Archive of Riddles

Swedish Short-Snout - Nov 27, 2009 12:06 pm (#646 of 1343)

It can't have been very tricky, Julia, since it was solved on the first guess. Well done, mona amon, and congratulations! The answer was indeed the fox killed by Bella.

Red meets green - Red fox, green AK spell.

in a flash of light
Two were seen;
one was black, one white
Dark Bellatrix and pale Narcissa.

Green meets red
in the dark of night
One lies dead
could not flee nor fight.
The fox.

Congratulations, mona! Looking forward to your riddle.

mona amon - Nov 28, 2009 5:12 am (#652 of 1343)

Legolas, the answer is not the Dark Mark, but it's Tonks' Patronus as Julia has already guessed!

Herald of the late one's plight
Tonks sent her patronus to Hogwarts to anounce the arrival of Harry, who was held up on the Hogwarts Express.

Indicator of turmoil.
The patronus has changed because of the emotional upheaval she's going through.

Wasn't it about Padfoot?
Harry thinks that Tonks is blaming herself for Sirius's death and wonders if the patronus (which he doesn't see clearly) represents Padfoot.

No, Moony!
But we find out later that Tonks is in love with Lupin, and that her patronus has changed to represent him.

Well done, Julia! Your turn next.

Julia H. - Dec 4, 2009 11:58 am (#696 of 1343)
Edited Dec 5, 2009 2:27 am

I declare SSS the winner, as her guess is really close. The answer, however, is not the electric fire, but the Dursleys' original, blocked-up fireplace. Congratulations!

Legolas, thanks for the guess. Dudley and Aunt Marge are two of those who have been close to the answer (physically).

Here is the explanation:

Though I lack what I have in my name
A fireplace without fire.

Not my fault: Someone else is to blame.
It must have been either Vernon's or Petunia's idea to block the fireplace and get an electric fire.

When I joined one day those with no lack
When it was connected to the Floo Network, i.e., to fireplaces with fire...

With the burden of that I did crack.
Too many Weasleys cramped in a small place - they had to burst the boarded-up fireplace open to get out.

Whose mistake was it then what transpired?
I.e., what happened to the Dursleys' living room...

No, not mine - all the same, I was fired.
Fire: Pun: 1. Creative use of the word: Mr. Weasley lit a fire in the fireplace to send the boys to the Burrow. 2. Not so creative use of the word: The fireplace was afterwards disconnected from the Floo Network, losing its temporary "job".

Hint: There was a substitute - quite interesting to some.
The electric fire - Mr. Weasley found it interesting, of course.

Hint 2: Of the guesses so far, only four have ever been near me.
Hagrid and Lupin visited the Dursley-house, Harry's wand spent some time there, and Petunia, of course, lived there all the time.

Hint 3: I was "perfectly normal" before.
This hint tried to direct your attention to the Dursleys. It was an ordinary Muggle ("normal") fireplace until Arthur Weasley came along.

SSS, I look forward to your next riddle.

HungarianHorntail11 - Jan 3, 2010 9:20 am (#709 of 1343)
Edited by Potteraholic Jan 3, 2010 1:27 pm

Sorry Legolas, it's not.

You've got it, Orion! The Astronomy Tower.

Looking to be as close as you can
This is the place to see the following.

to see a swan dive of sorts
DD's fall off the tower

to see the loyalty of man?
Snape kept to his word to DD despite how he felt about following through with it; also, DD prevented Draco from becoming a murderer at his expense.

Here, the pinnacle of places
It is one of the highest points and used to view the stars. Also to let the reader know it is a place I'm looking for.

for the subject of choice;
Astronomy Class.

a dwelling where works of discovery and erudition
Discovery of the stars and planets, and learning take place here.

can display the future or expose separation.
The Centaurs looked to the heavens to predict the future and DD made his plea to Severus (sever*us) here.

That was fun and I'm glad it wasn't an impossible quiz, lol.

Take it away, Orion!

Edited to include the answer to the riddle (the Astronomy Tower), for the Riddles Archive.

Orion - Jan 13, 2010 6:59 am (#735 of 1343)
Edited by Potteraholic Apr 11, 2010 1:26 pm

Edited to include information from the following posts (#732, #733, and #734) to provide a full explanation of the riddle's answer.

Post #732, Orion: What??? Moanging Myrtle? No, legolas, that's not the answer! Not enough legs. Ron and spiders, legolas, Ron and spiders!

This person here’s not scared of me
That’s nice
But another one who lives here
Would be very scared indeed

Who or what am I?

Hint 1: I, the Speaker, am actually in movement. The question is: From where to where?

Hint 2: I distantly remember having seen the Ford Anglia. That must have been ages ago, regarding my normal lifespan.

Hint 3: I wasn't in the recent movie. How unfair! But alas, I'm so small.

Post #733, HungarianHorntail11: Are they the spiders out back in the broom shed of the Burrow?

Post #734, Julia H.: HH11, that's a very good guess, I think you've got it! Except that the riddle sounds like the answer may be only one of those spiders. Let's see what Orion says. BTW, I read your previous riddle only after it was solved, but I liked it very much. It was a great riddle.

Post #735, Orion: Yes! Legolas, indeed your answer is correct, but Julia is, as always, correct, too. Which little spider is the speaker? I'm sure you'll see the answer with the help of the first line. I'm not posting the whole riddle again because the answer is, from here on, quite clear.

Post #736, legolas returns: Is it the spider on Dumbledore’s hat?

Post #737, Orion: Yes, legolas. Congratulations! I'm looking forward to your new riddle.

legolas returns - Feb 2, 2010 10:06 am (#765 of 1343)

Congratulations! Orion you are correct-Gemino charm is right .

Charming yet duplicitous
A charm that makes an identical copy

Confusing but maintaing the status quo..
The horcrux Hermione took from Umbridge's neck was duplicated using the Gemino charm. Umbridge would not be able to tell the difference and she would not realise that the original was missing

Watch you don't get overwhelmed! The complications were put right shortly afterwards making the recent past look like the distant past.
In Bella's vault the items had been charmed so that they multiplyed in number and burnt anyone touching them. They almost got overwhelmed by the amount of stuff and the burns. The burns were quickly healed with potion which made them look like injuries that had healed a long time ago.

In extreme circumstances the answer was used when prudence would suggest a different approach.
If you were in the MOM surrounded by advancing Dementors you might just want to grab the chain and then make a quick exit. Hermione duplicated the chain and put the fake one around Umbridge’s neck.

In the Muggle world a similar tool can be used when emailing groups of people.
I was thinking of how you can CC (carbon copy) someone so that they get a copy of the message.

Orion - Feb 5, 2010 3:07 am (#773 of 1343)

Yay! You're correct, legolas, it's the duel between Draco and Harry which never happened because Draco didn't show up. Congratulations!

Some things I did:

- involve four people: - Ron, Harry, and originally Draco and Goyle.

- scare the two of those people who turned up out of their wits, plus another person who didn’t have to be there at all: - Ron and Harry, and Neville who was towed along.

- make one other person very angry: - Hermione who sort of towed herself along.

- lead to an important discovery: - Fluffy and the trapdoor.

- set a whole chain of events in motion: - The final duel with Quirrelmort.

- force another person to answer some uncomfortable questions: - Hagrid.

Not bad for something which never happened at all, is it?

legolas returns - Feb 26, 2010 4:17 pm (#790 of 1343)

Congratulations Orion… the Invisibility Cloak is the correct answer.

This should be quite simple.

Ancient of days
The cloak is very old in comparison to those made of Demiguise. It does not become less effective over time.

Unobtrusive
You can walk past someone and they won't see you.

