Archive of Riddles

Julia H. - Feb 22, 2009 12:09 pm (#1372 of 2996)

LOL, MAMS, you don't need to spend more time figuring out the answer to the riddle... While Percival Dumbledore is not the answer, the Moon is! (Strange though it may seem...) Congratulations! It's your turn again!

The explanation:

Some adore me
That's a non-HP clue. (Think of poets, lovers and other romantics.)

even though
Some consider me a foe
The moon is Lupin's boggart.

Some my secrets want to know
People who examine planets and stars to find out the future... a reference to Divination.

Some await my call to go.
The Marauders can't wait to run again under the full moon. (There you go, Dryleaves, James Potter lurking in the riddle still.)

If it's reason proud to be -
Two kids get named after me.

"Moony" and Luna.

me and my shadow 813 - Feb 24, 2009 9:16 pm (#1448 of 2996)

Congratulation, shepherdess! The Hogwarts Crest is correct!

Here is the summary ...

six tongues have I,
4 creature tongues + Latin (motto) + English (‘Hogwarts’ which is not always used in the crest, as stated in clue #2)

ten feet of great and good;
10 feet of our noble Founders’ Symbols: 4 Lion + 4 Badger + 2 Eagle + a snake has no feet

and stars amongst
a term best understood;
The motto (term) is wise advice and contains the constellation ‘Draco’

I lead the way,
to who or what or where?
I’ll show myself:
just open and I’m there
The crest appears at the very front of every (Bloomsbury/Raincoast) book in our series. I was not aware until just hours ago that it does not appear in every edition/country’s book!

Well, hopefully that wasn’t as twisted as my previous riddle...

Take it away shepherdess!

legolas returns - Mar 1, 2009 1:24 pm (#1572 of 2996)

Congratulations MAMS you are correct.

I affect living creatures in a different manner.
Butterbeer makes Winky get very drunk and she passes out. It does not have nearly such a bad effect on Wizards/Witches

A cure-all (it has been seen after an extraordinary range of situations) and a curse
(Depending on your point of view). Harry is given some after fighting a Dementor, Harry and the Weasleys are given some when they arrive at Grimmauld Place after Mr. Weasley is bitten, Lupin brings some to Grimmauld Place. He carries some for a couple of days while trying to escape from Death Eaters. Gryffindors celebrate winning at Quidditch by drinking butterbeer. House elves are embarrassed by Winky’s drinking.

Hidden and seen as slightly depraved.
One individual hides another individual but they can be found if you know where to look (ROR). Look for the reason for the hiding and what was done when they were hidden. Dobby hides Winky in the ROR and finds a cure for butterbeer drunkeness.

Frequently messy but this is disregarded.
The mess is made by Humans and is accidental but it is frequently noted. Harry gets covered in butterbeer when hiding under the table in the Three Broomsticks. Harry spits out a mouthful when Lupin tells him about the Dementor's Kiss. It gets slopped around generally.

Hint 1 - Part of me can be used as a toy. Crookshanks plays with a butterbeer cork.

Hint 2 - Fashionistas may raise an eyebrow to part of me. This is the same part used as a toy but in this case it’s used in a different manner. Luna wore a string of butterbeer corks as a necklace. She did not wear it to the Slug Club Christmas Party.

Hint 3 - More than one species use the item involved in the riddle. Lines one and two refer to more than one species.

Hint 4 - I am not a human or being

Hint 5 - The table may not be fully laid but who didn't fully lay it is not the most important thing. The missing item is with someone but the reason for the item being missing is important. Winky gets tidily wrapped up in a Tablecloth after drinking too much butterbeer.

Hint 6 - There are some that could always be relied upon to get a lot of the item involved at short notice care of some wanderers. The twins get some in for a party care of the knowledge of MWPP.

me and my shadow 813 - Mar 2, 2009 2:39 pm (#1616 of 2996)

Yes! Julia, the correct answer is the Unicorn. Here is the summary:

I’m in other forms but have only one,
Parts of me are found in wands and potions.
apparent to all I choose only some;
I am seen (apparent) by everyone; it is apparent (well-known) I prefer to be around women.

Part of me when contained will move through the air,
My tail hair is contained within wands.

in others I flow, perhaps it is rare;
My body parts are used in potions but are expensive and coveted.

