does not have my skill
Umbridge wants to feed Harry Veritaserum and does not know that the substance she got is not the real thing.

In scene four I must be made to hide
Kept in secret, lied about, denied.
Umbridge wants to give Harry Veritaserum again but Snape tells her that he has no more Veritaserum in store.

Congratulations, Dryleaves, well-done! The riddle is yours.

Dryleaves - May 5, 2008 1:21 am (#2843 of 2981)
Edited May 5, 2008 2:31 am

Legilimens it is!

Edit: I forgot to make it clear that the answer is Lily's letter to Sirius.

Yes Julia, you did it again! So the riddle is yours now. And it is your turn to practice Occlumency!

Here is an explanation:

The first: I went to him with clear intention
Greeting him with a friendly look
The letter is sent to and intended for Sirius. It is a letter to a friend.

The second: He came poor and needing
Of course I gave, of course he took
Snape finds the letter when he is in need of comfort and takes the part of the letter that can give him that.

The third: I gave him everything I had
But left him hungry still[/b]
Harry finds the part that is left, but searches desperately for the other half and for what his mother had written about DD. He doesn't find it.

Not until later, and by other hands
I gave him what would satisfy his will
It is not until he watches Snape's memories that he can read the rest of it.

Explanation for the clue:

I am one or maybe two
It is one letter, but ripped in two by Snape.

But I was never three
They were only mentioned

Because they met with me
The three he’s were the ones that read the letter on different occasions. (At least the three we know of.)

It is I who am the answer
It was never he
The first: his name was dark and light
Sirius (light) Black (dark)

The second stumbled through internal night
Well, Snape didn't have a too happy life...
The third was held by hands, the same
That made and signed me with her name
Lily held Harry when he was a child and she wrote the letter.

Julia H. - May 6, 2008 12:57 am (#2867 of 2981)
Edited May 6, 2008 2:00 am

The riddle: the answer is not the magical mirrors that talk to wizards/witches who are using them, not a patronus, not Rita Skeeter, not the Hogwarts house elves or Tom Riddle's Diary, not the Sorting Hat.

But: it is indeed a boggart! The riddle goes back to DRYLEAVES! Well done again! (Incredible...)

The explanation:

You don't know me but I know you well
Nobody knows a boggart's original form but the boggart always "knows" the worst fear of the person standing in front of it.

I can tell you what you would not tell
A boggart can show ("tell") even secret fears, like Lupin's.

You don't like what I do: it is fun
Nobody likes being frightened but it is probably good for the boggart in some way.

When you start to like me, I am done
When you laugh at the boggart...

My wardrobe is absolutely rich
(I don't need a make-up artist witch)
A boggart can imitate anything and can take any shape, colour, material etc. (that is the "rich wardrobe") and without a make-up artist.

I expect no invitation cards
People do not like having boggarts in their houses.

When I visit, I don't mind the guards.
A boggart can apparently get into well-guarded places like Hogwarts or 12GP.

I liked the "Rita Skeeter" guess, the clues fit rather well. Does it open new perspectives for the analysis of Rita's personality to discover how much she has in common with a boggart.

Dryleaves - May 6, 2008 11:31 pm (#2879 of 2981)

The riddle: The answer is not Ron, not Ginny, not the Elder Wand, not the Invisibility Cloak, not Harry. Then I feel I'm in a bit of a dilemma, because Swedish Short-Snout answered the Resurrection Stone, which is very close, but what I had in mind was the ring with the Resurrection Stone in it.

So, congratulations, rcs, the riddle is yours!

And an explanation for the riddle:

One of seven
The ring is one of the horcruxes.

One of three
It is also one of the Deathly Hallows.

Whatever you seek
The answer is me

So, whether you chose to look for the horcruxes or go for the Hallows, you would have to come across the ring.

It is really interesting to see the guesses to the riddle one has made, because sometimes I think the riddle would have been much better with another answer. I almost wish the answer to this riddle had been Ron, because he is indeed one of seven and one of three. And he would certainly be worth a riddle!

rcs - May 7, 2008 1:54 pm (#2888 of 2981)

Yes, freshwater, it is George Weasley.

Here's the explanation:

Twice a pair divided
The first time was the loss of George's ear; the second was Fred's death.

Each time, one half irrevocably lost;
Self-explanatory

The first time he laughs
George makes light of the loss of his ear.

