Harry Logic

Fifteen years ago (Yikes!) When my children were draining my brain cells at an alarming rate, I would work logic puzzles to counteract Barney and The Teletubbies.  At some point, I decided to write one (or five), and since we were in the midst of Harry Potter, I roped J. K. Rowling's characters into service, and Stephanie Black into writing the story.  I'm not sure other people write logic puzzles as fan fiction, but why not?

Snack Attack is elementary school level.  The others are not.  I have this vague memory that April Fools may require felix felicis. So in order of difficulty (I think) it is Snack Attack, Owl Mail, Gilderoy's Valentines, Leapin' Leprechauns, and April Fools.

In the words of Hermione, "This isn't magic--it's logic puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling, pg 207)

 If you are unfamiliar with this type of puzzle, here is a most excellent resource. Logic Puzzle Resource

If you are unfamiliar with Harry Potter, then get with the program and get to the bookstore.

Logic Puzzle April Fool's Day

based on the books by the awesome J. K. Rowling
April Fool's Day

Harry looked up from his steak and kidney pie as Fred and George approached the Gryffindor table. Both of them were walking as though picking their way through Professor Lupin’s dark creatures obstacle course.
"Hi," said Hermione, her mouth twitching.
Fred and George didn’t reply. They were too busy shaking their chairs, running their hands up and down the chair legs and examining the undersides of the seats.
Ron sniggered. "What’s the matter? Afraid someone hexed your chairs?"
Harry tried to keep a straight face, but when he saw Professor McGonagall shoot a severe look at the twins and lean over to whisper something to Dumbledore, he lost control. He burst into laughter and had to clamp his napkin over his mouth to keep from spraying the table with bits of meat.
"Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes will have their revenge," said Fred, sitting down and gingerly prodding the dish of potatoes as though he expected it to explode.
Lee Jordan erupted in mirth so loud that everyone in the Great Hall turned to look at him. "Who are you going to get revenge on? You don’t even know who’s guilty."
"We’ll figure it out," said George grimly. "And woe betide the fools. . ."
Unbeknownst to Fred and George, the Weasley family, (Ginny, Ron, Percy, Bill, Arthur, and Charlie) got together with Madame Hooch, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Sinistra, Filch, Madame Pomfrey and Hagrid to turn the tables on Fred and George.
Fred got tricked twice, as did George, and twice Fred and George were caught together.
Fred and George (either individually or together in no particular order) were surprised to find homework disappearing from the desk, turning into a canary, a "Hex Me" sign stuck on the back of his/their robes, forgetting his/their own name (am I Fred? Or am I George?), and one team fixed it up so that instead of speaking, every word came out as an Opera aria. Professor McGonagall was not amused when a powerful love potion was used and she was the object of desire! Unfortunately for the Twins, all of these took place in rather public places (common room, breakfast, charms class, transfiguration, lunch and a school assembly in that order).
Help Fred and George find their tormentors with the following clues.

1. Dumbledore was not in cahoots with Bill. Sinistra did not help Charlie.
2. The homework trick and the canary trick caught the same person (or people).
3. Fred was spared singing any opera at all.
4. The six tricks were the one played by Hagrid, Percy, Bill, Madame Hooch, the one at breakfast, and the opera singing.
5. The love potion involved only one female (besides Professor McGonagall, of course)—but not Madame Pomfrey. (FYI Professor Sinistra is female)
6. The only Weasley Filch was willing to work with was Percy and their trick went down before Dumbledore’s.
7. The following tricks happened in this order: Homework disappeared, Name(s) forgotten, Arthur Weasley got revenge and the love potion inspired poems, flowers and candy.
8. Ginny’s trick was immediately before the canary trick and Filch’s was immediately after the canary transfiguration.
9. Bill and Charlie managed to get both of their brothers. And Bill got them during transfiguration class
10. Hagrid finally got George (only) back after years of fantasizing about it.
11. Madame Pomfrey finished her trick before Professor Sinistra finished hers.
12. The "Hex Me" and the Canary were played on different individuals.