A flow part of me can be seen it is true,
but only by one who cares not what they do.

My blood is seen by those who kill me for personal gain. Firenze gave us the details.

Clue: I am valuable and in ways resemble the values you require to acquire mine.

I begin my life gold and turn silver. My hooves are ‘golden’ and my horn is silver. Silver sickles and gold galleons are *required to acquire* my body parts.

Clue: I become the opposite colour of these characters ... do not assume line 2 is referring to line 1.

--> ‘These characters’ <-- you are viewing are black. I become pure white.

Great run everybody! Julia, I look forward to your riddle.

Julia H. - Mar 12, 2009 12:54 am (#1810 of 2996)

It is guess Nr. 49, just one guess short of 50, and it is correct! Congratulations, Dryleaves! The answer is indeed Percy's photo of Penelope Clearwater.

The explanation:

The Faithful Truth I represent
The photo "represents" Penelope Clearwater. My subjective "translation" of Penelope's name: Penelope in mythology is the symbol of faithful wives. Clearwater reminds me of "truth" because Veritaserum, the Truth Potion, looks like pure water. I know it is far-fetched, that is why I hinted at Potions...

- Two school subjects you might recall -
Advice that you need your knowledge of two different subjects - Muggle Studies (for Greek mythology and Homer) and Potions (for Veritaserum) to solve the first line.

Early into hiding I went
Photo Penelope was hiding under the frame ("early" because it happened in the morning).

'Cause I was flawed due to a fall.
Because her nose went all blotchy after Ron (allegedly) had dripped tea on the photo. (The "fall" is the dripping of the tea drops.)

Am I vain or was it a shame?
Regarding the hiding because of a blotchy nose.

Where I could not long keep my name
I. e., in the Leaky Cauldron, where all this happened... (Nobody could keep clear water in a leaky cauldron for long.)

Someone else vain angry became
Percy was furious. (Percy is rather vain.)

The first for Tom should be to blame.
T for Tom... which this time should be read as "tea". The line means: 'The tea should be to blame.' (I stole Verity's T/tea pun and reversed it. Verity said "tea" when she meant 'T', and I hinted at "T" when I meant 'tea'.) Tom is also a hint to direct your attention to the Leaky Cauldron.

Hint 1: The purpose of the second line is simply to help to solve the first line. You need to make the necessary associations. (They may be far-fetched.) The subjects to study are Muggle Studies and Potions.

Explains the second line...

Hint 2: Being Julia, I'm giving you this non-HP hint now:
"Uh, how do you spell your first name?" "T-O-M."
The answer to Julia's question is the hint.
The quote is from the movie "Being Julia", and its purpose was to call your attention to the letters in Tom.

Hint 3: Do not assume that the sixth line refers to something that happened in the past.
It's only hypothetical.

Hint 4: I confess I'm obscure... or maybe not. There is one thing about me that should be clear to anyone who wants to solve the riddle.
Penelope's photo is an obscure motif in HP, however, clear is one of the antonyms of obscure and the one thing that should be "clear" is the water, of course.

Hint 5: A certain Muggle-born Gryffindor would probably be interested in me.
Colin Creevy is interested in photography and is fascinated by magical photos.

Hint 6: "Faithful Truth" stands for the name of a person and is based on subjective associations - but I think Professor Charity Burbage and Professor Severus Snape or Professor Horace Slughorn could help you with these free associations.

No need to explain now...

Hint 7: Though the riddle is long, my story is quite short. It can be found in a book which is named after someone or something mentioned some time ago among the guesses.

Sirius is the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Hint 8: No Slytherins are mentioned in the clues of the riddle.

A hint because of "Tom" (the Tom of the Riddle is not Tom Riddle) and also because I noticed you tended to look for "someone vain" among the Slytherins.

Well done, Dryleaves! Looking forward to your riddle now...

Dryleaves - Mar 18, 2009 3:36 am (#1916 of 2996)

Yes!

Congratulations, Julia! The Draught of Living Death is the correct answer to the riddle.

Against against
You should stir the potion counter-clockwise (against), but according to the Half-Blood Prince, you should add a clockwise stir after every seventh counter-clockwise stir (against against).
Through the sad mist
The steam that emanates from the cauldron during the brewing is bluish.
What map to follow
Libatius Borage’s instructions from the book, or the Half-Blood Prince’s added notes.
through the trees that twist?
Wormwood is one of the ingredients.