Multifunctional
You can sneak off to get food like James did, you can go on Adventures at the full moon, wander around the castle, dissaperate under it. The list is endless.

Impenetrable
You can't accio it, nobody can see you under it.

Compact and fun
It can be folded small.
Harry pranked Malfoy with it and he had a few trips to Hogsmede and stuff like that.

Orion - Mar 1, 2010 9:07 am (#798 of 1343)

LOL Verity! You interpreted the old dusty books and the running spy correctly, but mona amon has it. It's indeed the elf-made wine.

What doesn't congeal despite its looks Looks like blood.
What's in between old dusty books Spinner’s End.
What's coveted by wizard cooks I’m sure you can make a rather good coq au vin with it.
Ask legolas! Ask legolas! Knows a thing or two about elf-made wine.

What'd every forumer'd like to try? You'd like to, wouldn't you?
What's owned by our running spy And not by me, shame.
What's watered down if women cry Urgh. I wouldn't drink anything Narcissa had slobbered into.
Ask legolas! Ask legolas!

mona amon - Mar 3, 2010 7:24 am (#806 of 1343)

Yes Legolas, it is the Philosopher's Stone! Over to you!

Despite what you may think
I can't help you think
I can't make you witty or wise
-- Since it's called the Philosopher's Stone, you'd expect something philosophical out of it, I guess.

I bring you fine gifts -- Gold and eternal life

but to handle them I think
you need to be witty and wise.
-- Unlimitted wealth and everlasting life in the hands of a fool wouldn't be a good thing.

Affluence I give
for evermore - Affluence = gold, evermore = eternal life

Do you want that?
Choose wisely! -- Last two lines were inspired by DD's quote about the stone, "Humans tend to choose the things that are worst for them."

Looking forward to your riddle, Legolas!

legolas returns - Mar 4, 2010 11:38 am (#809 of 1343)
Edited by Potteraholic Apr 11, 2010 2:37 pm

Edited to combine 2 posts, the original riddle and the answer. No specific explanation given.

Post #807, Legolas: Woot. Here's something I thought of rather randomly. Enjoy!

A watch dog.
Will cover for you in a crisis.
Ill mannered.
Don't get too close.

Congratulations it is a ghoul! As far as I can remember the Weasley Ghoul is the only one mentioned in the series.

azi - Mar 11, 2010 12:48 am (#823 of 1343)

Julia is correct! The answer is Mafalda Hopkirk. Here's my reasoning...

Ministerial, - She works for the Ministry of Magic.
Reprimanding, - She has reprimanded Harry for underage use of magic a couple of times.
Impersonated - Hermione became her with a Polyjuice Potion in DH.

Julia H. - Apr 10, 2010 2:45 pm (#961 of 1343)
Edited Apr 10, 2010 4:06 pm

Oops, a cross-post! I am pleased to announce that you did not need the last hint. (Dobby is sending his warmest greetings to Orion.) The riddle has been solved. Congratulations, shepherdess, the answer is indeed Harry's penknife!

Here is the explanation:

Way in, way out,
The penknife opens all locks.

from friend to friend
A present from Sirius to Harry.

To bring him back before the end
Several interpretations are possible: Harry uses the knife to contact Sirius (by opening Umbridge's office door to use her fire) and that is how he sees Sirius for the last time. He also takes the knife to the MOM when he wants to rescue Sirius.

Yet, faced with love, I was but frail
The knife does not open the door in the MOM that is kept locked at all times - i.e., the door behind which love is kept and researched in secret.

Consumed by love, I had to fail.
The blade of the penknife melts at that door.

Hint: I am more like my second than my first.
A "penknife": It is a knife and not a pen at all.

Hint 2: My first does not seem to exist in the wizarding world.
The use quills instead of pens.

Hint 3: The love mentioned in the riddle is secret and unreachable.
This is the love as magical power behind the door. Only Unspeakables have access to it.

