Pyrotechnics

The Wooden Bridge being blown up

Neville Longbottom: "Let me get this straight, Professor. You're actually giving us permission to do this?"

Minerva McGonagall: "That is correct, Longbottom."

Neville Longbottom: "To blow it up? Boom?"

Minerva McGonagall: "BOOM!"

Neville Longbottom: "Wicked. But how are we gonna do that?"

Minerva McGonagall: "Why don't you confer with Mr Finnigan? As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics."

— Neville Longbottom and Professor McGonagall discussing the destruction of the Wooden Bridge

Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and, in some cases, sound.

History

An unidentified fire-breather who was part of the Circus Arcanus, a travelling wizarding freak show in the 1920s, breathed fire using his pyrotechnic skills.

Seamus Finnigan's burnt face after he failed the Levitation Charm

During his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Seamus Finnigan got himself blown up three times; first during Charms class when he tried to perform the Levitation Charm, he impatiently prodded the feather he was to supposed to levitating with his wand, making it set fire, the next was when he tried to make tea (though he managed to make the tea), and the very next day when he tried to turn water into rum. Later during the school year, Seamus offered to undo the Leg-Locker Curse that Draco Malfoy put on Neville Longbottom, but Neville declined out of fear he would "set his bloody kneecaps on fire", referencing Seamus's earlier instances of blowing himself up. During his fourth year, Seamus told Ron Weasley that he actually didn't mean to explode stuff.

During the preparing for the Battle of Hogwarts on the 1 May of 1998, when Minerva McGonagall wanted a couple of students to blow up the Wooden Bridge, Minerva referred to Seamus as having a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics, remembering all the time he got himself blown up. During the battle, Neville was able to use charges set up by Seamus to kill Scabior and a group of Snatchers.

Behind the scenes

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince during the Potions class when the students are brewing the Draught of Living Death, Seamus Finnigan blows up the draught he is brewing. This cannot, however, be considered canon as most of the students in the film, including Seamus, didn't pass on from O.W.L.s to N.E.W.T.s in the book.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Non-canonical appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (First identified as Pyrotechnics)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Pottermore
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite