The castle guard was much less in force than the last time Astor had been there to recover the black spear, the same black spear that Astor now carried on his back. It appeared that the castle had settled into its usual rhythm, so it was no trouble for Astor to slip, unseen, into the unused side entrance just past the whomping willow. Once inside, Astor knew he would have to be patient; Firenze, as well as teaching him battle arts, had taught him stealth and had given him a black robe so that, with judicious use of the shadowed areas of the castle, Astor could reconnoitre the castle without being seen. He hid a few hours in each spot, checking for any sign of the Lord or Lady of the castle; sometimes, he would hide below a staircase listening to the sound of footsteps, and other times, he would hide in a classroom beneath a desk while servants would walk past unaware, and whenever he moved he was swift and made use of the winding corridors inside the castle.