What’s tiny, cute and never stops crying? A moody baby—and a Mandrake, the mythical plant from the Harry Potter series whose root resembles a newborn human. So it’s only fitting that that’s exactly the Halloween costume Texas parents Corey and AnnaMarie Stephens chose for their own 3-month-old.

“This was our first Halloween as a family, so I wanted to do something super fun and unique, but I also wanted the costume to mean something to us,” explained AnnaMarie. “We’ve always been huge nerds who love to dress up.”

Dressed as Hogwarts students in robes they bought at Orlando’s Universal Studios on their honeymoon, the couple put their baby in an oversized flower pot and adorable leaf cap to look like a real-life Mandrake. It’s a hilarious nod to the plants in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which, despite having healing powers, also cry so loud that they can knock you out.

To protect against their baby’s (or, rather, their Mandrake’s) wails, Corey and AnnaMarie even donned fluffy earmuffs, just like the ones Ron Weasley wears in the movie. Fashion and function, all in one.

And in the picture they posted to Facebook, which quickly went viral, the Stephens’ baby gets into character a little too well (so much screeching!). “We had our annual Halloween party on Friday, and when it got close to my son’s bedtime, he started to get fussy and cry, just like a real Mandrake!” explained Annamarie.

The only difference between this infant and the magical Mandrake? In the world of wizarding, the plant’s screams are fatal. Although judging by the cringing faces of the couple, we’d say their baby’s cries are pretty close…

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This article was originally published on Oct. 31, 2018

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