Little knowing the grief of an unexpected friend;
Snape grieves at having inadvertently caused George's injury.

The second time he himself grieves,
When Fred dies.

His greatest treasure snatched away in an instant;
George's greatest treasure is his twin.

Yet the battle-worn survivor goes on.
Self-explanatory

Sorry that was so easy.

freshwater - May 8, 2008 7:38 pm (#2920 of 2981)
Edited May 8, 2008 8:43 pm

Now you have it exactly right, Verity! Thanks for going along with my obsessiveness on this!

I appear to be detached,
Luna often appears dreamy or as if she'd shown up by accident

Fear not, I am secure.
But she is very secure in her view of her self

Some think me ridiculous,
some students think she is weird and make fun of her

but my dignity befits one at home in a castle.
Luna is nearly always calm and dignified, and her home is shaped like a rook

We won't quibble,
Her dad publishes the Quibbler newspaper

for I know my own mind.
Luna is clear and confident in her own beliefs

I see the unseen.
She can see thestrals

I hear the unheard.
She heard the voices behind the veil in the Dept. of Mysteries

I seek that which you know not.
She and Xeno search for creatures no one else believes in

However...
It's not myself, but what I own, this riddle is about.
Some are amazed, others amused,
Thinking of the reactions in OotP, when Luna rushes out of the greenhouse to tell Harry that she believes him about LV being back...but her strange earrings have others laughing at her or staring in amazement.

By the "super usual" role this plays.
I was trying to use "super usual" as a synonym for "extra-ordinary"....Dirigible Plums are supposed to enhance your ability to accept the extraordinary.

Free is the kissing ball so help yourself,
The sign by the Lovegood home said to help yourself to mistletoe, but to...

but this is not...
Keep Off! ...keep off the dirigible plums.

It was great fun doing the riddle today… thanks to all who were patient with my vagueness... If I'd posted the entire riddle in the beginning would it have been too easy? That was my fear...

Special thanks to those who guessed "Harry's left foot" and "right hand"...

Verity Weasley - May 9, 2008 2:23 pm (#2939 of 2981)

The answer to the riddle is not Nymphadora Tonks or Mundungus, but ... Dryleaves has it again! It is Crookshanks.

With features like mine I could work in a bar,
Crookshanks is described as having a bottlebrush tail which would undoubtedly come in handy for cleaning bottles at the Hogs Head - much better than Aberforth's dirty rag.

But my half-blood status means I'll go far.
Crookshanks is half Kneazle, and they have an excellent sense of direction.

A Weasley?
Not me.
But I could be.
With Crookshanks' ginger fur (hair) he'd fit right in with the Weasley family.

Not Harry's left foot, but a petty criminal's lower leg.
The giveaway clue! Petty criminal = crook + lower leg = shank (more commonly applied to animals, as in lamb shanks).

Well done Dryleaves!

Dryleaves - May 11, 2008 2:59 am (#2977 of 2981)
Edited May 11, 2008 4:27 am

The riddle: The answer is not Gryffindor's Sword, not the Basilisk, not Sectumsempra, not a Dementor, not the potion in the cave where Slytherin's locket was hidden, not Nagini, but yes, Swedish Short-Snout: it is a basilisk fang! Congratulations! I look forwards to your riddle!

And now, the explanation:

Wickedest of wicked, beware!
Horcruxes are the wickedest of evil things and can be destroyed by the venom of the basilisk fang.

But if you’re innocent, don’t think I care!
You can be sure that I will kill

’Cause murder is my only skill
The fangs are lethal and will kill anyone who is bitten by them, good or evil.

A regent’s weapon, one of two
The basilisk is the King of Serpents and it has two ways of killing: one is its poisonous fangs the other is its stare.

And when I hit, then you should know
That only weeping is of good to you
The antidote is phoenix tears.

Edit: I think it is time to start a new thread now, but I don't feel confident enough to do it, so it would be great if someone with more experience (or daring) would do so. I fear I would mess it all up!

Swedish Short-Snout - May 13, 2008 6:05 am (#49 of 2993)
Edited by May 13, 2008 7:08 am

Julia is right - the answer was the Gryffindor Chasers, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. Congratulations, Julia!

Come and seek the first one! Hear the sound
From the tower's top, high above the ground. Bell.

And when you're searching for the second one:
It's not (though so it sounds) the werewolf's son. Remus Lupin's middle name is John. Johnson.

