Hogwarts School of Friendship and Harmony

“Pay attention, class!” Professor Sprout called through the greenhouse. “Today, we’ll be learning about Venenum Locus. Which will only grow if nourished by the ectoplasm of a poltergeist. These particular plants were grown from the ectoplasm of our very own Peeves.”

“This is already a bad idea.” Harry muttered.

“Now, put on your gloves. Just as poltergeists themselves, these plants are very tricky, and if you touch them, they will play a little prank on you.” Professor Sprout demonstrated her instruction by putting on her own gloves. The students quickly followed her example. Except for one.

“Oh please!” Ron scoffed. “It can’t be all that dangerous. It’s not like Peeves does any big pranks. The worst he did was dropping the water balloons on us second year!” Some students shivered at the memory. “Here. I’ll prove it.”

Hermione tried to stop him, but she was too late. Ron touched the indigo-colored flower. Everyone tensed up, waiting for something to happen. After a couple of minutes, everyone stopped holding their breaths.

“See, nothing-” Ron started to say, but quickly stopped and clutched his throat. His voice, you see, had changed. It was considerably higher than usual. Almost like a…

“I’ve got a girl's voice now!? How the bloody **** did this happen!?” Ron shouted. The rest of the class had started to laugh until a couple of students were on the ground, banging their fists on the soil.

“Professor, can I go to the hospital wing?” Ron asked, a pleading note in his voice.

“I’m afraid not, Weasley. As this is not affecting your physical health, you’ll have to stay here for the rest of the class.” She snickered at the end of this sentence, revealing her true intentions to the rest of the students. The students all started laughing with her, while Ron scowled. Hermione was having a blast.

“The plant! It’s almost exactly like Poison Joke! And it’s like Flutterguy, except the opposite!” she was saying through her snickers and guffaws, thinking no one would hear her over everyone else. Sadly, she was mistaken.

“It’s like what, Hermione?”Harry asked, looking over at her with curiosity, while Ron hadn’t heard her and was still scowling at everyone else.

“Oh, um…” she was spared from responding when the school bell rang for lunch.

“Thank goodness! Let’s go have lunch, shall we?” Hermione rushed toward the door. Harry ran after her, while Ron stayed behind to see if Professor Sprout had a remedy to his condition.

“What was that all about, Hermione?” Harry caught up to her as she was nearing the steps into the Great Hall. “Why’d you run off?”

“Well, you see, um, well...I, um, well, I’m actually a little embarrassed now, but, um...it was a reference to a television program that I, um, watched over the summer.” Hermione was stumbling over her words, and Harry was suspicious. But before he could interrogate further, Ron also caught up to the two of them.

“I got Professor Sprout to fix my voice! She was a little reluctant, though…”

“I don’t blame her,” Hermione was chuckling again. “You sounded wonderful with a girl’s voice.”

“Oh, shut up, Hermione.” Ron scowled.

At that moment Colin Creevey came up to the three of them and told them that Dean told him that Parvati told him that Lavender told her that McGonagall told her to tell them that Dumbledore wanted to see them in his office right away.