He broke out from his reverie as he heard the faint echo of footsteps from below, but who would be coming here? he thought as the steps grew ever closer. Whether he could believe it or not, now wasn't the time to curse his bad luck, so he searched in vain for a hiding place, but the layout of the room was designed for viewing, not for concealing. Instead, he decided his best approach was to ready himself for battle, as he had the wand after all, which he had found in the room of broken pots. Astor stood prone and tense, gripping his wand tightly, partly concealed from the entrance by the telescope. The footsteps stopped, but there was still no figure at the entrance, instead, Astor heard a commanding voice from below.