Seamus Finnigan Character Bio

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Maddy Chiffey

Maddy has loved Harry Potter since she was twelve years old. She fell in love with the books, and when a new one was released, you would find her among the most eager of fans waiting in line to get one of the first copies. As an adult, Maddy loves traveling and has made it a priority to visit many of the different Harry Potter locations. She's excited to be able to share her knowledge and experiences with readers on Wizards Welcome.

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Seamus Finnigan (b.between 1979-1980) arrives at Hogwarts at the same time as Harry, is sorted into Gryffindor, and shares a dormitory with him. Like the other boys, Seamus is swept up in the events surrounding Voldemort and Harry. He’s a minor character but is an important friend and ally to Harry throughout the series.

Born to a Muggle father and witch mother, Seamus enjoys his time at Hogwarts but doesn’t always find it easy getting along with Harry. Towards the end of the series, he begins to take the fight against Voldemort more seriously, joining Dumbledore’s Army and fighting in the Final Battle of Hogwarts.

Seamus survives the war, but we don’t know much about what happens to him afterward.

I am particularly fond of Seamus. He offers a bit of comic relief throughout the series, but his own conflicting feelings about Harry make him an interesting character. We also see his bravery towards the end of the series, which I loved to see. You can tell Seamus is a true Gryffindor by his actions.

Seamus Finnigan Quick Facts

Seamus Finnigan Birthplace

Seamus Finnigan was born in Ireland, although we don’t know which area he was born in. We also don’t know his exact birth date.

Seamus Finnigan Parents

Seamus is a half-blood. He jokes about this right at the beginning of the series: ‘I’m half and half. Me dad’s a Muggle. Mam didn’t tell him she was a witch ’til after they were married. Bir of a nasty shock for him.’ (1)

We later see Seamus’s mother in Goblet of Fire, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione bump into them at the Quidditch World Cup, where they are staying in a tent completely covered in shamrocks. Mrs. Finnigan questions Harry about his support for the Irish Quidditch team. (2)

We don’t get to see Mr. Finnigan in the books.

Seamus Finnigan Physical Traits

Seamus is described as having sandy hair, and that’s about it in terms of physical appearance. His uniform is often described as being scruffy, with his shirt untucked.

In the movies, the actor playing Seamus (Devon Murray) has dark hair.

Seamus Finnigan Early Years

We don’t know much about Seamus’s early years, other than the fact that he grew up with a Muggle father and witch mother. We do know that he spent most of his childhood ‘zooming around the countryside on a broomstick’ (3).

Seamus Finnigan Hogwarts Years

We get to see a fair amount of Seamus, mostly because of his proximity to Harry.

Year 1

We first meet Seamus during the welcome feast, shortly after he is sorted into Gryffindor. HE questions Nearly Headless Nick on how he can be ‘nearly’ headless (4). He shares a dormitory with Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter, and quickly becomes best friends with Dean, whom he is close with for their entire time at Hogwarts.

He is also friends with Neville. They partner together in their first Potions lesson and takes Neville to the hospital wing when he accidentally melted Seamus’s cauldron, drenching himself in Boil-Cure potion. (5)

He is fairly confident but sometimes proves to be a little too much so, sometimes overdoing his spells with disastrous results. For example, he accidentally sets fire to a feather he is supposed to be levitating in Charms class. (6)

Seamus is very supportive of Harry during their first year. He cheers on Harry during their first Quidditch match and is impressed with Harry’s performance in Quidditch. He also lends Harry his Wizard Chess set over the Christmas holidays so that Harry can practice against Ron. (7)

Year 2

We first see Seamus in his second year just after they find out that Harry and Ron arrived by flying car, which he finds ‘Unbelievable!’ (8). He is present for the Cornish pixie disaster during Lockhart’s first lesson, during which he wonders out loud if they are dangerous (9). After the pixies escape, Seamus runs from the classroom along with nearly everyone else.

Seamus, like the other students, is very concerned with the rumored re-opening of the Chamber of Secrets. He questions Professor Binns about this, but Binns reassures him that no Hogwarts headmaster has ever found the Chamber in the first place, so it probably didn’t exist. (10)

When events in the second year start to turn dangerous, Seamus eagerly joins in with Professor Lockhart’s Duelling Club, during which Ron’s broken wand malfunctions, knocking Seamus to the ground. Seamus was present when Harry speaks Parseltongue for the first time.

Year 3

We see Seamus just before the start of his third year, buying school supplies with Dean Thomas, where they are admiring the Firebolt broomstick display. (11)

Like the other students, Seamus had his first experience with Divination this year, taught by Professor Trelawny. Seamus expresses some skepticism about this, even debating that the ‘Grim’ shape in Harry’s teacup looked more like a donkey (12)

Seamus prefers Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin. During his first lesson, Seamus and the others face up to a Boggart, a creature that can mimic a person’s worst fears. Seamus’s Boggart turns into a banshee, which begins to shriek. Seamus takes away her voice to silence her and earns some points for Gryffindor in the process. (13)

He enjoys his first visit to Hogsmeade this year, along with Dean. They are present when the Gryffindors find out about the attack on the Fat Lady, the portrait guarding the Gryffindor Common Room. This alarms Seamus, as he is already following the news about Sirius Black’s escape from prison.

