After leaving the Headmaster's Office, Will did not go straight to Professor Flitwick's quarters. On Saturday evenings, Professor Flitwick usually graded the students' homework.
This was his busiest time, and Will did not want to disturb him.
After dinner with Sylvia, Will returned to the top of the High Tower and continued his research into the Happiness Potion.
What interested Will most about transforming the Water of Despair was reversing its magical structure. It was nothing like turning over a mirror—simple and direct.
In Charms and Ancient Runes, a spell and its counterspell, or two corresponding runes, might be related, but the differences between them were still considerable.
And that was true not only of their effects, but even more so of their magical structures.
The Water of Despair's structure was already complex. Reversing it would take an untold amount of concentration.
But Will was not discouraged in the slightest. If I can't even do this, how can I talk about surpassing everything?
As Will worked through his deductions and theories, his Quill danced without pause. Countless intricate patterns appeared on the Parchment, crossing and winding around one another.
Time flowed beneath the tip of Will's Quill. Soon, a stack of Parchment had piled up, and the night was gone in a blink.
Will put down his Quill. Rather than force himself to stay awake, he cast a Sleeping Charm on himself and caught up on sleep.
When he emerged from the Room of Requirement, rubbing his temples, sunlight was streaming through the windows and casting dappled shadows across the Castle corridors. It looked like afternoon already.
After a quick wash, Will gathered the Parchment that had piled up the night before and prepared to speak with Professor Flitwick.
But when he stepped into the corridor, he saw Professor Flitwick