Twice the first
The potion is mentioned on Harry’s first Potions class ever and is the first potion he brews with Slughorn as Potions teacher.
Once one of three
It is the answer to one of three questions Snape asks Harry during the first Potions class.
I’m the final, but false
when you get to me
The ready potion is a sleeping potion so strong that it resembles death, but you don’t die, you only fall into heavy sleep.

Hint 1: Think about the trees - what do they do? They twist, they wriggle, they squirm, they...
Many trees may constitute a wood. The trees worm ---> wormwood

Hint 2: Use a weapon in the right way
Use the flat side of a silver dagger to squeeze the juice out of the Sopophorous Bean.

Hint 3: Against may be enough, but against against may be even better
The result gets better with the extra clockwise stirs (see above).

Hint 4: I’ll spill the beans: there are not only trees, there is a flower as well, or at least the opposite side of it
Refers to first the juice from the Sopophorous Bean, then to the adding of powdered root of asphodel (=a plant) into an infusion of wormwood.

Hint 5: First time -part of an unfair test; second time - with royal help you’ll reach the rest
Refers to Snape’s questions to Harry during the first Potions class and to the help Harry gets from the Half-Blood Prince when brewing this sleeping potion (rest).

Congratulations, Julia!

I look forward to your riddle!

Julia H. - Mar 21, 2009 2:28 pm (#2020 of 2996)

Now, that's a funny situation! You have been approaching the correct answer step by step - and in the end, two of you solve the riddle! Professor Snape was five minutes quicker - congratulations! ...But I foretold that Orion, a constellation herself, would help to solve the riddle.

The answer is indeed the Black sisters - Andromeda, Narcissa and Bellatrix. The explanation:

Light from the earth,
Narcissa is the fair-haired, fair-coloured sister ("light") and is named after Narcissus - either a mythological character or a flower - an "earthly" thing.

dark from the skies
The dark-haired, dark-eyed sisters (Bellatrix and Andromeda) are named after celestial objects.

Dark are the lights,
First names of stars ("lights") and of a brightly coloured flower but the surname is "Black", at least in the beginning.

downward is rise
Reference to the Black family tree, whose "root" is at the top and which grows downwards.

Leaves for hatred,
Bella and Narcissa are "leaves" of the family tree because they accept the ideology of hatred and exclusion.

leaves for pure love
Andromeda, however, leaves the family and the family tree because she loves Ted Tonks.

One from below, two from above.
The first line again, only specifying that one sister has the "earthly" name and two have "celestial" names.

One is to shed,
After the Battle of Hogwarts, poor Andromeda will shed a lot of tears...

one is to fall
...Bella will be dead...

One is to find dearest of all.
... and Narcissa will eventually find her precious Draco.

Hint: Light and dark may lead you to the right spot (but they can also mislead you).
Thinking of stars and darkness (Black) certainly helps, but "light and dark" may be misleading because we usually associate them with "good and bad" here.

Hint 2: Watch out for the homonyms.
Leaves - leaves.

Hint 3: The answer is written in the stars ...
The next hint would have been: ... and found in some plants... but you did not need it.

Congratulations, MAMS, and I look forward to your riddle.

me and my shadow 813 - Mar 22, 2009 10:34 am (#2042 of 2996)

YES! Julia, the answer is the boat in the Cave!

Here is the summary:

Three is the number of times I recall
playing my part, and although I am small
my part is large for one cannot
get by without my aid. Oh, rot
is not the thing that you must fear
though those who should is why I’m here.
The boat protects you from Inferi: those who should rot.

They came after I came to be;
once evil had a use for me.
Voldy made the enchantments and then went there with Kreacher.

Next was a familiar one;
a foe of evil too had come
along to play a part so well
the foe himself couldn’t even tell.
Kreacher (a familiar one, who had been there before) along with Regulus, whose actions greatly helped Harry.

And finally the ending came
with those who came and went the same.
DD and Harry are the visitors who came and left together.

The evil one did show again
but didn't really need me then.
When Voldy went back to the cave, he was flying by then and probably didn’t bother to raise the boat.

Great job, Julia! I look forward to your riddle!

