The Headmaster's Office seemed to fall silent. Even the air stood still, and cold sweat seeped down Will's back.
"You received a response from Magic?" Dumbledore asked gravely.
Will shook his head. "No. Well... I'm not sure. I've just found that I can build Charms structures faster, so I wanted to ask whether that means I've begun to receive a response from Magic."
Dumbledore let out a long breath. He scooped up another spoonful of thick cream with a large piece of meringue, then took a piece of rice pudding from a drawer beside him and handed it to Will. "If that's all, then no."
He poured Will a cup of unsweetened Black Tea, then poured one for himself. The half-cup of sugar in Dumbledore's cup made Will's eyelid twitch. The man was 112, and he drank his tea that sweet?
"Do you remember? I once told you that if you ever found you could use magic without Charms, without a Wand, or even without controlling Magic, you should come to me immediately."
"Of course I remember."
"The response can come very quickly. In just a few seconds, you may discover how much control you have over Magic. To be honest, I don't want you to lose yourself in it." Dumbledore took a sip of Black Tea to moisten his throat. "Will, have you ever thought about what Magic is?"
"Of course. I once asked Professor Flitwick. He told me that Magic is Magic. There's no fundamental difference between his Magic and mine, or even between yours and mine. Magic is Magic. Magic is everything." Will sat up straight. From Dumbledore's manner, receiving a response from Magic did not sound like a good thing.
"Filius was quite right. He's an excellent professor." Dumbledore nodded. "There's a persistent misconception in the