To find the third, you'll have to look
at the answer of a riddle from the book -
what does it do? The answer of a riddle from the book was a spider. Spinnet.
Our job is to attack. No explanation needed.

It's late, we'll leave, but we'll come back. They all leave Hogwarts late in the series, but return to fight Voldemort.

Julia H. - May 14, 2008 1:50 am (#72 of 2993)

Well-guessed, Dryleaves! So the three types of potion are cough potion (mentioned in HBP), love potion and Wolfsbane potion.

The explanation:

You have to recognize these three:
One is, I hope you will agree,
A wicked witch's ill trademark
This is cough, "the wicked witch" is Umbridge and her "ill" trademark is "hem hem". (Ill was intended to be a give-away word.)

Another: neither bad, nor dark
It may be sweet or may be sour
The world is conquered by its power
A feeble attempt to give a concise description of love.

The third though never runs or flies
Is still alive. Because it is a plant. Its name implies
(though it has names, more than just one)
It can defeat that which can run.
Wolfsbane: also known as monkshood or aconite, "that which can run" is the wolf.

Three words but not the answer yet
For that a fourth word you must get
One with the first, second and third

A pair for each is the same word. Potion.

Congratulations again!

Dryleaves - May 14, 2008 9:29 am (#80 of 2993)
Edited May 14, 2008 10:31 am

The answer to the riddle is not Ariana Dumbledore and not the Fat Lady, but I had hardly posted the riddle before Julia gave the right answer: Phineas Nigellus.

The explanation, if needed:

Framed in a crowded place
Well, he is in a frame... And he is put into Hermione's beaded bag with everything else that's in it.

Forced to live my name
Hermione puts a blindfold on him, so everything he sees is 'Black'

Still, not all is disgrace
In the circle I am all the same
He still has his portrait in the circular Headmaster's office at Hogwarts and he is one in the circle of former Headmasters that helps the present one.

Congratulations Julia! Now you're "stuck" with both the riddle and the hangman!

Julia H. - May 16, 2008 10:14 am (#124 of 2993)
Edited May 16, 2008 11:28 am

It is, Dryleaves! I thought so when I saw your comment! So, the riddle is yours and here is the explanation:

There are six of us, three on either side
We are different, listen to our guide:
So, there are six types of O.W.L. marks, three above and three below pass level.

"I give you more than any hopes you had"
Exceeds Expectations.

"I am so needy, I will make you sad"
Poor. ("Needy" is a synonym and this mark will certainly make one sad.)

"A lowly monster I am in the fold"
Troll. (A troll is a monster and it is lowly because that is the lowest mark.)

"I am, however, frightful to behold"
Dreadful. ("Frightful" is a synonym.)

"I am perfect: no starting point or end"
Outstanding. Perfect, because that is the best mark, while the second half of the line is a reference to the circular shape of O. (A circle has no beginning, as we know.)

"If you are modest, I can be your friend".
Acceptable. If one has only modest ambitions, a simple A will be OK.

Hint 1: Sorting and ordering will help.
The marks are mixed in the riddle.

Hint 2: "We are connected by achievement."
They all mark academic achievement.

Dryleaves - May 17, 2008 11:54 am (#154 of 2993)
Edited May 17, 2008 1:04 pm

The riddle: the answer is not the Goblet of Fire, not Xenophilius Lovegood, not Rita Skeeter, not the Diary, not Rufus Scrimgeour but, as Julia guessed, it's the Silver Doe!

The explanation:

And so arrives an uninvited guest
Well, the Doe is not invited but totally unexpected.

Not unwelcome when so appropriately dressed
If Snape had come himself Harry would probably have wanted to fight him, but the doe is beautiful and looks quite like the opposite of Snape, which is very appropriate... Harry feels good in her company and doesn't really mind her being there

Will socialize, connect, but not get trapped
The doe is friendly and will try to make contact with Harry, but walks away and only lets him follow, never catch her.

Quite a dancer, though this is not a ball
She is very light of foot.

Leaves a present, intricately wrapped
The Sword of Gryffindor, under the ice of the pool.

Turning out to be not a gift at all
The sword is not really a gift as you have to earn it to be able to use it.

Congratulations Julia! It's your turn to make a riddle!

