There were two levels beneath Ravenclaw Tower.
Outside the gate on the lowest level was a stone walkway suspended over the river gorge.
At the end of the walkway stood the library annex and part of Hogwarts' Main Castle.
The slightly higher second level led to the Marble Staircase.
The Marble Staircase was the heart of Hogwarts, connecting every area of the school.
However, the stairs moved according to a pattern. If you could not figure it out, one foot might find solid ground while the next stepped into thin air.
So the Marble Staircase was not a young wizard's first choice when rushing somewhere!
After entering the corridor leading to the Marble Staircase, Cypher took a moment to glance back.
Beside the stairs, an Enchanted Painting hung alone on the wall.
Usually, an old woman in a blue gown sat on a sofa, stroking two House-elves.
But this was not usual.
In the midst of the upheaval, black, spiderweb-like veins crawled over the frame.
The old woman in the painting opened her mouth in terror, though no one knew what she was shouting.
The two House-elves continuously cast spell after spell with their fingers.
But clearly, it was a dying struggle.
In the blink of an eye, the Enchanted Painting was tainted black, buried beneath a spiderweb of blood-red threads.
Across from it, the boy stroking a Niffler let out a terrified shriek, flung open his door, and vanished from his painting.
Between the two paintings stood a barefoot witch statue wearing a burlap hat and robes, one hand hanging at her side with a wand while the other caressed the rose on her chest.
But darkness spread upward from below and reached her.
Milky white light glowed from the statue's wand tip. Where the witch's feet touched the