Three Pence For Your Thoughts

[AlderadDangarian]

Hi all. This is an old story that I wanted to revisit. I can't seem to find all of the chapters--actually I could only find chapter 1. If you have read this before, you might see some changes. I don't know if anyone does this, but...if anyone happens to come across an old copy this story, please let me know! Thanks again and I hope that you enjoy...

Three Pence For Your Thoughts

Conundrum
Chapter 1

It was a dark and gloomy night, typical for this time of the year. The days are getting shorter and the nights are much longer. The wind is blowing in from the north—a bitter raw type of cold, unlike any that has been seen in this area for many years.

“My room is going to be freezing again,” I think as my teeth begin to chatter. “What am I going to do, I am out of Floo powder and don’t have the galleons to buy some right now. Oh Great…another thing I need to deal with today, just like everyday—no money. It would have been simple if I stayed at HER house tonight, but since we broke up earlier today, that notion is out. Who needs her anyway? ” I decide to take the LONG way home.

While walking a stiff breeze kicks up and starts blowing my robes up. “Pawns of Slytherin, I hate these old robes. I hate wearing someone else’s stuff. I really can’t take this anymore. If only I had some spare change to keep in my robes—that would help to keep them down-- I wouldn’t need to keep spare change in them if I was able to afford new ones!” A particularly large cloud of dust, dirt, and debris hits me in the face and blocks my vision. “Oh great, now I have leaves up my nose.”

I cough away the dust and remove my glasses to clean them quickly. I return them to the tip of my nose. As my vision clears, I see a flyer in the pile of rubbish that hit me in the face. I grab it and turn it over. It reads,

“Can’t seem to catch a break? Having a really long day? Getting hit with all sorts of debris? Don’t have enough Galleons to keep your robes down? Come down to ‘The Dungeon’ and get 10 Galleons just for showing up. NO OBLIGATION!!! _{You could even get the chance to win a FREE copy of that best selling scroll: Galleons and Galleons for the taking, by Dew E. Cheetam.}


Don’t miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime. This could be your chance to get rich and famous!”

I think to myself, “What a crock. People must be really gullible to fall for something like this! Hey, the meeting starts in 15 minutes, it is only around the corner. 10 free galleons, what’s the catch?” Almost as if the flyer could read my mind it flashes—

“What have you got to lose?”

[AlderadDangarian]

I found another chapter. Yes, the pronouns are meant to be confusing.

Chapter 7 … centaurea trichocephala ssp. simonkaiana

He walked and walked against the stiffening breeze. Fifty to sixty mile per hour gusts pushing against him, He thinks, “should I turn back?” On more than one occasion, he needs to grab his hat as it slipped from his brow. He grits his teeth and forged ahead refusing to be deterred by this almost unnatural wind.

I put my head down, forcing forward. Suddenly I bump into something, actually someone. There is a faint {tinkle} sound that accompanies a high-pitched {eek}.

I look up and take a double take. I finally realize that my mouth is hanging open and close it. Standing in front of me is the most attractive witch I have ever seen. She is about 19 years old, 5’ 6”, petite bone structure, well proportioned—her robes fit on the snug side although they are very well worn. Her flowing brunette hair, deep emerald eyes...those eyes are breathtaking. She pardons herself, and passes me. Lightly, she brushes against me and there is a faint smell of some exotic flower. I take a DEEP breath…wow…mmmmmm.

Another wind kicks up and startles me. As quickly as the wind came, it left. I turned to watch her walk away, but she passed into a shadow and disappears. I step forward, but before I take another step I see something glittering on the ground. It is a small golden ring with a Gryffindor on it…a school ring. She must have dropped it. I pick it up, and turn to find her but she is nowhere to be found. I examine the ring more closely, it is very similar to the ring I wanted, but could not afford. AARRRGGGHHHHHH. Looking at the two digits that signify the year of graduation on the ring; “wow it is the same year that I graduated Hogwarts.” He looks inside the ring, but no name engraved…”funny, I would have remembered HER." I place the ring on my smallest finger and make a mental note to send the ring back to Hogwarts by owl so the proper owner could be found…lilies…WOW.

Finally he arrive at the address; however ‘The Vault’ was not there. He read and reread the flyer, the address must be wrong. Almost as an afterthought, he glances at the bottom of the page…something else caught his eye that was not on the flyer before—numbers. They were dimmer than the rest of the flyer, almost hidden at the bottom.

