Back in their room, Fern, Rose, Holly, and Zinnia compare the exact times tied to their Turnabout ingredients and realize the spell worked: Dr. Vincent took on Zinnia’s morning sickness. Zinnia is stunned she feels nothing—then immediately discovers she is ravenously hungry, confirming the change in her body.

Fern is exhilarated and argues the vomiting was clearly unnatural, while Zinnia urges caution and warns them to keep quiet so Miss Wellwood will not hear. Rose reframes what happened as proof they can fight back against the rules and humiliations of Wellwood House, calling it a chance to “overthrow the System” that controls their bodies and choices.

They gather around Eth Natas’s witch paperback to find what else they can do, but most of the “Charms for Beginners” read like beauty tips and household blessings: stopping bleeding, curing warts, removing freckles, protecting new appliances, and other small fixes. Fern pushes to find curses, and Zinnia locates a brief “Note on Hexes” that offers vague talk about intentions and “vibratory forces,” without giving them a clear weapon.

Rose and Zinnia flip deeper into the book and find a list of advanced-sounding rites and terms they do not understand, including necromancy and a spell titled “To Summon Him,” which Fern immediately rejects as dangerous. Even seemingly interesting ideas like “Understanding the Language of Birds” are written in baffling ritual jargon, leaving them unable to reproduce anything beyond Turnabout.

The mood turns from triumph to frustration as they admit power is useless without knowledge, and the book is mostly unreadable for them. Before they can decide what to do next, Hagar bangs on the door and orders them downstairs to work in her kitchen, cutting their planning short.