All Is Fair ~ Tom Riddle AU

Chapter 2

"Hair, nail or some sort of DNA- check which word fits," Artemis replied. "And still- I'm going to go and get it." 

"I'll come with you," Gen proclaimed, standing up. "Just to the dorms, don't worry, you can show your beautiful portrait to Slugs all alone. I start my relationship with Christian Cranston today. I need an outfit change, breath check and way more lipstick." 

"I'm coming as well," Roman declared. "Simply because I want to." 

Artemis shrugged. "Let's go." 

------> 0o0 <------

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" 

"I don't know. The Mad-hatter invented the riddle and even he didn't know the answer, so how could I? It's been an hour, can you please just let me in? I promise I'll answer the riddle next time." They could hear a boy ask as they got closer to the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower.

The three shared a glance.

"Hey there, need some help?" Rome asked kindly.

The boy looked so happy that he felt faint. "Oh yes, thank God."

"What's the riddle you are stuck on?" Artemis asked.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" The eagle promptly repeated.

"Because both have the letter 'r' in them?" Gen guessed at the same time Roman said, "You shouldn't shove either up your arse," and Artemis said, " Because it can produce few notes, though they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!"

The door opened widely.

The boy gaped at them openly.

Gen laughed as she closed his mouth. Rome took him inside the Common Room.

"I don't think I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw." The boy admitted with a frown.

"Kid, if one got into Ravenclaw solely because of smartness, I promise you that more than three-forths of the people wouldn't be here. Heck, I wouldn't be here." Gen said.

"But I couldn't answer the riddle!" He protested.

"That's because you were thinking too hard." Artemis grinned, ruffling his head. "The motto of Ravenclaw isn't intelligence or wisdom. It's wit. Blurt out the first answer that comes to your mind. If the answer doesn't make the door open, then explain it to the eagle. Because there must have been some reason the answer flashed into your mind in the first place, so explain it to the eagle. Like Reginald and I said yesterday, no answer is technically wrong and if you explain how it is even the slightest bit correct, then the eagle will let you in. Get it?"

The boy nodded. "I think so." 

"Good. Try it out next time." Gen smiled. 

"Or just wait for somebody else to come." Roman added as he sat on one of the armchairs.

Artemis went into her room, took the newspaper covered portrait and all the books and things she needed for that day, and put them inside her never-ending sling bag. 

"Artemis!" Gen called out as she rushed into her room and closed the door panting.

"Wow, I haven't seen you run this fast in- actually, I have never seen you run so fast. What's wrong?" Artemis asked.

"Life in general, but that's not the point," Gen replied. "I have a genuine emergency." 

"What code?" 

"Blue." 

"In some kind of a dilemma then," Artemis said. "Between what?" 

"This," Gen responded as she held up two dresses- one in grey and the other one in purple. "The problem is, I look fabulous in both of them. Which one do I wear? Today is my first day dating Christian, and I think it should be special. So which one, Arty? Which one?"