Hufflepuff challenge

Travel through the Entrance Hall, and you spot a door to the right of the staircase. Open the door, and follow the stairway down into the depths of Hogwarts.

Here you will find the Hufflepuff common room. A large number of chairs litter the room and Hufflepuff banners hang proudly from the ceilings.

You do not have much time to look around before a jolly voice calls out. "Ho-ho! Hello there." The source of the voice is quickly found to be that of the Fat Friar, who is floating between a table and a bookshelf. The table supports a small chest and the bookshelf holds a number of small cups and trophies.

If you move closer to the shelves, you notice there are three shelves. The first shelf contains two cups and a trophy. The trophy is a 'Special Services to the School.' One cup has a handle and is a brownish color. The second cup has two handles and is gold in color.

The second shelf contains three cups. One cup is smooth, without a handle, and round; the other has two handles and has a box shape. The third cup has a small handle and curved spout. All three are gold in color.

The third shelf contains two trophies, and one cup. The cup is decorated by silver metalwork.

If you look even closer, all of the cups are emblazoned with a badger.

Now, if you peer closer at the chest, you notice that a shape is carved into its top; the image in the same general shape as the items on the bookshelf. No other locking mechanism can be found, yet the chest will not open.

"Come to take on the challenge?" He asks as he notices you looking at the chest.

Stepping through the Hufflepuff Common room door, JD looks around. It was a lot more friendly and cozy, he thought. Much like his own common room. Jumping slightly as he hears a voice call out to him, he nods and walks over to the Fat Friar. "Yes, I have sir."

"Excellent!" He booms, floating closer to the bookshelf. "You see...one of these..." He gestures to the trophies and cups. "Belongs there." He points to the chest. "You need to figure out which is the correct one in order to open the chest." He explained. He reached down and picked up a cup, holding it in both hands, its color gleaming softly in the light. "It could be this one." He set it down. "Or this one." He picked up another, holding its handle in one hand. "Or it could be any of the others."

Looking back at the Fat Friar as he picks up one and then another, saying it could be either of those or one of those still on the shelf. Nodding, he looks closely at each and every one, individually.

Studying them, looking for a difference in the design, anything at all that might give a clue.

Picking up one the one to the left of the center one, he attempts to place it into the spot on the top of the chest.

The chest doesn't open. With a frown, and shake of his head, the Friar floats closer to the shelf. "Oh dear. That doesn't seem to be correct."

If you move closer to the shelves, you notice there are three shelves. The first shelf contains two cups and a trophy. The trophy is a 'Special Services to the School.' One cup has a handle and is a brownish color. The second cup has two handles and is gold in color.

The second shelf contains three cups. One cup is smooth, without a handle, and round; the other has two handles and has a box shape. The third cup has a small handle and curved spout. All three are gold in color.

The third shelf contains two trophies, and one cup. The cup is decorated by silver metalwork.

If you look closer, all of the cups are emblazoned with a badger.

"Perhaps try again?"

As the first item is placed back on the shelf, JD looks intently at each item again. About to reach for the The second cup has two handles and is gold in color on the first shelf, he stops midreach.

Turning to look at the Fat Friar, he asks "Are there any clues as to which one it might be?"

The Friar floats placidly by, watching the boy search.

"Clues?" He repeats curiously. "Well, I don't believe that there are. Helga Hufflepuff did like a good challenge. Perhaps something will surface later though."

"Alright" he replies placidly. He loved a challenge as well, and was willing to undertake it.

Reaching for the same one once again he attempts placing the The second cup has two handles and is gold in color on the first shelf. on top of the chest.

Trixie appeared at the Hufflepuff Common Room, slightly bemused at how different it was from her own Common Room down in the Dungeons. It was, well warmer she supposed because they weren't under a huge great big lake. The Slytherin watched as another boy, someone younger, was searching around and decided that she indeed wanted to take on the Challenge. But err....How was she meant to start?

"I'm err..... Well yes I am up to the challenge" she grinned.

Iris walked into the Hufflpuff common room, and looked around. It was ... very, friendly and YELLOW. Eugh. She couldn't be doing with that all year. No, green was far better.

She smiled kindly at the Fat Friar as he asked if she was there for the challenge. "Yup, sir... Challenges are always fun." hehe. Except for when they're bad. Then they're no fun at all.