Hint 4: Twice I succeeded, the third time I failed.
Harry twice uses the knife successfully to open Umbridge's door. The third time, he wants to use it in the MOM.

Hint 5: I am not a human being.
An object.

Hint 6: Though I had known no obstacles before, in vain was my sacrifice to love.
The knife opens all locks, but in the MOM it is sacrificed in vain.

Hint 7: I can negate the negative and reverse the positive. (Really-bad-pun warning! )
According to the description in the book, you can use the penknife to undo all knots (knot - not) and to unlock all locks ("un" - a negative prefix, so "unlock" - negative, "lock" - positive). When Orion mentioned the nail in the Malfoy House that they used to undo the knots, I thought she had solved the "knot - not" pun.

Hint 8: Big Brother has been guessed but everyone seems to have forgotten me.
Yes, "Big Brother" is Gryffindor's sword. The answer ("Little Brother") is a Gryffindor's knife.

Hint 9: I'm a Marauder thing.
A gift from a Marauder to a Marauder's son. It is also quite useful for "marauding".

Hint 10: Although Dumbledore may not even know of my existence, he could help you solve a certain aspect of the riddle.
Dumbledore explains the secret of the door that could not be opened.

Well done, Shepherdess!

Potteraholic - Apr 12, 2010 1:37 pm (#972 of 1343)
Edited Apr 13, 2010 6:23 am

LOL, Orion!!! You guessed my riddle in one fell swoop! So much for it sounding "completely unanswerable". It is indeed the two cappuccinos Hermione ordered in that shabby London café.

We're mentioned only once,
this disappointing
and nonmagical pair.
They're seen only in DH, Ron calls them 'revolting', and only 2 were ordered, since Harry was invisible (as Julia pointed out).

For a few minutes,
no more,
no less.
Pretty self-explanatory.

Not at the beginning,
but near the end.
Again, pretty self-explanatory.

Our existence is well-known,
to two of the Three.
For some reason, I got the impression that Ron had never had, or had ever heard of, a cappuccino. Dunno why, tho'.

At our peak, we are simply divine,
as our name would suggest.
I was referring to the stiff 'peaks' in the foam atop a good cappuccino, as well as a play on 'cappuccino' being the Italian word for Capuchin friars (simple religious men), and 'simply divine' being a way to describe something that's excellent, like a well-made cappuccino.

But to one in particular,
we were judged to be quite horrid!
"God, that's revolting," Ron added after one sip of the foamy, grayish coffee. No on else said anything about the coffee.

On to your puzzle, Orion! Or are you still feeling like you were yesterday the other day, "... if I try to think of a riddle right at the moment my brains come out of my ears and I can knot them under my chin."

Orion - Apr 17, 2010 8:35 am (#979 of 1343)

Correct, Julia, it's the flute in PS/SS which puts Fluffy to sleep. Congratulations!

First mentioned in 1791
By Mr Emanuel.
Someone uses me,
And then someone else a few seconds later.
Woohoo! Woohoo!
You never know what a gift is good for.

1791 Die Zauberflˆte went on stage, libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. First Harry plays it and then Hermione, and it sounds like an owl. Over to you Julia!

Julia H. - Apr 27, 2010 10:37 am (#1008 of 1343)
Edited Apr 27, 2010 11:41 am

Congratulations, MAMS! The answer is indeed the Statute of Secrecy! Well done!

This is the explanation:

Observe me well:
Everyone must observe (obey) the law. (The Gaunts don't like that though.)

Old, - Dating back to 1692.

outspoken,
At least I suppose that it states quite clearly that you must not reveal the existence of the magical world to Muggles in general.

Fragile I am, even broken.
For magical people it is easy to break the Statute of Secrecy - and they have broken it several times.

My goal is to prevent trouble,
To prevent trouble between wizards and Muggles.

But I sometimes make it double.
For example, when a certain underage wizard does magic out of Hogwarts (or is accused of that), the Statute of Secrecy is also broken, so the trouble is double.