Seamus finds the new portrait guardian, Sir Cadogan, extremely annoying, as he keeps changing the password at least twice a day. He angrily vents about this to Percy: ‘He’s barking mad, can’t we get anyone else?’ to which Percy replies that Sir Cadogan was the only one mad enough to take on the job. (14)

Seamus’s Quidditch obsession continues into his third year. He is so excited by Harry receiving a Firebolt, that he acted as a ‘guard of honor’ to protect the broom before a Quidditch match.

As Seamus shares a dormitory with Ron, he was present when Ron is attacked by Sirius Black. (15) He provides a lot of light-hearted moments in this book, which I think works well as the series turns darker.

Year 4

Seamus is lucky enough to attend the Quidditch World Cup with his mother in the summer between his fourth and fifth year. He proudly supports Ireland, sleeping in a tent covered in shamrocks, and bumps into Harry, Ron, and Hermione before the match starts. He is still wearing his Ireland rosette at the start of term on the train to Hogwarts. (16)

Other than this moment, we don’t see as much of Seamus in Year 4. We briefly see him being revolted by the idea of having to collect Bubotuber pus in Herbology. He helps to take care of Hagrid’s Blast-Ended Skrewts and doesn’t appear to be paying much attention in Divination (17).

Seamus is among the students believing that Harry tricked his way into entering the Triwizard Tournament. This distrust of Harry will reappear in later years, too.

Seamus, like the other fourth years, was able to attend the Yule Ball this year, so he stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas. He chose to attend with Lavender Brown. (18)

Year 5

Life at Hogwarts becomes more dangerous for Seamus this year. On their first night back at Hogwarts, he reveals that his mother almost didn’t allow him to come back to Hogwarts, because she believed the rumors that Harry and Dumbledore were dangerous. He asks Harry what happened when Cedric Diggory died, which Harry is upset about.

A row erupts between them, during which Ron comes to Harry’s defense. Seamus tells them ‘I don’t want to share a dormitory with him anymore, he’s a madman.’ (19). Seamus refuses to speak to Harry for a long time afterward.

Later, Harry gives a tell-all interview with Rita Skeeter for the magazine The Quibbler. Seamus reads this and immediately apologizes to Harry, and tells him that he believes that Voldemort is back again. They make friends again, and Harry is relieved to have him back. Seamus sends a copy of the magazine to his mother to persuade her of the truth. (20)

After this, Seamus joins Dumbledore’s Army. He is delighted to briefly produce a full Patronus (a fox). Seamus manages to escape when Dolores Umbridge breaks up the group. Seamus, like the others, takes his O.W.L. exams this year.

This, personally, is my favorite year for Seamus. We get to see his character in a lot more depth, and he becomes a more complex (and therefore interesting) character. Plus, I find the redemption of his character towards the end of the book to be heartwarming. We get a glimpse of how much he means to Harry, too.

Year 6

Things are tricky for Seamus in smaller ways in Year 6. He does not gain a spot on Gryffindor’s Quidditch team, and when chaser Katie Bell is hospitalized, Harry (as Captain) chooses to replace her with Dean, despite his reservations that it will upset Seamus. (21) Seamus is, as Harry predicts, very unhappy with this decision.

Seamus undertook Apparition lessons this year, along with the rest of the year group. We don’t get to see if he manages to pass his test or not.

Seamus attends the funeral of Professor Dumbledore in defiance of his mother, who wants him to return home at once after Dumbledore’s death and the attack on Hogwarts. He has a ‘shouting match’ with her in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts about it. (22) Again, I love to see Seamus’s stubbornness when it comes to doing the right thing, even arguing against his (scary) mother.

Year 7

Despite his mother’s reservations, Seamus returns to Hogwarts for his seventh year. As Harry does not return to Hogwarts, we don’t get to see much of Seamus during this time. It is a miserable year for Seamus, as he is separated from his best friend Dean (who has to go on the run thanks to his Muggle-born blood status). Hogwarts is run by the Carrow siblings and is generally an awful place to be.

Seamus rejoins the D.A, at great cost to himself. He is so badly beaten by the Carrows that when Harry eventually returns to Hogwarts, he doesn’t recognize Seamus until he spoke (23).

The Battle of Hogwarts

Seamus joins in the Battle of Hogwarts. In the movies, he has a significant role: he has to blow up the wooden bridge, preventing Voldemort’s side from entering Hogwarts. (24) This was one of my favorite moments in Deathly Hallows Part 2. It’s fun to see the familiarity between Seamus, Neville, and Professor McGonagoll.

In the books, we see him fighting. He, along with Luna Lovegood, Ernie Macmillan, Hermione, and Ron, help Harry to drive back a horde of Dementors by producing Patronuses (which Harry himself taught them in their fifth year).