342436

He looks at the wall in front of him and takes a double take. Suddenly a dial appears on the brick wall in front of him. He looks closely at it, but there are no numbers on the dial. He spins it, and it makes a faint clicking noise. He puts his ear closer to it and start to turn the dial. Three clicks to the left, seven to the right, two to the left, four to the right, three to the left, and six to the right. Nothing happens. He looks aback at the flyer:

Duh…34-24-36


He slowly turns the dial and listens…After turning the dial the final number of clicks—36 times, there is a faint clinking of metal latches, locks and bars moving and then…

[AlderadDangarian]

I've had issues logging in. The next two will be posted sometime today.

[AlderadDangarian]

Chapter 9: Slay Your Dragons

He stumbled off the slide and retched into a bucket near the meeting area. “Wow, what an adventure getting to this meeting. I guess they want people to REALLY earn that sack of gold,” he thinks after wiping his mouth. He looks up and sees a dark and gloomy place, chairs thrown about haphazardly. The floors, if they could be called floors, look well worn and filthy. The walls are dank, dark, and dirty. “What a dump!”

He slowly meanders his way towards the audience chamber. Still weak in the knees, he carefully sits down on one of the more sturdy chairs. A few minutes later, more wizards and witches arrive—walking though a door nearest the stage.

The lights dim….

A short, thin, balding wizard with a pointed nose enters the stage, after wrestling with the curtains…

He speaks into his wand and a squeaky voice proclaims, ”Welcome, welcome, welcome. I am so glad to see such a wonderful crowd!”

“What is this guy talking about…I am the only one sitting down” HE looks around at the hundred or so chairs littered about the room, but he is the only one sitting in the crowd. He begins to rise, but is compelled to sit…)

“Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show…”

Three people enter the stage, dressed as schoolchildren. They begin to sing: “Hurry, hurry, hur-ry, hur-ry, Hurry, hurry, hur-ry, hur-ry.”

“What is going on…I just want my money….” He takes a deep breath and is about to stand to leave, but smells something…wonderful. Just then, someone touches his shoulder and moves in front of him, as if trying to get past him in a crowded theater. She politely asks if anyone is sitting next to him, but it is obvious that the seat is empty. She smiles and sits down. He recognizes her immediately, the woman from outside. He immediately turns towards her and their eyes meet. “WOW….she smells great!”

Time begins to slow.
“Hurry, hurry, hur-ry, hur-ry, Hurry, hurry, hur-ry, hur-ry.”

There are sounds of explosions, crying, sorrow, fear, and death.

Suddenly the house lights become brighter. He realizes that someone is holding his hand. He turns towards her and looks into those eyes. A tear slowly glides down her right cheek. He raises his hand to touch it and realizes that he is no longer in the theatre, but standing outside of the Leaky Cauldron. She kisses him on the cheek and bids him a good night. Her hand lingers at his fingertips, almost beckoning him to follow her inside.

He nervously reaches into his left robe pocket and feels a pouch of gold and a small piece of parchment. He pulls it out and reads it, “What have you got to lose…”

[AlderadDangarian]

Chapter 11: It’s OWL Time

Hello mother, father…what a wonderful day. He sits down and looks at his surroundings. “What a dump, I can’t believe I live here.” He thinks to himself.

“Oh my goodness, you are alright. Where have you been all week? We have been worried sick,” his mother says shrieking and teary-eyed after running up to him and giving a great big hug.

“Are you writing a book? Well, leave that chapter out. It is not of your business where I have been.”

A look of shock appears on his parent’s faces. “W-hat did you say? We have been looking for you for a week. Not even a note where you were off to, I checked at work, but they said that you took a few days off. Why didn’t you tell us where you were off to?” said his father.

“I’m late, I’ll see you later.”

He looked at his watch, 11:30--already?. “Oh well,” he thinks. He slowly walks to the lifts and has to shift the bag that is in his hands so that he can push the button for his floor. He walks though the office and finally arrives at his desk; he sees all of the work that had been stacked on his desk. He sits down and put his feet up. An owl swoops in the window and lands on the largest pile—causing it to fall all over the floor. He takes the note off of its leg and reads:

“Percy,
I can’t wait to see you again, why don’t you drop by for lunch?"


"HMMMMMMM. I'ts been a busy day so far. I think I'll take an early lunch--after all I've earned it!" He attaches the bag to the owl and it flys off.

As he leaves the lobby, he swears that he hears a faint alarm. He turns towards the sound, but remembers that he has more important things to worry about--lunch!

[AlderadDangarian]

More to come!