Julia H. - Mar 28, 2009 2:07 pm (#2096 of 2996)

OK, the riddle is solved. Great guesses all, but Dryleaves found my answer to the riddle: Chocolate. Congratulations!

The explanation:

I'm not in the mine, I'm not in the vault
Well, it's true...

If you don't like me, it is not my fault
Most people like chocolate, I think.

You won't miss me in the magical shops
Go to Honeydukes and you can't miss the various kinds of chocolate there.

We will meet before the great serpent stops
In CoS, the Hogwarts Express is described looking like a "scarlet snake" when Harry and Ron watch it from the flying car. Chocolate is sold on the train (Chocolate Frogs, for example).

When you miss the light, in the time of cold
You will find I'm worth a lot more than gold.
When Dementors are near, chocolate is the only thing that cures "Dementor-depression". "Gold" also refers back to the first line.

Hint 1: What's in a name? Not everything is what it is called.
Trying to warn you about the "serpent".

Hint 2: Follow the serpent ... (But don't let it mislead you. The tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, for example, is in the wrong direction.)
"Follow the serpent" is a reference to the scene where the train is compared to a snake (Harry and Ron follow the train). "Don't let it mislead you" warns you that it's not a real snake. The tunnel to the Shrieking Shack is in the wrong direction because the "serpent" is not Nagini and because you need another tunnel (the one leading to Honeydukes) to take you to the answer, i.e. chocolate.

Hint 3: Magical Me may not be very different from Non-Magical Me.
Chocolate exists in the Muggle world as well. Magical chocolate is equipped with a few extras, but chocolate is chocolate everywhere.

Well done, Dryleaves!

Dryleaves - Apr 4, 2009 9:48 am (#2171 of 2996)

I see there was no need to clarify anything, as I cross-posted with Freshwater and she had the right answer: Yes, it is McGonagall's animagus form of a tabby cat. Congratulations!

I am stranger than I seem
It looks like an ordinary tabby cat, but is in fact a wizard, who is an animagus

Think of water, ice and steam
Different forms of the same thing: McGonagall and the tabby cat are the same, but different forms. And then there is her Patronus, which looks like her animagus form.

Seen when looking for the way
Vernon sees a cat with a map. The cat is also reading the street signs.

Asked to leave, but I did stay
Vernon tries to shoo the cat away, but it doesn't move, just gives him a stern look.

It’s quite impressive what I do
Usually McGonagall's transformation is met with applause from her students

But Death outshone me, that is true
But when Trelawney has predicted the death of Harry in the previous class, the students are not very concentrated and does not fully appreciate her transformation

Hint: I see through a pattern, and through the pattern you may see me
In her cat form McGonagall has a pattern around her eyes, that looks just like her glasses and thus you may recognize her.

Hint 2: A Muggle might think of an owl, but I'm different
One of the symbols of the goddess Minerva is an owl, but this is a cat.

Hint 3: Water has been given (as one of the guesses below), but the answer is ice
One of the guesses was McGonagall, but I was specifically thinking of her animagus form.

Congratulations, Freshwater! The next riddle is yours!

freshwater - Apr 5, 2009 9:25 am (#2192 of 2996)

YES! Congrats to team Aussie werewolves! The answer to the riddle (guessed on the very first try) is indeed Prof. Cuthbert Binns.

Through the slate; never late.
He enters the classroom through the chalkboard, formerly made of slate.

Parched, wheezing, dry as dust.
His voice is described as dry and wheezy.

Yet go on and on I must
He drones on and on, oblivious to the slumber and games around him.

Speaking of all that is just.
He speaks of historical facts... maybe not "just", but the way it all worked out in the end....as they say "It's the winners who write the history."

They all view me with disgust.
Students hate his boring classes.

jose043 - Apr 6, 2009 1:02 am (#2200 of 2996)
Edited Apr 6, 2009 2:03 am

Yes Julia H, it is Lupin still sad over our loveable Werewolf

He has known to be kind - to Harry and Neville.

But also not loved - He thought no one could love him because of his condition.

But fond true love late in life - he found Tonks or should I say Tonks found Lupin.

The riddle is yours Julia H.

