Riddle Me This

Today's daily enigmas

    And of course, once in a while, once I'm still drowning in my ocean of thoughts, I'd be staring into space during the drowning. And if I was in the library drowning, Malfoy would bring in the rope and bring me back to the surface. Meaning that he would snap me back to reality. I'd find myself drowning in my ocean too repeatedly. Like right now. If my ocean were my thoughts, I guess my memories would be the animals swimming inside of the ocean. Some memories die and I never remember those memories again, or they keep constantly swimming.

    It's been 3 weeks since I've fully recovered. That day on October 2, I found myself in the hallways reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, when Luna Lovegood found me. She pushed the bridge of her red and blue glasses back with the tip of her finger. After examining me oddly, she started swatting her hands around me and her head. "Uh, what are you doing?" I asked nervously.

    "Getting rid of the wrackspurts flying around your head. You should be happy that I got rid for them for you," Luna explained proudly. "They'll make your brain go fuzzy once they fly in and out of your ears. We can't have our chaser play with a fuzzy brain now, can we?"

    "No, I guess not. We are having a match with Gryffindor this weekend," I replied.

    "Reading Fantastic Beasts again?"

    "Yeah..."

    "Why the Trophy Room?" It only took me a minute to realize what Luna meant. I was standing in front of Trophy room just standing there like an idiot for God knows how long. But I figured I could find something about the House founders there, so it wouldn't be too random if I went inside.

    "I'm doing a report of the House Founders of Hogwarts. I thought that maybe I can find something there," I explained.

    "Hmm," Luna said as she walked away. Not like a "Hmm, I wonder if she's lying" hmm, but a "Hmm, that is a nice thought" kind of hmm. Luna's a nice friend and all, but there are times when I can't read her. I don't understand a lot of people. But I'm not a very social person.

    I quietly walked into the Trophy Room and stared in awe at the numbers of awards there were. I've never been in the Trophy Room until now, surprisingly. But with no such luck of finding anything. The only thing I could find about the founders was that Rowena Ravenclaw won an award for Wizard of the Month. As I quickly wrote that down on my notepad, I noticed Orange was deeply scrubbing some sort of trophy seven feet across from me.

    Orange glanced to see if he was being watched, which made me duck down as a result. I waited for another ten minutes for him to be gone and walked over to the trophy to see what it was. It was a golden trophy for "special services" addressed to a Tom Riddle. The trophy was given to him in 1943. I sneakily opened the door to the case of the trophy. I don't know why I was so tempted to learn more about a person who was probably not a major impact on my life. Or so I thought...

I also found his Medal of Magical Merit, including a rusty Slytherin Head Boy badge. I picked up the badge and traced it with my fingers, getting my second attack of the day as a result. I gasped and waited for the pins and needles to cover me like a cactus, forcing their way into my body. I felt like I was being choked underwater, I even felt the water trickling in my ears. But this time the pain was different. When I felt like I was underwater, there would be a wild and violent current trying to sweep me away. But the current was softer this time. It was more serene and calm. And this time no needles or pins.

A boy no older than 16 with curly brown hair was was walking towards Professor Dumbledore's office. He shouted the word, "Dippet" and entered the office. Then sitting in a chair was an old man with a beard like Dumbledore's turned around. "Ah, Mr. Riddle. What brings you here? Are you ready to enjoy your summer?" The man asked.

"Professor Dippet, I wondered if it was okay if I could stay over at school during the summer?" Riddle asked. That was a rather odd question. And apparently it also was odd to the man who happened to be Professor Dippet.

"Hmm. Rather odd request, Mr. Riddle, but no. After the incident with Miss Warren and this 'Chamber of Secrets', I figured it would be safer for the students not to be around the school for awhile." Professor Dippet denied as he got out of his seat. "Well, I hope you enjoy your summer, Mr. Riddle. I must be going now, I must discuss with Professor Slughorn about the case of Myrtle Warren."

As Professor Dippet was about to leave, Riddle interrupted him with, "Wait." Professor Dippet stopped and turned to face Riddle. "I think I know who was behind the murder of Myrtle Warren. And the petrifications."

"Do you now?"

"I believe it was Rubeus Hagrid."

"Really? And what makes you say that?"

"He was the one who sent the monster that terrorized the school. He sent his pet Acromantula to terrorize Hogwarts." Riddle explained with a slightly trembling voice. Professor Dippet stood there, thought for a few seconds and left. "Professor? Professor!" Riddle exclaimed as Professor Dippet continued to walk into the hallways, presumably pretending not to hear the "PROFESSOR"s he was getting from Riddle.

I came back to cold reality with cold sweat and a damp forehead. My hair was slightly frazzled from the heat and sweating, but at least no ear ringing, which was a good sign. But why did I have that vision? What did the school's groundskeeper have to do anything with this? And who is this Myrtle Warren? But now that I think of it, every single day of my life is painted with enigma.

I searched through every single book of magical creatures and every wording of Fantastic Beasts, but still, nothing. Nothing that proved that an Acromantula could be capable of petrifying a person. Though it's possible for Acromantulas to kill people, I didn't believe it's possible for them to petrify anyone. So how could an Acromantula be the cause of the school terrorizing in 1943?

But I did find the school records of Myrtle Warren. Not to be rude, but a rather sickly looking girl, if you ask me. Thin, pursed lips over slightly wrinkled and high cheekbones, and thick glasses the same round shape as Wonder Boy. In the picture, her chestnut brown hair went past her shoulders with bangs with a slight curl at the end. She died in 1943 sometime after her fourth year. She was also sorted into Ravenclaw. Her record said that she was killed by the same mysterious monster that's terrorizing school right now.

    So that left today with four enigmas. #1: Who Tom Riddle is, #2: Why I'm having visions of him. #3: How an Acromantula petrify the students if it's the reason why there are the petrifications, #4: How did Myrtle Warren really die and by what?

    I headed to the Common Room to gather some books, when I heard someone ambiguously sobbing in the bathroom upstairs. I went upstairs to see who it was screaming, when I saw no one. I only found one stall I haven't checked yet, but didn't find anything until a pale, ghostly figure sitting on the toilet with her palms covering her face. "ER, are you a... GHOST?! Why are you so pale and wearing such old clothes?!" I exclaimed.

    "Excuse me?! I may be a ghost, yes, but I do have feelings y'know. That's rude, coming from a fellow Ravenclaw." Ravenclaw? I took another glance at the ghost's appearance. Thin, pursed lips a light pink color. The same bangs with a slight curl, the round Wonder Boy glasses... She was even wearing some tattered Ravenclaw robes a dusty baby blue color. Could it be?

    "Err, do you happen to be-"

    "Yes, Moaning Myrtle. But I would much rather be called my real name Myrtle Warren. Wouldn't you?". And here comes enigma #5...