"Come now, don't be shy." The ghost urged the two newcomers. "Come and take the challenge." He gestured towards the chest. "You must find the item that opens it; find the item and place it onto the chest." He gestured towards his other side. "One of these trophies or cups will fit. Good luck."

Jason stepped into the Hufflepuff common room and looked around, it was very familiar but he didnt have long to look around before a booming voice Echoed to him so swiftly turning round he noticed he wasnt alone, 2 others were there and there was also a ghost. "Yes sir i have" He said as he walked to examine the chest that was in the room.

Trixie listened intently to what the Ghost was saying and then looked on over at the Trophies. One of them would open the Chest did he say? Trixie was a little confused but she was going to go along with it. So she picked up the cup on the 2nd shelf. The one that was smooth and had no handles but was round.

She took a hold of it and tried to see whether this would be the one to open the Chest. What did she do now?

"Good, good. Go ahead and try your luck, young man. Select the item on the shelves that will fit the chest. Only one item will unlock the chest."

The Fat Friar looked on intently as a girl lifted a cup and attempted to fit it onto the chest.

His face fell as the chest remained locked. "Oh dear..."

Iris looked around the room. There was SO many trophies... Couldn't she just accio the correct one? She walked up to the shelf and looked at them all. There was one cup that caught her eye, for some reason. She picked the cup that was golden and had two handles, and went over to the chest. She put it into the the carving on the chest, hoping that it would fit.

Jason walked over to the shelf and looked at the colours and the designs on the cups, he was now thinking logically about items Helga Hufflepuff would have owned so lifting the gold cup with 2 handles on the first shelf he took it and placed it on the chest.

OK so that one obviously didn't work did it? Pffft. The Slytherin muttered under her breath and put it back on the shelf. Siiiiigh. But when you get knocked down you get back up again right? So she once again turned to the 2nd shelf but picked up the third cup, the one with a small handle and curved spout Now was this one gonna work?

Jacob entered the hufflepuff common room. Challenge... He is ready! Listening to the fat friar he said "yes sir" yes he was going to do this challenge, Jacob examined the shelf closley. EEEP! more confusing than he thought. Too many. Alright just find one... Shiny. Which was shiniest.

"Oh yay, another challenge!" Vashti exclaimed with a grin as she entered. "Of course I'm here for it." She was quite enjoying these challenges. They certainly got you thinking. Now, what did she have to do to open this chest? Use one of the cups/trophies on these shelves? Hm, but which one? "How about..." she began, studying all of the items, "...this one," she finished, picking up the nice 'Special Services to the School' trophy. Seemed appropriate, right? Why not? As she placed it on the chest, she waited to see if it would work.

A few cups and trophies were tried by the students, but to no avail, it seemed. "Oh goodness." The Fat Friar moaned. "It doesn't open!"

Jacob watched the others trying kept examining each cup. He couldn't decide the shiniest, so jacob just walked closer the the book shelf and took the cup sitting on the third shelf with silver metalwork. Jacob put it on the chest and waited... Anything?

Josey walked into the common room, a place she has been many times, being a Hufflepuff. She stopped in the doorway and looked all around her, taking in her surroundings. Then she said to the fat friar. "Yes I'm ready for the challenge."

Okay, so the Special Servies trophy didn't work. Phooey. Vashti studied the shelves again for a few moments before picking up the brownish cup on the first shelf with a single handle. Maybe this one would work. She placed it on the shelf and then waited. Open? Yes? No?

James entered the common room, smiling and waving to the cheery Fat Friar. He inspected the bookshelves before picking up the cup that "is smooth, without a handle, and round." He walked up to the odd chest, and placed the cup on top of it, waiting patiently. He noticed the few cups and trophies that did not work, and made a mental note to not try those. He decided to be friendly while he waited.
"Hello," he said to the Fat Friar, smiling.

The Fat Friar beckoned the girl closer. "Come on now." He coughed slightly. "Now, for this challenge, you must find the correct item on those shelves that will fit in that chest." He pointed towards the impressive chest on the table next to him. "Only one will fit."

To the other three, he shook his head in sadness. "It doesn't seem to be working. Helga Hufflepuff made quite the challenge, didn't she?" He winked at James as he said hello.