After entering the magic circle, the sculptures in the maze changed from people into birds. They were not all made of stone either; some were bronze and crystal.
"Human-made flying brooms can't fly, but animals can," Voldemort said. "Without the spell that opens the entrance, the maze's defenses won't activate. But the innermost entrance can't be opened either."
Severus seemed obsessed with the maze. He kept staring at it.
"What are the puzzles on the last three levels?" Pomona asked.
"The fifth and sixth levels have sculptures of ravens and swans, so... Corvus and Cygnus?" Severus asked.
"Could it be that simple?" she asked skeptically.
Severus said nothing.
"It's simpler than figuring out how to synthesize Sun Gold," Voldemort said lazily. "And you forgot—if you have a son, call him Cygnus."
For a half-blood Veela, the odds of giving birth to a boy were lower than a rooster laying an egg. At any rate, Pomona had never heard of a male half-blood Veela.
"Are you thinking about Lily?" Afraid of causing a misunderstanding after saying it, she added, "Our Lily."
"I was thinking about the story of Corvus," Severus said coldly. "That lying raven really deserved to die."
For a moment, she did not know what to say.
Corvus was one of the forty-eight constellations defined by Ptolemy. Apollo married Coronis, the beautiful queen of the Thessaly Kingdom. But he held four positions at once: god of the sun, music, prophecy, and medicine. He was therefore extremely busy and never had time to accompany his beloved wife.
So whenever Apollo could not remain by Coronis's side, he gave a raven with silver feathers, one that could speak human language, a mission: report Coronis's condition to Apollo every day.
Once, the raven was late because it had been lazy. Apollo, eager