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Puzzle Ten - Scouting for Britain - Solution Page
Vincent Brantock, a scout for the All-Britain Quidditch Exhibition Team, is observing the Seekers of the various teams to see which might be the ideal choice for the upcoming Exhibition match against Canada.
Brantock visited five British teams (Appleby Arrows, Chudley Cannons, Kenmare Kestrels, Puddlemere United, and Tutshill Tornadoes), and observed their Seekers. He found that his job will be difficult, as each of the five Seekers displayed great skill at one aspect of the game (precision flying, Wronski Feint, immense speed, Plumpton Pass, and diving catches). Can you figure out which team's Seeker displayed each of the various skills, and the order in which Brantock scouted them?
Solution: Brantock saw the Seeker who'd perfected the Plumpton Pass third in order after the Appleby Arrows, meaning that the Appleby Arrows and the team with the Seeker skilled at the Plumpton Pass had to be either first and fourth or second and fifth. There is also the sequence from clue 2, in which Brantock visited the Kenmare Kestrels, the team with the precision flying Seeker, and the team with the speedy Seeker. These three teams must be in positions (1,2,3), (2,3,4), or (3,4,5). If the Appleby Arrows were the first team scouted, then the Kenmare Kestrels couldn't be first. The Kenmare Kestrels also couldn't be second, because that would put the speedy Seeker in the same "slot" as the Seeker skilled at the Plumpton Pass. Similarly, the Kenmare Kestrels couldn't be third, because that would put the precision flying Seeker in the same "slot" as the Seeker skilled at the Plumpton Pass. All possibilities for the Kenmare Kestrels have thus been eliminated if the Appleby Arrows are first, so the Appleby Arrows must be second and the seeker skilled at the Plumpton Pass must be fifth. If the Appleby Arrows are second, the Kenmare Kestrels cannot also be second. And the Kenmare Kestrels cannot be third, because that would again put the speedy Seeker and the Plumpton Pass Seeker together in the same slot. Thus, the Kenmare Kestrels must be first, meaning that the Appleby Arrows are second and had the team with the precision flying Seeker, and that the team with the speedy Seeker was third. The Tutshill Tornadoes have the Seeker who perfected the Wronski Feint (clue 4). The Kenmare Kestrels are first, the Appleby Arrows are second, the team with the speedy Seeker was third, and the team with the Seeker good at the Plumpton Pass was fifth. Thus the Tutshill Tornadoes, with their Wronski Feint-skilled Seeker, could only have been fourth. Since all of the special skills of the Seeker are accounted for except the spectacular diving catch, this must go in the only slot remaining - the first one, meaning this Seeker is on the Kenmare Kestrels. Since the Seeker for the Chudley Cannons is either two teams or three teams after the Seeker skilled at making diving catches, the Chudley Cannons must be either third or fourth. Since the Tutshill Tornadoes are fourth, the Chudley Cannons must be third. The only remaining team, then, is Puddlemere United, which must be fifth. To sum up:
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