My Grace is fifteen! Can you believe how fast this happens?
Threw her a Potter-themed party on the weekend and it was a lot of fun even before her friends arrived as we worked on decorations, costumes, themed food and some wizard appropriate games. Even tonight, with the party and her birthday relegated to the pensieve, Miss15 is off to see a pre-screening of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald at our local cinema. I love JK Rowling has given my kids, and so many, many others, a world in which to immerse themselves and escape and grow and use their imaginations. We even had a track of Moaning Myrtle on repeat in the bathroom.
What I thought I’d rather like to share here is one of the ideas we came up with for the party: our own Potion Riddle. Like the one Snape set in the first book to protect the philosopher’s stone. I’m rather pleased with my work, although I have to confess I was surprised when it actually seemed to work out. A little too well, maybe. No one got it except by using that classic magical cheats spell, eeny meeny miny moe. Even had some adult friends attempt it over dinner without success, although to be fair to them they’d had a little too much nettle wine.
Even though ultimately the girls didn’t taste their choices, I made them up with tea, food colouring and, depending on which of the four liquids they represented, garlic, vanilla essence, cordial or fish sauce. Because details matter.
Here it is, if you would care to try work it out. Below it I’ve included some tools which might help, labelling & giving the amounts of the different sorts of liquids, and another showing an easy way to display on paper each bottle with each potential liquid listed under it.
Please don’t give the answer away in the comments on the Facebook page. Maybe just say ‘got it’ if you manage it. Or message me. The solution is spelled out in a link below the riddle (under the photo of me with a birthday cake hat) if you want any hints.
Have fun! I can’t wait to have people solving this!
And Happy Fifteenth to my beautiful Miss15 So proud of the young lady you’re transfiguring into.
Hope you Hogwarts letter arrives soon, you daft Muggle x
The Potion Riddle
Seven tiny bottles, each a liquid holds
One is sweet as candy, while two taste foul & old
Three will make you wonder why you agreed to play this game
As you die a gruesome death those around will know your shame
The drink you seek is hidden amongst the sweet friend and the foes
But don’t be fooled by colour or the shapes in which they’re stowed
Nothing sweet stands on either ends of the row
Nothing foul & old in the bottle uniquely blown
No two tall and no two small hold the same inside
You better do some thinking if you want to win the prize
The second and the fifth are filled with much the same
The first and the third are different but both lame
A drop is all you’ll need to know you’ve not much luck with smarts
But then logic isn’t strong among those with magic in their hearts
Some Party Photos
Raising a family on little more than laughs
This post is not sponsored post
