Seamus Finnigan crept across the darkened Hogwarts grounds. Sporadic flashes of green and red were the only things to light his path. Bodies of both dead friends and enemies lay in his way and the threat of more death made it almost impossible for him to breath.
As he slipped through the battle, Seamus' heart pounded and adrenaline coursed through his veins. He had been assigned a task and he knew that completing it was of the utmost importance. The fate of the battle rested on it.
About a hundred yards ahead of him lay an old wooden bridge. The Death Eaters had been using it to cross from the forest into the school grounds undetected and had already caught several people by surprise.
Creeping to the edge of the castle, Seamus hunkered down behind some bushes and waited for just the right moment. He had his wand trained on the bridge and tried desperately to keep his hands from shaking. He needed to hit the bridge in just the right place for his plan to work.
Minutes ticked away and Seamus became more and more antsy. The urge to stand up and pace was becoming overwhelming. He tried counting numbers and recalling different spells to pass the time, but it failed to relieve his uneasiness.
Just when Seamus thought he could wait no longer, he saw several darkly cloaked figures sliding through the trees at the edge of the forest. His stomach fell. There were far more of them than he had originally anticipated.
Raising his wand, Seamus prepared to strike, but something stopped him. If he blasted the bridge to pieces now, he knew that it would be easy enough for the Death Eaters to figure out where he was hidden and attack him. He racked his brains trying to think of what exactly he should do.
As the first Death Eater stepped onto the bridge, an idea hit Seamus. Lifting his wand once more, he whispered, "Protego Maxima." A few clear waves poured from his wand and floated towards the bridge. Within seconds a barrier had been created at the end of the bridge so that the Death Eaters could not pass.
The Death Eaters continued to walk onto the bridge, failing to realize the trap that had been set for them. When the last one had stepped onto the first wooden plank, Seamus sent a second shield charm to seal off the end of the bridge preventing any possible escape.
Seamus' shield charms were so perfect that the first Death Eater didn't even realize they were in place until he was flung backwards onto his butt. Panic ensued as they all began to understand that they were trapped on the bridge.
Smiling to himself, Seamus whispered "Confringo" and watched as the bridge exploded, sending the Death Eaters tumbling into the ravine below.
Reinforcements rushed forward at the sound of the explosion, but it was too late. There was no way to get across. Seamus knew that in order for anymore Death Eaters to access Hogwarts, they'd have to go around the long way and would be forced to funnel directly through the front gates of the school. It would make them much easier targets.
Turning away, Seamus headed back to the main portion of the battle, feeling that his duty had been complete. He smiled knowing that his friends would be safe, at least for the moment, from sneak attacks. Maybe that would stall things long enough for Harry to defeat the Dark Lord.
Hi there!
This story was originally posted on HPFF for the Unsung Hero Challenge. The object of the challenge was to write about a character and a moment that made them a hero during the war. The character I was assigned was Seamus Finnigan, which I was super excited about. I have a really set headcannon for him.
I'd love to know what you thought of this, so feel free to make use of the comment box below.
Thanks for reading!
~Kaitlin/TreacleTart