Hint: I have a powerful protector. - The Ministry of Magic.

Congratulations once again, MAMS!

I look forward to your riddle.

me and my shadow 813 - May 3, 2010 10:48 pm (#1026 of 1343)
Edited May 4, 2010 12:04 am

YES! Julia, the correct answer is Slughorn's memory!

I wasn't unusual, at least not at first,
but then something happened, perhaps I was cursed.
Slughorn was ashamed of the memory and "tampered" with it.

After a time I came out with my tale,
though it wasn't believed and so I had failed.
Dumbledore coaxed it out of him, but knew it was a false memory.

It seemed I was one, but another I was, too,
which, when was discovered, was discovered to be true.
Oddly, the memory was a duplicate and when the second was seen it was found to be true.

Hint: fourth line: it could read "though he didn't believe me..." -- Dumbledore

Congratulations, Julia! Looking forward to your riddle

Julia H. - Jun 7, 2010 12:57 pm (#1091 of 1343)
Edited Jun 7, 2010 2:02 pm

Legolas, the answer is not the picture of Gellert Grindlewald, but it is indeed the book on Dumbledore taken from Bathilda Bagshot's house, i.e. the copy of ‘The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore’ that Rita had left in Bathilda's house and was later picked up by Hermione. Congratulations!

The explanation:

Meager payment,
This is what Rita gives Bathilda in exchange for the information she has taken from her.

fruit of theft
The book seems to be based to a large extent on Bathilda's memories, obtained by Rita without Bathilda's permission or maybe even without her knowledge.

Loot that makes you feel bereft
Hermione takes the book from Bathilda's house, but the knowledge Harry gains from it makes him unhappy and disappointed.

Lion's den
Godric's (=lion's) Hollow (=den).

and devil's snare
Not the plant, but the evil trap that Voldemort planted for Harry in Bathilda's house.

Go inside and find it there.
The book was found in Bathilda's house during this horrible adventure.

Hint 1: The answer was found when something else was sought. Harry and Hermione hoped to find Gryffindor's sword in Godric's Hollow.

Hint 2: Also a message intended for someone else. Rita's note for Bathilda in the book, read by Harry and Hermione.

Hint 3: The devil's snare is in the lion's den this time. Voldemort's trap in Godric's Hollow.

Hint 4: One of the clues is a sort of "paraphrase" (broadly interpreted) of a geographical name. Lion's den - Godric's Hollow - again.

Hint 5: Ask Hermione!!! The answer is a book.

Well done, Legolas! I look forward to your riddle.

Julia H. - Oct 24, 2010 11:00 pm (#1149 of 1343)
Edited Oct 25, 2010 12:01 am

Of course! I am happy to announce that the riddle has been solved at last! Congratulations, Shepherdess! The answer is indeed the dot on the Marauder's Map labeled Barty Crouch.

Here is the explanation:

When I appear, there is no sun
It is night when Harry opens the Marauder's Map and finds the Barty Crouch dot.

It is important what I mean
The dot is an important clue in the plot, though its significance will be explained only at the end of the book.

I hide and yet betray the one
The label betrays the impostor to some extent, but since all the dots look the same, the full truth is not discovered yet.

Who can be looked at, but not seen
You can look at Barty Crouch Jr., but you will see Moody instead of him.

A riddle I am, food for thought
Harry is very curious to find out what Crouch was doing at Hogwarts at night.

The source of questions and dismay.
Harry has a lot of questions, while fake-Moody is not happy at all.

What is the answer, what is sought?
Q.: What was Barty Crouch doing in Snape's office? A.: He was looking for Polyjuice Potion ingredients.

The two-faced clue may lead astray.
The "two-faced clue" is the name Barty Crouch.

Hint : I am very small. A dot.

Hint 2: I am one of many, but the others are not so mysterious. There are many dots on the map, but the others are easy to explain.