Seamus is present when Hagrid carries Harry into the school, and presumes Harry is dead. He shouts along with everyone else when Neville angers Lord Voldemort.

Harry saves Seamus’s life shortly after this. Under the invisibility cloak, he casts a shield charm on both Seamus and Hannah Abbott, protecting them from a killing curse. (25)

Seamus witnesses Harry’s ultimate defeat of Lord Voldemort and survives the war.

Seamus Finnigan After Hogwarts Years

We don’t get to see what happens to Seamus after Hogwarts. He is not seen in the Epilogue. It is likely that he attended the reunion of Dumbledore’s Army in 2014. (26) Personally, I would love to know more about what happened to Seamus, and I’m still holding on for more information from J.K Rowling in the future!

Seamus Finnigan Family

We do not know if Seamus Finnigan ever got married or had children.

Seamus Finnigan Magical Ability and Special Skills

Seamus does well at Hogwarts, managing his school work and learning how to produce a Patronus in Harry’s lessons. He often jokes around during lessons, but still manages to keep on top of his work.

In the books, Seamus does not have any special skills. However, in the last movie, Professor McGonagall charges him with the task of destroying the bridge into Hogwarts as he has special skills in pyrotechnics.

Seamus Finnigan Wand

We don’t really know anything about Seamus’s wand, other than that he probably bought it from Ollivander, as most Hogwarts students do.

Seamus Finnigan Trivia and Fun Facts

Here are a few things you might not know about Seamus:

• Devon Murray, who plays Seamus in the movies, has the record for the most broken wands on set
• Seamus is a playable character in the videogame adaption of Deathly Hallows Part 2 (27)
• Devon Murray fell ill with Bells Palsy during the filming of the 6th movie and missed a lot of filming time because of it. He found the filming of Dumbledore’s death very difficult as he was still recovering (28)
• Both Murray and Alfred Enoch (who plays Dean in the movies) have said that they like the fan theory that Seamus and Dean ended up together as a couple (29)
• The Sorting Hat took a whole minute to place Seamus in Gryffindor
• Seamus is a curious character, often asking questions of the teachers to deepen his understanding of a topic, and is unafraid to speak out even in classes with stricter teachers (like Potions and Transfiguration)

Seamus Finnigan Appearances in Books

• Book 1: Sorceror’s Stone
• Book 2: Chamber of Secrets
• Book 3: Prisoner of Azkaban
• Book 4: Goblet of Fire
• Book 5: Order of the Phoenix
• Book 6: Half-Blood Prince
• Book 7: Deathly Hallows

Seamus Finnigan Appearances in Films

• Movie 1: Sorceror’s Stone
• Movie 2: Chamber of Secrets
• Movie 3: Prisoner of Azkaban
• Movie 4: Goblet of Fire
• Movie 5: Order of the Phoenix
• Movie 6: Half-Blood Prince
• Movie 7: Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Movie 8: Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Seamus Finnigan Quotes

‘Eye of rabbit, harp string hum, turn this water into rum …’ Seamus Finnigan, Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (30)

Neville: Right then, so what’s the plan, Harry?

Harry: Okay, there’s something we need to find, something hidden here in the castle, and it may help us defeat You-Know-Who.

Neville: Right, what is it?

Harry: We don’t know.

Dean: Where is it?

Harry: We don’t know that either. I realize that’s not much to go on.

Seamus: That’s nothing to go on.
– Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (31)

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some commonly asked questions about Seamus Finnigan:

Research Citations

1. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, Ch.7: The Sorting Hat
2. Harry Potter the Goblet of Fire, Ch.7: Bagman and Crouch
3. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, Ch.9: The Midnight Duel
4. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, Ch.7: The Sorting Hat
5. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, Ch.8: The Potions Master
6. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, Ch.10: Halloween
7. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, Ch.12: The Mirror of Erised
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ch.5: The Whomping Willow
9. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ch.6: Gilderoy Lockhart
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ch.9: The Writing on the Wall
11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch.4: The Leaky Cauldron
12. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch.6: Talons and Tea Leaves
13. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch.7: The Boggart in the Wardrobe
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch.9: Grim Defeat
15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch.13: Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw
16. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ch.11: Aboard the Hogwarts Express
17. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ch.13: Mad-Eye Moody
18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ch.22: The Unexpected Task
19. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ch.11: The Sorting Hat’s New Song
20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ch.26: Seen and Unforeseen
21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Ch.14: Felix Felicis
22. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Ch.30: The White Tomb
23. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch.29: The Lost Diadem
24. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
25. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch.36: The Flaw in the Plan
26. Quidditch World Cup 2014: Daily Prophet reports
27. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part Two (Videogame)
28. Exclusive Interview with Devon Murray, FanFest
29. Interview with Alfred Enoch, Be.com
30. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone
31. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
32. Dublin Harry Potter star Devon Murray says he ‘isn’t as silly with money anymore’, Irish Mirror

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