The cloud of light had changed. Gray-black streaks ran through its silver-white glow, lending the Patronus an unsettling gloom. Parts of the cloud had turned silver-gray.
Will stood amid the black, white, and gray light. Its dim glow lit his face and eyes, making him look almost dreamlike. But once he stopped casting the Patronus Charm, the cloud did not last long. The silver light and gray-black mist vanished first, followed by the silver-gray light.
Will waved his wand, trying to control the silver-gray light. To his surprise, he could move it a little. It could indeed be controlled, though it felt as if a thick layer of gauze lay between them.
But without a steady flow of magic, the silver-gray light soon faded too.
Will sat on the sofa and tried to work out why. He quickly realized that he felt unnaturally calm and cold. The painful memories stirred nothing in him. He watched them as though he were a spectator.
Will scratched his head at his own detached reaction. "Looks like... something went wrong again."
During the first few days of the final week, Will's friends noticed that something was off. Everyone could feel the chill coming from him. Compared with Will, even the air outside the castle seemed warm and pleasant.
Harry and Hermione both said Will was a little frightening. George and Fred described what had happened to him on the train in detail, and the group even wondered whether he had been attacked by a Dementor.
"Will caught it from Snape!" Ron declared. He was convinced Snape had infected Will, turning him into a stone-faced, sharp-tongued man.
"We need to tell Will to mind his hygiene, or he really will end up like Snape. Just think of the hair." It was Tuesday lunchtime, and