Julia H. - Apr 11, 2009 9:56 am (#2278 of 2996)
Edited Apr 11, 2009 10:57 am

Orion, you remembered the riddle well enough to guess the correct answer, LOL! It is indeed the fake of Gryffindor's sword. Congratulations!

Here is the explanation:

A secret agent in the enemy's stronghold
The sword is in Bella's vault but it is not what it seems to be, nor is it there why it seems to be there.

My ancestry, alas, may bring upon me shame
Not ancient and not goblin-made.

Despised and laughed at yet efficient all the same
Griphook laughs at the idea that the sword in the vault is only a fake, still the idea of planting a fake sword in the vault works effectively.

When sacrificed to shield the free, the true, the bold.
The sword is given to the enemy and locked up in a vault - to cover up the fact that the true sword is free to travel to Harry and with Harry. The real sword is also bold because it belongs to Gryffindors (and because I needed a rhyme ).

Hint: I pretend to be the one that pretends to be me.
The fake sword "pretends to be" Gryffindor's sword while the real sword is passed off as a fake in the Malfoy Manor.

Hint 2: Twins born from different races.
The real sword is goblin-made, the fake sword is human-made.

Well done, Orion! I look forward to your riddle!

Orion - Apr 29, 2009 6:16 am (#2406 of 2996)

Yip, Julia! (Harry’s eyes? The riddle-creator does not explicitly state the answer in this post.)

We’re hand-me-downs - not really!
You can inherit your mother's eyes, but you certainly grow your own ones.

And - wow, identical!
I very much hope so.

We - what does it consist of?
Two "I"s. As we say in Germany: A fiver into the pun kitty!

Always behind a pal. Little glass pal.

Hint 1: We have something in common with an object in the sky: The sun. At least for one fiercely discussed person. Snape can't look into them without getting his sarcastic five minutes.

Hint 2: Read the third line aloud and answer it. Two "I"s - "eyes"

Hint 3: We are a pair behind another pair. Two eyes, two little glasses.

Well done, Julia! I was a bit sad that not many guesses came in but obviously the riddle was a bit obscure. You saved the day.

Julia H. - May 22, 2009 1:17 am (#2667 of 2996)
Edited May 22, 2009 2:27 am

Well, Dryleaves, you have taken your time admiring the last hint, but your guess is, of course, correct!

The answer is indeed Felix Felicis!

The explanation:

I can give you what you need
Felix Felicis makes you lucky. Who does not need that?

Once or twice a friend indeed
You must not use it too often (because of the side effects). Harry uses it once, Slughorn has used it twice.

Those who want me must be smart
This potion is especially difficult to make.

Some may also need my art.
The "art" of the potion is luck: Harry is lucky enough to have the instructions of the Half-Blood Prince, helping him win the Felix Felicis.

Of my job, what could I tell?
Others do it just as well.
A certain Quidditch game proves that the fake Felix Felicis can make Ron quite lucky when he thinks that he has taken the real thing.

Hint 1: Remember the password. One particular password tells you what I am.
In PoA, one of the Gryffindor passwords is Fortuna Major. This is exactly the essence of Felix Felicis.

Hint 2: I may end up with someone who already has what people want from me. (Line 4.)
Harry is lucky in Slughorn's potion class and that is how he wins the luck potion.

Hint 3: About "others": A fake but not a cheat.
Another reference to Ron and the Quidditch game: the Felix Felicis that Ron uses is fake, but that is why he is not a cheat.

Hint 4: A male name is what you are looking for.
Felix.

Hint 5: Silver means, golden end.
One of the Prince's instructions that Harry uses to make the potion that wins the Felix Felicis for him involves a silver dagger ("silver means"). The Felix Felicis itself has the colour of gold ("golden end").

Once I said that Barnabas the Barmy as a guess has something in common with the answer. Well, it's the alliteration, of course.

CONGRATULATIONS, Dryleaves!!! Now it's your turn again...I look forward to your riddle

Dryleaves - May 24, 2009 10:52 pm (#2690 of 2996)
Edited May 24, 2009 11:52 pm

I'm sorry, Pesky, but Horace Slughorn is not the answer to the riddle.

However, the right answer has been given.

Julia, you did it again! Yes, the correct answer is indeed The Quibbler! Congratulations!

Look at me from either side
Luna is reading this magazine upside down when we first meet her.