Julia H. - May 19, 2008 6:00 am (#194 of 2993)

Well, another riddle is solved. Congratulations, Dryleaves, the answer is indeed: Fang. The riddle goes back to you!

A murderous monster always to kill
Commanded and ruled by an evil will;
This clue can have two different answers: either the basilisk or Nagini. Both kill at Voldemort's (Tom Riddle's) order.

A half-blood in an unusual way;
Hagrid. He is not the usual wizarding-muggle half-blood but a human-giant half-blood, which seems to be much less frequent. (Though Freshwater is right, Snape is also an unusual half-blood in his own way.)

A pure-blood, one in seven, we may say:
Bill Weasley.

They all share something, judging by the name
Fang (judging by the name of what they have "in common").

Although what it means may not be the same.
The snake's fang, Hagrid's dog (Fang) and the fang in Bill's earring. Totally different things in fact.

Dryleaves - May 19, 2008 11:47 pm (#214 of 2993)

The riddle: The answer is not Teddy Lupin and not the riddle Harry and Hermione from the horcrux locket, but the second guess was not wrong at all, Freshwater. The answer is the Marauders. Congratulations! The riddle is yours!

The explanation:

Twin stars brutally divided
Quidditch star James Potter and Sirius, two stars, separated when James is killed (2/2=1)

Two actors changing parts
Peter Pettigrew is the real traitor and Sirius the true loyal friend, but Sirius is accused for being the traitor and Pettigrew seems to be the friend (2)

Two must be lost forever
James is dead and Pettigrew is believed to be dead and is later revealed to be the servant of Voldemort (2 lost = 2-2=0)

One left, lonely, when the story starts
Lupin seems to be the only one left, since James is dead and Pettigrew is supposed to be so too, and Sirius is in Azkaban. (1)

Add now the results of every line above
1+2+0+1=4

To get the number of the hearts
There were four Marauders

That reunite, though one in mirrored form
They meet again in the Shrieking Shack, but James is represented by his son Harry, who looks almost exactly like him

Then scatter, actors changing back their parts
The truth about Sirius and Pettigrew is revealed. The Marauders will split up again as Pettigrew joins Voldemort (and later both Sirius and Lupin die).

Hmm... This riddle seems a bit far-fetched to me now when I write down the explanation... Good job, Freshwater!

freshwater - May 27, 2008 5:19 am (#330 of 2993)

Yes, Julia, it is the scar on Harry's hand that reads "I must not tell lies." Well done!

Secretly made, secretly kept.
Umbridge didn't make it well-known, and Harry tried to hide it from his friends.

Evil intent and embarassment.
Umbridge was evil in her intentions to make Harry stop telling the truth...Harry was embarassed by the scar and didn't want to show her any weakness in telling DD or others.

Threat, compliance and defiance, in one.
Threat: from Umbridge; compliance: by Harry, he quietly did as she instructed; defiance: he wouldn't complain about the scar or stop telling the truth.

Especially for James' and Lily's son.
Harry...right.

Product of an evil mind.
Umbridge

Yet truth and justice I did not bind.
Harry kept on tellling the truth and things worked out in the end.

Magically made, it will not heal.
A reference to the injury made by the blood quill, and to magically induced injuries not able to be healed by magic

Evidence of wrong-headed zeal.
Harry showed the scar to Scrimgeour the next year --or was it 7th year?-- as evidence of the Ministry's mistakes

What am I?

Julia H. - May 28, 2008 10:06 pm (#361 of 2993)
Edited May 28, 2008 11:08 pm

Pesky, the fact is that Julia did make it that obvious! LOL! The answer is indeed the Half-Blood Prince's Potions Book.

My career started on an autumn day
I did my job in the average way.
This is the first "life" of the potions book 50 years before Harry. Whoever was its first owner, (s)he must have used it as most students use a textbook. The "autumn day" is the beginning of a school-year (50 years ago).

There came someone who brought about a change
The Half-Blood Prince, who changed the book.
I became unique, enriched, improved, strange.
Unique, as no other potions book will be like this one; enriched and improved because of all the additional information/instructions that the Prince added and because these instructions were improvements; and strange because the Prince added new spells as well, which did no concern potion-making.

I gave my treasure secretly away
Harry secretly used the knowledge found in the book.

But there was a price my friend had to pay.
The "friend" is Harry, who considered the book (or rather the "Prince") a sort of friend; and of course Harry had to pay the price after using Sectumsempra.

