Over the next few days, Astor reported to the kitchens, and, as Kreacher had said, nobody seemed to notice that he had not reported there before. In fact, the moment he started peeling potatoes and chopping onions for the evening stew, the staff took no notice of him at all. This was much to his advantage as it allowed him to eavesdrop and learn more about the castle and the Lord's movements. He learnt that Lord Albus usually dined alone in the great hall, but since his return from a sojourn to some distant land that was clouded in secrecy, he was having his food delivered to him by Lily. There were several heart-stopping moments when Lily would enter the kitchen to pick up the Lord's meal. However, on each occasion, Lily had failed to spot the new kitchen hand chopping onions with a determined focus as if his life depended on it. The new arrangement was an encumbrance to Astor's plans, and he was vexed over why the Lord had changed his tradition so abruptly; he was unaware of how the Lord suffered and became invalid in his home after the blow Astor had served him.