Hint 3: When I appear, I am seen in three different places at the same time: One that will soon be hidden, one that is dreaded by many (well, by some Gryffindors in any case) and one where a trap awaits you. The dot appears on the Map, which will be taken away and so "hidden" by Crouch after the incident. Within the Map, the dot is shown in Snape's office - a scary place for some. Finally, the incident takes place on the corridor with the tricky stairs.

Hint 4: But don't look for me outside Hogwarts. The Marauder's Map shows Hogwarts only.

Well done, Shepherdess!

HungarianHorntail11 - Nov 20, 2010 5:16 am (#1182 of 1343)
Edited Nov 20, 2010 7:00 am

Wow, all of your guesses were hovering right around the target! (Elves, knitted hats, TR's diary, HP book - the first guess that got you to target books, etc.) This was fun.

Julia, you've got it!!! It was the sock that freed Dobby.

DOBBY'S SOCK! (I've been dying to say that!)

Liiiiiinaaaa! You came!!! There is something you needed to know about the riddle that the others had been told - it wasn't a real brain-buster, but that doesn't surprise you, right! Wow, look at your avatar! (Kate's face looks younger there!)

My niche may be to serve extremities though some may say that's untrue.
Generally, socks belong on feet (extremities).

They're the ones who have seen something else that I can do.
DD, Harry, and the others who knew clothing could free an elf. DD especially liked socks. Perhaps this is why?

Within the folds is hidden something more powerful than the wizard's strongest spell.
Our slippery friend, Lucius couldn't undo the freeing effect with a spell.

So guess away at what I've done and who or what I am as well.
Ok, this part doesn't really need an explanation, right??

So if you 're up to it, take it away, Julia!

Julia H. - Nov 27, 2010 8:36 am (#1205 of 1343)

Yes!!! The riddle has been solved! Congratulations, Phoenixfeather! The answer is indeed galleons, sickles, and knuts - wizarding coins.

The explanation:

Briskly in the light of day
Money in everyday business.

Slyly in a hidden way
Money used as bribes and for other secret transactions.

Locked up in a guarded cell
The coins stored in a Gringotts vault.

Defying a magic spell.
As we have often speculated, since some wizards and witches are poor, it is probable that you can't make or multiply money directly with magic.

Strong is the star, shiny, bright
The galleon is the "star" among coins, because it is the most valuable of them. It is also shining, since it is made of gold.

Number two has moony light
Sickles are silver. The "moon" is also a reference to the half-moon shape of a real sickle (the coin may have a full-moon shape though ).

Small is one from head to tail
Knuts are described as little bronze coins. The "head to tail" part refers to "heads and tails".

That's the three wanderers' tale.
Money travels from person to person and from place to place, hence the "wanderers". The apparent references to the Marauders were, of course, intentional.

Hint: In this riddle, we are called the three wanderers, but in fact, there are a lot more of us than three.
Three types of coins, but there are many of each.

Well done, Phoenixfeather! I look forward to your riddle! BTW, great avatar!

Phoenixfeather - Dec 1, 2010 11:18 pm (#1234 of 1343)
Edited Dec 1, 2010 11:58 pm

Yes! You got it Julia! Great job! (and the band starts to play in celebration as balloons and confetti fall from the sky!)

It's probably pretty clear now, but here is the explanation:

I am daring and tricky,
obviously Fred and George, and using one description for both throws the count off .

I can be sticky,
I thought this described Dung - he's pretty gross. (I think this can be applied literally as well as characteristically)

I am loyal and true,
but I need a clue!
This is Ron. He got so frustrated searching for the horcruxes.

I carry a light
that transforms all in sight,
This is Fleur - she demonstrated this ability at the wedding.

I have knowledge to spare,
Hermione.

I really do care.
And Harry, of course - referring to his heart.

Hint #1: Add one at the outset. - the 7 Potters paired with a protector when they transported Harry.

