Chapter 6: February 2015
Since the beginning of February, the first years had been learning about the Jelly-Legs Jinx. It was the most complex defensive spell they were covering yet, and Professor Derlid wanted to be sure to cover the theory in full before letting anyone attempt it. Molly was happy to see her Professor finally using his common sense and actually teaching theory instead of having them study it on their own – things were always much easier to grasp when explained in class. However, even Molly had to admit that the amount of time they were spending on this was excessive.
"I mean, just get on with it," Molly whispered to Debbie one day in class. Molly never whispered in class, usually always paying strict attention to the lecture, but Professor Derlid was repeating himself for the third time and Molly had understood the first. "Can't we just try the spell, see how it goes, and then move on?"
"I know," Debbie agreed. "If people don't understand by now, they're not going to with another lecture."
"Well I can see that some of you are getting restless," Professor Derlid said, eyeing Molly and Debbie and making Molly bow her head in shame. It was the lowest of lows to be called out like this my her teacher. At least he hadn't called Molly by name, or she'd never be able to show her face in class again. "I think I've explained this theory enough though, so lets clear the room and pair up. Show me if you understand."
Relieved to be doing something other than staring at her fingernails, Molly pushed her desk and chair to the side of the room with the others and then stood with Debbie while Sarah and Julie stood together nearby, paired and ready to go.
"Remember," Professor Derlid said. "The incantation is Locomotor Wibby. It may take a while to get it, but I'm confident at least some of you will have managed it by the end of class today. And make sure to use the mats, because if your partner gets the spell right, you'll probably fall over with the loss of control over your legs.
Molly hurried over to the cabinet where their teacher kept a bunch of rolled up mats and grabbed two for Debbie and herself. Returning to her partner, they positioned themselves a good distance apart and placed the mats on the floor behind them in case they fell back.
By silent agreement, Debbie went first, holding her wand carefully in front of her and uttering the incantation. When nothing happened, Molly sent some encouraging words her way (don't worry, it was only your first try) and then tried the spell for herself.
When nothing happened, Molly felt herself deflate. After all the work they'd done on the theory, she'd been confident that she'd have no problem casting the spell. She ignored Debbie assuring her that she just needed to try a few more times and chastised herself. She hadn't been focused enough. Next time, she would focus better.
Molly's turn came around again, and she once again failed to cast the spell. She wondered if she was doing the wand movement wrong and double checked her notes, but was disappointed to find that she was in fact doing it correctly. She couldn't understand why it hadn't worked – she was focused, her wand movement was correct, and her pronunciation was clear and concise.
Across the room, there was a shout and Molly turned to see that Julie had successfully charmed Sarah and Sarah was now laying on her back on the mat, her feet spasming uncontrollably.
"Excellent!" Professor Derlid congratulated Julie, hurrying over to cast the counter-curse on Sarah. "Very good indeed. Now lets all the rest of you try and copy Julie here."
Molly redoubled her efforts. Now that Julie had beaten her to first in the class, Molly was determined to be second. For some reason though, she just couldn't get the spell to work. She tried enunciating differently, tried emphasizing different syllables of the spell, tried a slight modification to her wand movement, but nothing worked.
Suddenly, a jolt of light hit Molly's legs and they collapsed under her. Realizing what was happening, Molly leaned backwards, so that she would fall onto her mat and then lay there in frustration as she waited for her teacher to arrive and reverse the curse.
"How did you do that?" Molly demanded once she was upright again. Her legs still felt a little wobbly and she held her hands out to steady herself.
Debbie shrugged. "Just what Professor Derlid taught us," Debbie said. "I followed the theory exactly."
"Then why isn't it working for me?" Molly frowned to herself.
Since Debbie had successfully cast the curse once already, she took a break, giving Molly some time to try to curse her. To Molly's horror, Sarah also managed to cast the curse before she did, and then even worse, Curtis Pullman cursed his partner Jared Reubens.
"He's not even one of us!" Molly hissed in Debbie's direction.
Debbie shrugged. "Maybe Defence just isn't your thing," she suggested.
Molly fumed at that. How could Debbie suggest such a thing? Every class was Molly's thing. She didn't have good classes and bad classes. She wasn't some average students with strengths and weaknesses. School was supposed to be her place to shine, no matter the class. Today though, Molly wasn't shining.
Before she knew it, Professor Derlid announced that class was over, and Molly found herself surrounded by students rolling up their mats and putting them away.
"But… what?" Molly frowned, feeling a little like she wasn't connected to her body. "How - ?" How could class be over? Molly hadn't succeeded in performing the spell. That had never happened. She always got the spell in the first class. She was never at the bottom of the class in anything.
"You're hardly at the bottom," Debbie assured her. Molly startled, not realizing she'd spoken aloud. "Only seven people got the spell today anyway."
"So at best I'll be the eighth?" Molly said, eyes bulging, horrified at the thought. "I might as well be last at that point!"
"Don't overreact," Debbie rolled her eyes. "Eighth isn't bad."
"Only because you were second," Molly grumbled, rolling up her own mat and shoving it into the cabinet. "You don't understand."
