Can You Outsmart an Evil Wizard and Save the Most Powerful Wand?

Imagine a world where magic is real, and the most powerful wand ever created, the Mirzakhani wand, is hidden away, protected by a series of perplexing puzzles. An evil wizard, determined to conquer the world, seeks to claim this wand for himself. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to navigate a labyrinth of magical stones and platforms to secure the wand before it falls into the wrong hands.

The Challenge: A Labyrinth of Magical Stones

Deep within a hidden cave, the Mirzakhani wand lies in wait, guarded by 100 magical stones and platforms. Among these stones is a keystone, the key to unlocking the wand's power. Place the keystone on the correct platform, and the wand is yours. But beware, a single misstep will cause the entire cave to collapse.

The Rules of the Game

The keystone is impervious to magic, but the other 99 stones are not. By casting a placement spell on these stones, you can reveal the platform where they belong. Successfully place all 99 stones, and the remaining platform must be the keystone's rightful place.

A Twist of Fate

Just as you're about to begin, one of the evil wizard's henchmen intervenes, sealing a random stone to a random platform. This act of sabotage throws a wrench into your plans. Now, if you attempt to place a stone on an occupied platform, your spell will illuminate a different, unoccupied platform at random.

Decoding the Puzzle: Probability and Strategy

Faced with this challenge, what are your odds of placing the keystone on the correct platform and saving the wizarding world? Let's break down the possibilities.

The Scenarios

1. The Lucky Break: The henchman places the stone on its correct platform. In this scenario, victory is assured.
2. The Doomed Outcome: The stone lands on the keystone's platform, sealing your fate.
3. The Maze Begins: The stone is placed on any other platform, setting off a chain reaction.

Navigating the Chain Reaction

In the most likely scenario, the misplaced stone triggers a series of events. You proceed to place the remaining stones, one by one, until you encounter the platform occupied by the henchman's stone. At this point, a random platform will light up, presenting three new possibilities:

• Victory: The spell reveals the original platform of the henchman's stone, paving the way for success.
• Defeat: The keystone's platform is illuminated, leading to certain failure.
• The Cycle Continues: Any other platform lights up, and the process repeats, with one less stone to place.

The Heart of the Matter

This puzzle boils down to a game of chance, where you have equal odds of winning or losing, with the possibility of delaying the inevitable. Ultimately, your fate hinges on whether you place a stone on the correct platform or the keystone's platform first.

Feeling Lucky?

Just as you're contemplating the 50/50 odds, Drumbledrore unveils a secret weapon: a potion that grants extraordinary luck. While there's still a chance that the keystone's platform was compromised from the start, you now have the opportunity to tip the scales in your favor. Will you seize the moment and trust in your newfound luck?

The fate of the wizarding world rests on your ability to solve this intricate puzzle. Are you up to the challenge?