Before I Knew
21. Boggarts
"A severed hand?" Seamus asked Dean amusedly as they left their Defense Against the Dark Arts Lesson. "That's what ye're most afraid of?"
"They're creepy!" Dean defended. "I was trick-or-treating with my sisters one year and some guy was standing in the shadows wearing all black so I couldn't see him. He had this monster hand glove on and grabbed my shoulder. I screamed like a girl. Scarred me for life."
Seamus laughed. "What's trick-or-treating?"
"It's what Muggles do on Halloween," Dean replied. "We go door to door around neighborhoods and collect free candy."
Seamus' eyes widened at the words free candy. "I wish wizards did that!"
Dean chuckled. Seamus loved candy too much for it to be healthy. Being on sugar highs also didn't help his quivering.
"So, a banshee?" Dean asked, referring to Seamus' boggart.
Seamus grimaced. "Me cousin Fergus – I hate that git – told me about banshees when I was little. He told me they wandered around lookin' for little Irish boys to eat, which is bollocks o' course, and that by the time ye heard their scream it was too late. Later he got his girlfriend to dress up like a banshee and she snuck up on me and screamed bloody murder. Almost pissed me pants, I did. Her and Fergus had a right good time laughin' about it."
Dean snickered.
"But that's not the worst of it. Couple o' years later we were having our annual family reunion campin' trip and I came across a real banshee. 'Course, I thought they were tryin' to trick me again. Would've died if me mam hadn't come in and blasted it away 'fore it could start screamin'," Seamus finished, looking pale as he relived the memory.
"Ah, Shay, I'm so sorry," Dean said with a frown.
Seamus shrugged and grinned crookedly, his eyes playful again. "Not as bad as bein' grabbed by a seeemin'ly severed hand."
"That's right," Dean replied with a laugh.