Window of Opportunity

Window of Opportunity
Event information
Date(s)	Whenever a witch comes into their power
Participants	Newly empowered witches
Description	A window where a newly empowered witch has 48 hours to decide whether to use their powers for good or evil.

"Forty-eight little hours. The window of opportunity agreed to eons ago by both sides to protect free will. The great flaw in the grand design."

—The Oracle

The Window of Opportunity is a mythological window where newly empowered witches who have not decided whether to use their powers for good or evil yet have 48 hours to be swayed either way to make the decision.

Witches cannot be forced to choose a side, but both sides can entice them. For this reason, evil considers it a flaw in the Grand Design, as they can employ manipulation to lure witches to evil. If the witch does an act of good (such as saving a life), she/he becomes good, and vice versa.

History

The Window was designed eons ago by good and evil to protect free will. The window only presented itself to those who had not decided to use their magic for good or evil yet.

Paige Matthews

Paige choosing the path of good.

Phoebe: "Wait, so all he has to do is cast a spell on her?"

Cole: "No, he can't. It has to be her choice, but he can tempt her, entice her. If he gets her to use her powers for evil…"

Leo: "She becomes evil forever."

Piper: "Who makes use these cockamamie rules? (Leo looks up and Cole looks down) Oh, never mind…"

— Piper, Phoebe, Leo and Cole discussing Paige's Window of Oppportunity

The Source of All Evil tried to lure Paige, who was new to her powers and vulnerable, to the side of evil, instead of killing her. He first possessed Shane (her boyfriend) and Jake Grisanti (a man accused of abusing his own child) to tempt her to use her power to take the life of an innocent. On the edge of turning evil, Paige almost took Jake's heart, but Leo orbed her out before she could succeed (it was subsequently established it was Jake's wife who was the abuser rather than Jake). The Source tried again to persuade Paige, but when he electrocuted Phoebe, Paige shoved him out of the way to save her sister at the last minute of her 48th hours, and this act of good made her a good witch.

Brent

Paige with Brent

"The next forty-eight hours are very important. You can be easily tempted into following the wrong path."

—Paige to Brent

Paige attempted to persuade her new protégé, Brent, to use his powers for good. She went with him to the Magic School and explained to him that he can choose the side of good or evil within the next 48 hours. However, he was killed by Neena and Hogan before he had the chance to decide.

Notes and Trivia

• The original existence of this window is to some extent meaningless, because even initially choosing one side, nothing prevents you from being inclined to the other side in the future.
• The Window is briefly mentioned on the entry on Witches in The Sourcebook of the Charmed comics.
• 48 Stunden (48 Hours) is the German title of season 4 episode 2 if not joined to part 1 of 'Die Neue Macht der Drei'.
• Witches under the Window are immune to the power of Molecular Immobilization, evident by Piper's inability to freeze Paige when she froze Sister Agnes in a church.
• The Window was featured in the novel, Inherit the Witch. This time it was for a nascent witch named Drew Elson. She was brainwashed by two demons years ago, and nearly committed a theft crime, which would have been enough to corrupt her. However, she broke through the brainwash with help from her adoptive sister, Lily O'Farrell.
• The Window was mentioned again in The War on Witches. Phoebe theorizes that the same rule would apply to a young warlock named Austin Herrick, since he was acting on the side of good when his powers manifested. This is a possible theory given the fact that witches and warlocks originated from the same bloodline.