In Mount Parnassus, 93 miles from Athens, stood an ancient ruin that had been under archaeological excavation since 1892.
The Temple of Delphi had once been considered the center of the earth, and it was also where Apollo revealed his oracles. By the sixth century BC, it had become the religious center of Ancient Greece.
When Vitruvius was alive, it seemed not yet to have become ruins, so he could visit the temple like any other tourist. There, he discovered an inscription about Socrates carved into the temple and recorded it in Ten Books on Architecture: "There should be windows open in people's hearts, so that knowledge may not be concealed and observation may remain open."
Now the temple had become ruins, and only three maxims carved into its architecture remained: Know thyself. Nothing in excess. To be or not to be lies in a single instant.
Whether the words recorded by Vitruvius had ever existed was now impossible to trace.
Though Phoebe had changed a great deal, she still had quite a few friends. Though she was not as dazzling as Joy, an occasional smile could still be seen on her face.
The last time she had gone to Hogsmeade with a Slytherin boy had not been unusual. Many Slytherin boys and girls were inviting students from other Houses to their "Dangerous Ball."
Even if Lucius Malfoy was bad beyond redemption, he was still very handsome. Traps often baited themselves with things their prey liked. Carnivores liked meat, sparrows liked wheat, and mice liked cheese. If the animals could not resist the temptation and stole a bite, the trap would snap shut, or they would fall into a pit.
The so-called spirit of adventure meant wanting to try even when one knew there was danger, perhaps believing one would