I speak of that which is denied
Such as Crumple-horned Snorkacks, for example. Or the return of Voldemort.

Forced by truth to go and hide
When The Quibbler published an interview with Harry where he told about Voldemort's return, the magazine was banned by Umbridge.

Yet only once I really lied
When Luna was captured by the Death Eaters, Xenophilius was changing the magazine's line on Harry Potter, though it was against his own conviction.

Congratulations, Julia! Well, it's your turn to make a riddle again!

Julia H. - Jun 3, 2009 7:30 am (#2802 of 2996)
Edited Jun 3, 2009 8:31 am

John, thanks for the guess! The answer is not the Chamber of Secrets. However, Mona's guess is correct. The answer is indeed the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall! Congratulations, Mona! The next game is yours!

The explanation:

What you see is my disguise
Unlike most ceilings, this one looks like the sky.

Never showing what's inside
No, it shows what is outside.

But the truth I never hide
Trust me, I will tell no lies.
The ceiling shows what the real sky is like at the moment.

Magic tricks I've seen a few
On special occasions, sometimes extra magic is added to the ceiling.

White and warm and dry and fake
Like the enchanted snow - warm and dry - that falls in the Great Hall at Christmas in CoS.

To your heart you must not take
When I pour my heart to you.
On a certain Valentine's day, heart-shaped confetti fall from the ceiling.

Hint: Few people would notice me without my disguise.
How many of us notice an ordinary ceiling?

Hint 2: I am both steady and changing.
Steady as a ceiling (it may have been there for a thousand years) but changing in appearance.

Once again, congratulations, Mona!

mona amon - Jun 10, 2009 6:00 am (#2855 of 2996)
Edited Jun 10, 2009 7:26 am

Ah, Jose, I wasn't thinking of any particular snitch, but since the answer is a snitch, I guess you've certainly got it right! Well done!

The explanation~

I am silver, I am gold
A snitch is a golden ball with silver wings

I was marked without being told
This line refers to Marietta Edgecombe. She was a snitch, who got marked with pimples all over her face, and of course she was not told what the consequences of sneaking would be.

I was, so I'm loyal and bold.
This line refers to Severus Snape (so Julia was right in a way, with her guess). He was a snitch since he betrayed Voldemort's secrets to Dumbledore, and as a result he became loyal (to Dumbledore) and bold ('the bravest').

I think that's it.

Looking forward to your riddle, Jose!

jose043 - Jun 16, 2009 3:24 am (#2897 of 2996)
Edited Jun 16, 2009 4:27 am

Verity yes it is to with the Apparition and Julia H yes it is to with Dumbledore's visit to the Dursleys. So either of you can have the riddle.

Here is the answer to the riddle.

Things weren’t as they seem? - Mist and Dumbledore arriving at Privet Drive.

Mysterious things happen? - Goblets knocking on the Dursleys’ foreheads.

Strange things appear? - Dumbledore flicking his wand and Kreacher appears.

Owls do this? - They disappear in the morning.

Things can vanish? - Dumbledore and Harry Apparating from Privet Drive.

Verity Weasley - Jun 20, 2009 2:03 pm (#2966 of 2996)
Edited Jun 20, 2009 3:17 pm

The Riddle - I'm afraid Peter Pettigrew is not the answer but Orion is definitely on the right track with Sectumsempra, which means ... Julia is correct! It is Levicorpus! The explanation follows, and I'm including the extra line which was going to be my giveaway hint if no one had got it by the time the hangman was finished.

I lived on the edge
Levicorpus was one of the handwritten spells scribbled in the margin of the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book. The margin = the edge.

And I say what I do.
If Harry had ever learnt Latin he would have known what the Prince's spells would do. Levi = to raise up; corpus = body.

I came from the mind
Of the one who was two.
Referring to Snape's double agent status, as Snape was the inventor of the spell.
(Or perhaps less than one) This clue was to point you in the direction of 'half', i.e. half blood prince.

I turned on my creator
Levicorpus was used against Snape (the spell's creator) in Snape's Worst Memory.

But had fun with one later.
The one is question here is actually Won, as in Won-Won. Harry tried the spell on Ron in the dormitory.

(I'm an elevator). - This was going to be my giveaway hint!

Congratulations Julia, the riddle is yours.