Logic Puzzle Leapin' Leprechauns

based on the books by the awesome J. K. Rowling
Leapin' Leprechauns

A swarm of green wooshed past Harry, Ron and Hermione as the entered Hogwart's Castle after Care of Magical Creatures.
"Leprechauns!" gasped Harry. "What are they doing here?"
"Probably scattering disappearing gold around. . .stupid little green gits," muttered Ron, clearly still smarting under the memory of the leprechaun gold that had tricked him into thinking he had repaid Harry for the omnioculars at the Quidditch World Cup.
"The gold they leave doesn't always disappear," said Hermione. "Sometimes they leave real gold, or even chocolate gold coins. They usually give chocolate coins to children, I think, but you never know with leprechauns."
"Chocolate gold?" said Ron with a blank look. "Little hard to spend, isn't it?"
"You don't spend it. You eat it. Then sometimes they leave other metal coins painted to look like gold--to fool Muggles, you know. In the "Lives of British Muggles" I read--"
"Here comes Snape!" interrupted Harry. They watched as Snape swooped down the stairs, an unusually cheerful look on his ugly, sallow face. In his hands he clutched a small green pot.
"Full of leprechaun gold!" whispered Hermione and she, Ron and Harry turned toward the Great Hall.
"I hope he got the disappearing gold," said Ron. "What else did the leprechauns leave, I wonder?"
The Leprechauns have left five pots of gold at Hogwarts. Though only one pot contains real gold the rest look as though they do(there are chocolate gold coins, Invisible coins, Leprechaun gold and Painted metal coins). The pots were found by Professors Dumbledore, Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape and Sprout. They found them in the Classroom, Common room Entrance Hall, Great Hall and the Staffroom. The "amounts" were 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 galleons. (None of these are necessarily respective).

1. The amount the chocolate coins were "worth" was equal to that of the invisible coins together with the coins that were found in the classroom (which weren't painted). (3 separate amounts)
2. Snape was delighted that his coins were "worth" more than either McGonagall's or Dumbledore's.
3. The coins found in the Entrance Hall were "worth" 20 galleons more than the ones in the Great Hall.
4. The Leprechaun Gold was "worth" more than Professor McGonagall's and hers was "worth" more than the gold found in the staffroom.
5. The real gold amounted to exactly half of Professor Flitwick's find.
6. The five pots left by the Leprechauns were the pot in the Great Hall, the painted coins, the 10-galleon pot, the pot found by Professor Sprout and the real pot of gold.

Logic Puzzle Gilderoy's Valentines

based on the books by the awesome J. K. Rowling

Gilderoy Lockhart's Many Valentines

"Now, now, Minerva, don't go stealing my valentines." Gilderoy Lockhart wagged a finger at Professor McGonagall as she plucked a pink-wrapped package out of the treacle. "Now, if you let me teach you the secrets of my charm, you'll be pelted with owls throughout the month of February just like me."
"Being pelted with gifts from twittering children is not something I aspire to, Gilderoy," said McGonagall coldly as she handed Lockhart his sticky package.
Down at the Gryffindor table, Ron and Harry exchanged grins.
"Wonder who's twittery enough to send Lockhart a valentine?" muttered Seamus. "That brainless lump has been getting gifts all week."
"Dunno." Ron poured milk into his glass as half the females at the Gryffindor table blushed bright red. "No one with any taste, anyway."
"Oh, really?" said Hermione, recovering some dignity though her cheeks were still scarlet. "Errol was here just the other day, wasn't he, Ron? And he wasn't delivering a valentine for Ginny."
Now Ron was the one who blushed. Harry bit his lip to keep from laughing. What gift had Mrs. Weasley sent to the winner of Witch's Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award?

Gilderoy received one Valentine per day (Monday-Friday) from five swooning females (Ginny, Hermione, Lavender, Molly, Parvati) each sent him different type of Valentine (candy, card, flowers, a poem, a song). Each admired him because of a different attribute (his forget-me-not blue eyes, his curly hair, his stylish robes, his award-winning smile, and his enchanting voice). Of course each of these swooning females were mocked and teased by one of the non-impressed male population (Fred, George, Harry, Neville, Ron). As Gilderoy's memory is not what it used to be, help him sort out his admirers and their gifts (so he can send them autographed pictures--or perhaps some hair care potions) and find his detractors so he can adjust their grades accordingly.

1. Fred was teasing someone the day before the hair admirer's token was given--but he wasn't teasing Lavender.
2. George didn't tease the flower sender and surprised himself by having enough sense not to tease his mother (Molly).
3. Monday's Valentine was inspired by Gilderoy Lockhart's enchanting voice.
4. The song was given in the form of singing sheet music (but not from Hermione) the day after whoever liked Gilderoy's robes which was the day after Harry laughed himself sick mocking a lovestruck student.
5. Molly and Ginny Weasley were the first and last people to deliver their Valentine's--but not necessarily respectively.
6. The five who sent Valentines were Hermione, the one who admired Lockhart's hair, the person teased by Ron, Lavender and the one who sent flowers (in some order).
7. Molly Weasley was embarrassed when she was teased by one of her own children about sending something to Gilderoy Lockhart for Valentine's Day.
8. Parvati gave Professor Lockhart her Valentine the day before he got the poem, which was the day before Fred started teasing someone
9. Ron and Neville teased the ones who sent the card and who liked Lockhart's eyes (in some order) but neither of them bothered the one who sent the candy. 
   