Hint #2: There may be more to this than you realize. - everyone was guessing one person or item, so I added this. I felt I had to keep it a bit vague because once it was realized it was a group, the riddle would have been guessed right off I think.

This was difficult because Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fleur were guessed, but it had to be the group of 7 as Harry. I was alluding to the idea of 'more than 1' when I told HH and Shepherdess that there was something within their answer that was on the right track. Everyone was picking up on the individual characteristics and combining them in ways that were very creative! --and that I'd wished I thought of...

God, this was hard - I wanted to blurt it out so many times! Anyways, I pass the torch back to Julia! Congratulations Julia, and great guesses everyone! Thanks for participating and making it fun!

Julia H. - Dec 14, 2010 12:20 am (#1268 of 1343)

LOL, PAH! I hope you are sitting then... Surprise! The answer is indeed the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, with the circle, triangle, and line down the middle. Congratulations!

I guess some explanation is in order. Phoenixfeather is right, the clues refer to the places where the symbol is seen.

Remains of past time
I hear the bells chime
Ignotus Peverell's headstone in the churchyard in Godric's Hollow with the symbol on it. That was the very first guess (given by Shepherdess), and I really thought then that the riddle was all but done.

In a place of dark
Just darkness I mark
Grindelwald carved the symbol into the walls of Durmstrang, a school where dark magic is supposedly taught, and there everyone thinks it is "Grindelwald's mark".

Once from friend to friend
Find me at the end
The symbol can be found at the end of the letter that Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald.

For an eager heart
I stand for the start
In that letter, the symbol replaces the first letter of the signature, i.e., the A in 'Albus'. It is the first letter of the name and also the first letter of the alphabet. So the "eager heart" is Dumbledore, who can't bear a few hours of separation without writing to Gellert, and the "start" is the letter A.

With an angry glance
You can see me dance
Enriched with the gold
Of a wizard old
The "angry glance" belongs to Viktor Krum, who glimpses the symbol dangling on a golden chain around the neck of Xeno Lovegood.

But my true home find
With a learned mind
The symbol in Hermione's copy of the "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" next to "The Tale of the Three Brothers". You need a learned mind because the book is written in runes.

My secret I share
When you know me there
The tale explains the Deathly Hallows - if you can really understand what it says.

Hint:
Shown off with a boast
By a haughty host
As you have correctly guessed, this is Marvolo Gaunt boasting about his ring to his Ministry visitor, saying that it has "the Peverell coat of arms" on it, but Harry later realizes that it is in fact the symbol of the Deathly Hallows.

I leave my disguise
When you win the prize
Again as you have guessed, the "prize" is the Resurrection Stone coming out of the snitch when Harry decides to sacrifice himself. The symbol becomes visible, too.

Hint 2: I am complex even though I may be lacking in dimensions.
The symbol consists of three parts, and it is usually a two-dimensional representation of the Hallows (with the possible exception of Xeno's pendant).

This was an exciting game, thanks for the great guesses and the participation, everyone! Time for a new riddle now... Well-done, PAH!

Potteraholic - Dec 15, 2010 7:08 pm (#1277 of 1343)

Well, well, well... looks like no hints will be needed! At least it took 4 guesses instead of the less than 3 I predicted. Phew!

Thanks for your guess, Julia. It was definitely in the right neighborhood, but... shepherdess, you have done it again! Now, will this be the time you create a riddle after guessing the right answer?

Clearly, I'm not much of a riddle-maker, but it was fun to come up with something. Go on, have a go.

Update #2 (The Final One)

I am comprised of two parts
2 words or 2 syllables

Appearing to serve one purpose
It looks like a mirror ...

While serving another
but isn't!

Good tidings you bring?
A way to get at 'friend' who brings good tidings.

My countenance remains calm.
Nothing happens to the face of the glass.

Tidings of another sort?
A way to get at 'foe' who doesn't bring good tidings.

I react differently.
The glass' surface changes, gets shadowy, etc.