Julia H. - Jun 24, 2009 2:46 am (#9 of 1343)
Edited Jun 24, 2009 3:47 am

Yes! The form of the riddle is exactly what you had to notice to solve it.

The answer is indeed Sonnets of a Sorcerer. Congratulations, Mona!

The explanation:

There was once a wizard in Britain
The sorcerer (whoever he was)...

Who liked something charmingly written
Sonnets that enchanted the reader...

Like a Slytherin
It was sly therein
Anyone who unwittingly read the sonnets had to speak in limericks for the rest of their lives.

But ended up famous in Britain.
Even Ron, who does not seem to read much literature, knows about this book and tells about it to Harry.

Hint: The answer is not so much a "who" as a "what".

A book, not a person.

But the most important clue was the form of the riddle - it was my attempt to make a limerick, and I was getting desperate that no one would recognize it as such.

Well done, Mona!

mona amon - Jun 26, 2009 7:54 pm (#21 of 1343)

LOL, ok, the answer to my riddle, guessed correctly by Freshwater, is Knockturn Alley.

The explanation-

Of the period of darkness, - Of the night = Nocturnally
That's what it sounds like, - Knockturn Alley sounds like 'nocturnally'.
Strike! = Knock
Take a new direction! = Turn
It's a way! = Alley

As Freshwater is busy moving, Verity has kindly offered to do the next riddle.

Verity Weasley - Jun 29, 2009 1:50 am (#37 of 1343)

That's it Julia! Congratulations. It is indeed Mr. Tibbles. I'm glad you guessed it now as I won't be able to check in tomorrow.

If you can hold your post when those around abandon theirs,
Mrs. Figg set Mr. Tibbles to watch Harry at the beginning of OOTP. When Mundungus abandoned his watch to check out the stolen cauldrons, Mr. Tibbles alerted Mrs. Figg.

If you can't describe yourself without splitting hairs,
There has been some speculation that Mr. Tibbles was half kneazle, like Crookshanks.

If you have a fancy title where none is usually bestowed,
The title referred to here is Mr. Cats don't usually have the title Mr. or Mrs, although of course JKR seems to favour it.

If your reward comes in handy as a useful heavy load,
The reward here is Mr. Tibbles' catfood. Mrs. Figg beats Mundungus with her shopping bag full of catfood, so it came in handy.

Then, you'd be me.

Who am I?

Hint: The title in line three is fancy in this context, but in an everyday context, it would be an everyday title.

Congratulations Julia. I look forward to your next riddle.

Julia H. - Jul 13, 2009 12:48 am (#70 of 1343)

Thanks for the new guesses! I am happy to announce that the riddle has been solved. Verity's guesses were very good all along, but the answer to the riddle is Haymoni's guess: Yes, it is the memory with the playground and the swings. Congratulations, Haymoni!

The explanation:

I follow the end
We learn about these memories after the end of Snape's life.

But I mark the start
This clue is to help you pinpoint the first memory. The playground scene marks the beginning of Snape's and Lily's story.

A mistake I mend -
The memories reveal the truth about Snape - unsuspected by anyone.

At least play a part.
It is only one of the memories. Play is also a reference to the playground.

I am shade and sun
Snape is hiding in a bush on a sunny summer day.

I am down and up
The swings.

I am wait and run
Petunia runs away when Snape appears, but Lily waits to see what he is going to say.

I’m a bitter cup.
Snape is disappointed in the end (when the girls leave) - the first meeting has gone wrong.

Hint: Hide-and-seek.

Snape is hiding, but he is also seeking Lily's friendship. Also, another reference to playing and the playground.

Well done, Haymoni! The next riddle is yours!

haymoni - Jul 16, 2009 2:48 pm (#82 of 1343)
Edited Jul 16, 2009 3:48 pm

Whoo Hoo! Verity Weasley has it!!!

I was there before he knew, but he knew me when he was there.
Dedalus bowed to Harry in the shop way before Harry found out that he was a wizard, but Harry recognized him once he crossed over into the Wizarding World at The Leaky Cauldron.

I was present at first and present at last.
Dedalus was in the first book and in the last book.

I'm always early, never late.
He appears in the beginning of the books, not at the end.

We've got to hurry or we'll miss our date.
He had to get the Dursleys out of #4 on time.

It's all yours, VW.