Logic Puzzle Owl Mail

based on the books by the awesome J. K. Rowling

This one didn't have a story,  Steph is such a slacker, spending all her time on her actual novels.


There are five owls (Errol, Hedwig, Hermes, Pig, School Owl) Five people who sent something (George, Harry, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Ron) Five people who received things (Charlie Weasley, Fred Weasley, Hagrid, Neville, Percy Weasley) and Five items that were delivered (invitation, howler, letter, package, R.S.V.P.)

Owl Mail

1. Neither Mrs Weasley nor Hagrid sent or received anything with the services of Pig .
2. Harry sent the package and Ron sent his item to a family member.
3. The five owls involved were the School Owl, Errol, the one Mrs. Weasley used, the one to Percy and the one to Charlie.
4. Whoever sent the invitation (it wasn't Hermione) didn't send it to Hagrid and didn't borrow the school owl.
5. The two items taken by Hermes and Hedwig were the item from Hermione and the howler (but not necessarily respectively).
6. Neville was grateful that George sent the R.S.V.P. to him and that the howler went to someone else.
7. Fred was not surprised to receive the howler after his latest practical joke had gone awry.
8. Hermione did not send anything to Percy.
9. Hagrid didn't use the school owl.
10. Charlie received his item by a Weasley family owl (Pig, Hermes or Errol).

Logic Puzzle : Snack Attack

Snack Attack (Elementary level, story by Steph) 

based on the books by the awesome J. K. Rowling

With end of year exams only a week away, the Gryffindor common room was unusually empty and unusually quiet, unless you counted the hiss of the sulphurous green smoke flooding out of Hermione's ears.  Harry smothered a chuckle--Hermione was embarrassed enough already.  He kept his eyes focused on the book in front of him and munched a handful of sweets, silently renewing his vow to never so much as lick any foodstuff offered to him by Fred or George and thinking that at least Hermione's smoking ears had served the purpose of clearing people from the room, thus making studying easier.  Ron was trying valiantly not to laugh, but Harry had seen the mischievous glint in his eye and knew he was plotting to enrich the coffers of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes by purchasing some smoking smarties and delivering them via anonymous owl to Draco Malfoy. 

"Here," Ron dropped his quill on the table and pushed a bowl of snacks toward Hermione.  "Maybe this will help. ..er. . .clear your head."

"No, thank you," said Hermione composedly, not looking up from the thick textbook she was studying.  "I'm all set."  She patted the open package of snacks next to her, a package she had purchased herself at Honeydukes.  Having spent the last half an hour engulfed in the odor of rotten eggs, Hermione wasn't taking any more chances. 

Ron slunk across the room and pushed open a window, bringing a flower-scented breeze wafting into the room.  He picked up his quill, groaned, and got back to studying, pausing occasionally to snack from his own stash of sweets (purchased by himself and kept on his person thereafter.  Following an unfortunate Nose Hair Caramel incident, Ron too had learned to be wary of unattended food). 

Can you tell from the following clues who (Harry, Ron, Hermione) was studying what subject (transfiguration, potions, charms) and which snack they were eating (Pumpkin pasties, chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans)?

1. The student who ate the chocolate frogs had already finished transfiguration (and so was working on something else).
2. The three students were Harry, the one who ate pumpkin pasties and the one studying transfiguration.
3.  Ron was not doing his charms homework but Harry was struggling with his Potions assignment.

Harry Logic

Fifteen years ago (Yikes!) When my children were draining my brain cells at an alarming rate, I would work logic puzzles to counteract Barney and The Teletubbies.  At some point, I decided to write one (or five), and since we were in the midst of Harry Potter, I roped J. K. Rowling's characters into service, and Stephanie Black into writing the story.  I'm not sure other people write logic puzzles as fan fiction, but why not?

Snack Attack is elementary school level.  The others are not.  I have this vague memory that April Fools may require felix felicis. So in order of difficulty (I think) it is Snack Attack, Owl Mail, Gilderoy's Valenines, Leapin' Leprechauns, and April Fools.

In the words of Hermione, "This isn't magic--it's logic puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever." (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling, pg 207)

 If you are unfamiliar with this type of puzzle, here is a most excellent resource. Logic Puzzle Resource

If you are unfamiliar with Harry Potter, then get with the program and get to the bookstore.