After she had practiced the wand movement a few times, she decided it would be good to get a feel for the incantation. Expecto Patronum. "ex-PEK-toh pa-TRO-num," she said carefully, and slowly. She repeated it a few times. She closed her eyes, did the wand movement, with no wand, then said the incantation. All separately. Not ready to combine. She would have to soon, of course. "Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum, Expecto Patronum," she repeated, and repeated, and repeatedddddd. After a long time, the words together lost all meaning, until eventually she just had to stop practicing and DO IT. Why was this such a big deal? It was a spell, she was in a classroom, and she might NOT be able to cast it. What was so wrong with that? Big deal, a lot of people couldn't cast it.

She stood, her feet hip width apart, and held her wand out. She kept her eyes open, focusing on one spot on the wall. Well, an imaginary spot. "Expecto Patronum," she said, whilst doing the circular wand movement at the same time. She wasn't sure if anything had happened. In the corner of her eyes she could see small wisps of silver now and then from other people. Did hers produce the same thing? She didn't think so, but she didn't lose heart. Somehow, one day, she would succeed. And that day may actually be today. Or it wouldn't, but that was okay.