Congratulations, Pesky! The riddle is yours! I'm looking forward to reading it!

PeskyPixie - Jun 9, 2008 6:38 am (#543 of 2993)
Edited Jun 9, 2008 7:40 am

Dryleaves, you've got it! The riddle most certainly refers to young Severus' greying underpants!

I'm Flawed, Not Fully Black Nor White =>'not fully black nor white', why it's grey of course! Quite a 'flaw' for white undies.

Friendships Bloom, Then Allies Fight =>James and Lily supposedly begin their be-yoo-ti-ful friendship (love 'blossoms' between the two), while best friends Sev and Lily snap at each other, ending their 'alliance'

Witness To Both Love And Rage =>these greying underpants are witness to both the 'love' and 'rage' in this scene

For I've Lived To A Ripe Old Age =>speaks for itself

Hint 1: Dumb Witness =>as far as I know, these pants weren't made for talking!

Hint 2: In essence, one, or perhaps ... two? =>well, it's one pair of underpants, but a pair refers to two.

I felt like being a bit goofy in this riddle, but that doesn't mean I don't feel bad for poor Severus in this situation.

Well done, Dryleaves! The riddle goblet passes over to you!

Dryleaves - Jun 10, 2008 12:24 am (#561 of 2993)

Alas, that riddle didn't even last the night! The answer is not poor Snape and not Hagrid, but his equally hairy friend, Aragog. Congratulations Orion! May your riddle have a longer life!

I will still provide a short explanation:

A foreigner I am
Aragog was originally from a distant country, but came to Hagrid as an egg.

And as strangers often are
Accused, though innocent I was
It was not fair, by far
Aragog was accused of being the monster in the Chamber of Secrets and of having killed Moaning Myrtle, but he was of course innocent.

I found a home, a family, a friend
He found a home in the Forbidden Forest, had his friend Hagrid, who found him a wife, with whom Aragog formed a big family.

Yet, lucky was the day, I finally did end
It was on the day of Aragog's funeral that Harry drunk the Felix Felicis potion and managed to get the real Horcrux memory out of Slughorn.

Orion - Jun 13, 2008 8:39 am (#632 of 2993)
Edited Jun 13, 2008 9:43 am

Yes!!! Julia, you have it! The de-puzzling of the puzzle:

People think I’m pretty cool.
There is (inexplicably) a Sectumsempra fan club. (*furtively tries to hide fan club membership card*)

If you do you are a fool.
(Imagine best prissy teacher's voice: "Children, it's not big or clever to use the Sectumsempra...")

Like an ice cream we were named,
Hissy alliteration SsssssectumSsssssempra sounds like Ssssseverus Sssssssnape's Ssssssuper Ssssslytherin Sssssssundae. Just like Sssssseverus Sssssssnape himself.

I and Daddy, both are famed.
You can say that again.

Our names remind you, too,
Of the pet out of the zoo.
The Ssssssnake who said "Thanksssss, mate" and went to Brazil.

Own me, sure, you’d like to, yet I'd like to be able to cast a Sectumsempra, wouldn't you?
Meet me, rather not, I bet. It's ultimately preferable to be at the rear end of a Sectumsempra than at the receiving end.

Hint 1: Not after, only like an ice cream. Sort of similar sounding. Alliteration accumulation!

Hint 2: Pesky named it. How does she think of stuff like that.

Hint 3: Running Gag #1 related stuff was always a speciality of Julia. And the Sectumsempra was always a speciality of Running Gag #1. Says Remus. And you didn't get it!!!

Hint 4: 'Ear, 'ear, I can 'ear the distant sound of a Sundae! 'Ear, 'ear, now it's clear.

Julia H. - Jun 15, 2008 1:17 am (#670 of 2993)
Edited Jun 15, 2008 2:18 am

Congratulations, TBE, the answer is really wand cores, more precisely the ones Ollivander uses.

Gifts of innocence, of life and of might
a gift innocence: unicorn hair
a gift of life: phoenix feather
a gift of might: dragon heartstrings

Magical power from magical sources
These things come from magical beings and are used with the purpose of making wands of magical power.

While we are hidden, safely out of sight
Inside the wand. (If the core becomes visible, it is a bad sign meaning the wand is broken.)

Magic is done by magical forces.
The wand works.

EDIT: Cross-posted with Orion! Thanks for the guesses!