From up the staircase to Ravenclaw tower, light, echoing clicks and shuffling grow more and more distinct. A whispering grows clearer, "sixty, sixty one, sixty two."

Arienna landed at the foot of the staircase, one hand on the wall, the other grasping her cane. She stood, listening for a moment, her head cocked like a dog...

The hall was empty. Good.

Ari began to stride to the other side of the hall. One--two--three--four--five, it was six steps to the other side. Feeling the wall, Ari tried to find some...distinct marking so she would know where the staircase was on the other side. Indeed, her thin fingers quickly found a eep scratch--almost in the shape of an unfinished "Q".

Pressing her glasses closer to her eyes, Ari turned to the left--opposite the way she came last night. From the right (And on the other side of the hall) it was 48 steps to Ravenclaw Tower from the Seventh Floor entrance. But, because the seventh floor corridor was in the shape of two squares--Going left would be different. Keeping one hand on the wall, Ari began to memorise the seventh floor, whispering qietly her numbers and listening to the click of her white cane against the floor.