"Look, it's not a big deal," Debbie assured her. "Come on, we have potions."
MmMmMmMmMmM
That afternoon, Molly couldn't get the events of Defence class out of her head. She re-read the entire chapter on the Jelly-Legs Jinx, but couldn't figure out what she was doing wrong. Looking up, she glanced around their private study room at her friends. They were all completely absorbed in the various assignments that they were working on. Surely they wouldn't notice if…
Molly quietly slid her wand out of her bag and grasped it in her hand. Sarah was the closest to her, and at the best angle, so she pointed her wand in the Gryffindor's direction and under her breath began to mumble, "Locomotor Wibbly. Locomotor Wibbly."
"Molly, what are you doing?" Sarah asked after a few minute, dropping her quill and turning to face her.
"Nothing," Molly said, shoving her wand up her sleeve and pretending to be reading her textbook.
"You're trying to cast the Jelly-Legs Jinx on me, aren't you?" Sarah demanded accusingly.
"So what if I am?" Molly countered. "It's not like I can do it, so nothing's going to happen."
"It's not that complicated," Sarah replied. "Which means you're going to get it soon, and I'd rather it not be while I'm in the middle of a history assignment. It's tough enough without having my legs quivering with no way to stop them. Professor Derlid isn't here to do the counter-curse."
"Oh yeah," Molly said, not having thought that far ahead. "Sorry."
"We would've figured it out," Julie assured Sarah. "The counter-curse can't be much harder than the curse after all – we're learning it next anyway."
"Well still, it'd be nice not to have to worry about it at all," Sarah replied.
"Alright," Molly said in surrender, returning her wand to her bag. "No more practicing Defence. I'll just do my herbology essay."
"Thank you," Sarah nodded, satisfied.
As her friends went back to their work, Molly sighed. They didn't understand what it was like. To be unable to cast a spell – and a simple curse at that, which they'd been learning about for a week and a half already. It was humiliating. Molly simply had to get it soon, or she didn't know if she could live with herself.
MmMmMmMmMmM
They didn't have Defence the next day, which was a Friday, so Molly had to wait all through the weekend before she had another chance to try casting the spell. To her horror, Professor Derlid ordered that those who had cast the spell successfully partner each other and stay separate from those who had yet to cast it successfully. Molly reluctantly had to pair up with Austin Bell, a boy in Gryffindor who thought everything was one big joke.
"Still can't cast it then?" he asked as Molly set up her mat on the floor.
Molly shook her head, embarrassed.
"Well that's a first for you," he noted. "Nice to know you're human too."
Molly didn't respond to that. Instead, she played it over in her head, using it as motivation to get the spell right for once. Again and again she tried. She said the incantation and did the wand movement, but still nothing happened. When Austin lazily flicked his wand and murmured the words and a jet of light his Molly for a second time, she could have screamed.
"Not you too!" she cried.
"Sure looks like it," Austin smirked, coming over to stand over Molly as her legs wobbled on the floor. "It was nice knowing you."
Since Austin had cast the spell, Molly had to shuffle partners to allow Austin to practice with someone else who had gotten it. Unfortunately for her, her new partner turned out to be worse than Austin. She was paired with Tim Hall – a Slytherin who took it upon himself to mock Molly for her inability to do a simple curse.
"You can't do it either," Molly pointed out at one point.
Tim shrugged. "I could if I wanted to, but I can't."
"I think you just can't," Molly threw back.
Tim shrugged again. "Believe what you will," he said. "And I'll believe what I will."
Molly ground her teeth in frustration. His attitude was only making her angrier, and the angrier she got, the less focused she was becoming.
Before long, class was over and Molly actually did cry out in frustration.
"What's wrong?" Debbie asked, coming over.
"I still can't get the darn spell to work," Molly cried. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong!"
"Have you tried – "
"Don't bother Debbie," Molly interrupted. "I'll figure it out on my own. I don't need your pity."
"I just – "
"Save it," Molly said, not sure why she was suddenly so mad at her friend. "Just leave me alone."
It was their last class of the day, and as Molly stormed out of the classroom, she realized she didn't know where to go. She couldn't go to the study room. Not after how she'd just spoken to Debbie. She didn't really want to see any of her friends right now. They were just reminders that she was a failure.
Sighing, Molly slowly made her way to the common room. That's where all the average students hung out after all. Maybe she just had to accept that she wasn't special in any way and give up.
She arrived in the common room and took up a seat in an armchair in a corner – not a prime spot, so nobody would harass her for it, but also still comfortable. Morosely, she curled up in a ball and stared at the floor. If she couldn't be exceptional, then she just wouldn't be anything. She'd just sit here and wither away.
"Molly?" her cousin, Dominique, asked, stepping towards her cautiously. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Molly replied, her voice devoid of emotion. "I'm just sitting."
"Can I get you something?" Dominique offered. "Some water or some food maybe?"
"No," Molly replied again.
Dominique frowned, clearly torn between helping her cousin and going back to whatever she'd been doing. "Can I – "
"Just go," Molly said. "Leave me here to rot."
