Up until that point, the only time we'd ever seen Molly do magic was either household chores, or that one time she tried to get rid of the Boggart. We really have no idea how strong she is.

There's also the fact that she was full of adrenaline, rage, and pain, trying to protect her family. Adrenaline alone can allow an average sized/strengthed woman to lift a bus. I don't find it at all unrealistic that it enabled Molly to defeat Bellatrix so easily.

Molly rocks!!!! do not judge somebody by there size!!! :D

You can do anything with proper motivation. Molly had it.

Bella shouldn't have died at all,but anyway if she has to die it should have been by someone who is skill at fighting and can compare to Bella,not just from anyone(=bitch Molly)

Agree with first 3 comments.

Harry should've killed her... Neville could've too just not Molly. Heck Bellatrix shouldn't have died at all.

Highly plausible. Never underestimate the love of a mother for her child. Molly was in a protective mode then as her only daughter was threatened.

We may have not seen much of Molly doing this kind of magic but that doesn't mean she cannot perform it. Besides, I've always found Molly being something of a mother hen for her people (children of hers, other kids, her family and friends) - no wonder she did react like that.

I'm afraid that Bellatrix made the same mistake as the Dark Lord in 1981 : he underestimated the love of a mother (Lily) for her child (Harry), with the outcome we know.

She was grieving for her son, and was trying to protect the children she had left. It makes perfect sense.

No. A mother should NEVER be underestimated when it comes to protecting her children. NEVER!!! A good mother can find amazing strength when she needs to protect her children.

I do agree that Molly is an underrated witch and she does have a lot of skill, but Bellatrix was taught spells by Voldemort. The mother protecting her child does have an effect, but I still don't think its enough. I would have prefered that Neville killed her. There seemed to be no connections between Molly and Bellatrix making it not very personal (other than, of course, the ordeal with Ginny). If Neville was to kill her it be to avenge his parents, which I think would be more fitting.

^ exactly

@LadyNottingham: True all that.

It doesn't matter how tough you are. It doesn't matter how skilled you are or powerful you are. All it takes is one well-placed curse at the right moment. That's it. (Or one ricochet shot at the wrong moment, Gods know there've been many *skilled* witches and wizards killed by ricochets and rebounds. ;) )

Since when does there have to be a "personal connection" between two people for them to kill each other? I never cared who killed Bellatrix Lestrange. I was just happy she died.

I was torn between the "two NOs".In the end I decided it was highly unrealistic and one of the things I didn't like in the books at all.

I don't know why the MoM even bothered having dozens of aurors. They could've just hired Molly Weasley to kill one of the greatest witches of the generation. Why would anybody even fear Bellatrix? The Longbottoms, trained aurors, were just supposed to hire Molly to protect them. I'm sure she could've helped the Potters that night with Voldemort somehow too. And she probably could've been of help to her brothers, aurors as well.

Sarcastic mode off, I don't find it realistic at all. Molly could be a great witch, but she isn't a match for one of the thoughest DEs, a witch Voldemort thought was powerful enough to protect a piece of his soul. I wouldn't compare Molly's situation with Lily's. Voldemort didn't lose a duel to Lily, he wasn't shot by a random curse. Voldemort just didn't know the magical consequences of such sacrifice. Lily died protecting Harry but not dueling Voldemort, she just threw herself in front of her kid. I can see Molly doing that as well. I don't see her killing Bella like she's one of the best aurors around. Molly killing Bella is like Neville kill Bella: poetic justice, but not likely. I was very disappointed there.

Molly was throwing all she had against Bella. I don't think she even cared about self preservation. That alone can give you the edge needed to win a duel. She was basically in berserker mode.

Nobody ever said she was a bad witch

@Hraesvelg - I agree with you 100%.

Same here

She shouldn't have died at all. I thought the "NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH" was funny but I don't think Jo should've made her kill Bellatrix.

I'd not say Molly was underrated though. We just never got to see that side of her before. Plus do not forget that Molly was fighting out of maternal instinct: she lost her son, anybody would be fighting to kill and Molly was a fine witch (we just never quite saw her out of the kitchen). A motivation like hers adds enough to her calibre to reach that of Bella's.

Bellatrix shouldn't have died, but if she had to, then Harry or Neville should have finished her

Molly is a capable witch but there's no evidence that she's powerful and even if she were to some extent, it would be nowhere near enough power to take on Bellatrix. She's one of the toughest Death Eaters who even the most experienced Aurors couldn't take down. So, it's highly impossible that Molly would have been able to do it.

molly weasley is a bitch and bella should NOT have died ;'( but if she had to die then at least make it someone decent to kill her. RIP Bellatrix

^ Well said lol.

Oh I was so sad when she died....really!
I didn't cry at any passage of all seven books but that really made me cry!! She was my favourite charakter and I was just so angry to have her killed by that fat mum.
It would have been less frustrating if she got killed by Minerva McGonagall or Kingsley for example....by someone that I took serious

Same here I never cry during books but I cried got her.

I thought Molly was tough. Plus Bella was going after her kid, so Molly was PO'd!

Molly is tough! Besides she was pissed after her son died and she didnt want another "Fred incident" to cry about. I mean her worst fear, her boggart had come true, shes not gonna let it happen again, so what do you do? You scream NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH! and you kill Bellatrix, even if she is highly more advanced at magic and dueling than you. Though it would be awesome if it had been Neville, I like the idea of avenging somebody you love

Yes, she was angry and sad when Fred died, what mother wouldn't be? She was full of rage and that's maybe why she killed Bella.

I think she was way underrated even though she annoyed me so much.

I'd like to point something out to all the people who keep saying "Molly wasn't very powerful": Rookwood wasn't very powerful, and he managed to kill Fred. Harry wasn't powerful, and he managed to live through Voldemort attacking him on five seperate occasions. How? Well, to coin a phrase from McGonagall, "sheer dumb luck." Molly didn't win by overpowering Ballatrix. She won because she got lucky. Like Blackhound said, " the right spell at the right moment."