"Alright, clearly something's wrong," Dominique said, pulling another chair over and sitting down. "Out with it. I don't have all day."
"I'm fine," Molly lied. "Just go be with your friends and don't worry about me."
"Molly you're my cousin," Dominique pointed out. "I can't just leave you here if something's wrong. Tell me, and maybe I can help."
Molly sighed. She saw no way out of it. She'd have to tell Dominique, and then Dominique would know and probably laugh at her and make her feel worse. She didn't want to, but she went ahead, hoping it would at least get Dominique to leave her alone.
"I can't cast the Jelly-Legs Jinx," Molly admitted.
Dominique frowned at her, clearly confused. "So what?" she asked.
It was Molly's turn to be confused. "What do you mean so what?" she demanded. "I can't cast it. I've tried, and over and over again I've failed."
"Well how many times have you tried?" Dominique asked.
Molly sighed. "Too many to count," she said.
"I mean how many classes have you been practicing," Dominique clarified.
"Oh," Molly nodded. Then she felt herself turn red as she prepared to give her answer. "Two," she muttered.
"Only two?" Dominique asked. "And already you've given up?"
"I don't think you heard me," Molly insisted. "It's been two classes. That's two entire periods worth of attempts that just ended in nothing. Do you realize how many students in my class have already gotten the spell?"
Dominique shrugged. "A lot, I'm guessing?"
"Half," Molly informed her moodily. "Which means I'm in the bottom half of the class now. And soon I'll be the only one in the whole of first year who can't do a simple Jelly-Legs Jinx."
"Well now you're just overreacting," Dominique said. "It took me four classes to get that spell, but I eventually got it."
"But you're you," Molly said. She saw Dominique's face starting to crumple and immediately regretted having said that. "No, I didn't mean – I'm sorry. I just – you're right. I'll get it eventually."
"You know what really helps?" Dominique asked.
"What?" Molly wondered.
"Getting help from your friends," Dominique replied. "We do it all the time in second year. All the Gryffindors get together, and we help each other out."
"I don't need anyone's help," Molly said proudly. "I'll figure this out on my own."
"Well it's up to you," Dominique said with a shrug. "But a little help could go a long way."
Dominique left then, leaving Molly to her thoughts. She supposed she could ask her friends for help. But then they'd know how desperate she was. Not that they didn't already – they knew she still couldn't cast the spell. It wasn't like she was hiding that from them.
Deciding to swallow her pride, Molly got up and left the common room, making her way to the study room, where she knew they'd all be.
"Hey," she said nervously, pushing the door open and peering inside.
"Hey," Julie replied back, not looking up from her transfiguration homework.
"Can I ask you guys a favor?" Molly asked, her face heating up in embarrassment. She tried her best to ignore it and plowed forward.
"Sure," Sarah agreed. "What is it?"
"Can you guys help me with the Jelly-Legs Jinx?" she asked. "Because I just can't get it on my own. Maybe if you take a look at what I'm doing, you can tell me if you notice anything amiss?"
"Of course," Debbie said immediately.
"I'll look up the counter-curse," Julie offered. "For when you do get it."
"You can practice on me," Sarah offered.
"Thanks," Molly smiled gratefully.
They went to the classroom next door to practice – they didn't want to make a mess in the study room in case Sarah fell over from the spell.
Trying to forget about the pressure of her three friends watching her, Molly closed her eyes, focused her mind, and cast the spell, feeling a small bit of disappointment when nothing happened. It would have been nice if she'd gotten it that last time, before her friends tried to fix it.
"Try holding your wand a little closer to your body," Julie suggested.
Molly tried again, but still nothing happened.
"Maybe try standing with your feet apart," Debbie offered.
Molly tried this too, but the spell remained unsuccessful.
Her friends offered suggestion after suggestion, each less helpful than the last until finally, just as Molly was about to give up, a jet of light flew out of her wand and hit Sarah's legs, sending her careening backward and causing her to hit her head on the stone floor.
"Ouch!" Sarah cried out. "I wish I had a mat now!"
"I did it!" Molly exclaimed in excitement. "I really did it!"
"See?" Debbie said. "I knew you would. You just needed to keep practicing."
"Can someone please get me off the floor?" Sarah pleaded.
"Hang on, let me double check the incantation for the counter-curse," Julie said in a hurry, flipping her textbook open. She found the correct line and then ran over to Sarah, removing the curse in two tries.
"Can we get back to our homework now then?" Julie asked then.
"Of course," Molly agreed, feeling her old self creeping back in. "We've lots to do after all. transfiguration assignment, astronomy reading, charms practice, revising of history and herbology notes…"
"Not to mention that potions essay we got assigned today," Debbie added. "We'd better get started."
The girls returned to the study room and Molly slid her wand back into her bag, no longer in need of it. She was relieved to have finally managed to cast the spell. She hadn't done anything differently that she was aware of, but it was like Debbie had said. She'd just needed to keep practicing, and eventually, it had happened for her. Maybe sometimes that was what it took. Time, effort, and lots and lots of practice.