Issa was headed along with the other Slytherins over to the Herbology farms. It was the greenhouse farthest to the left, near the edge of the hill dedicated to the Fifth years. It was also a greenhouse reserved for plants rated as XXX: Competent wizards should cope. 

The Slytherins shared their class with the Hufflepuffs, who were already settled inside. Professor Longbottom greeted them as they shuffled inside. The students struggled to move through the rows without getting their hair tangled in the roots that were hanging overhead to dry or getting their robes caught in the teeth of some hungry plants. 

"Hello class, come in quickly! Don't let the cold air get inside." Longbottom ushered them. Many of the seats nearest to him were already taken by the Hufflepuff girls, who loved visiting the young professor. 

"Okay, everyone take a seat. I want to tell you about what we will be handling today." He said while he slipped on his dragon skin gloves.  A few students groaned. A Slytherin besides her rubbed his cheek where some insects they had had to remove from a plant last class had bitten him. 

"This plant before you is called a Bullitus Plant. Right now they are classified XXX since they have been recently planted but when they are fully grown they can live up to be XXXX. So let me show you now what we will do, put on your dragon skin gloves, please." Issa inspected the plant as she and everyone else pulled their gloves through their fingers. The plant was a purple bulb, no stem but big leaves wrapped the pot like a birthday present. The tip of the Bullitus plant was tied with a piece of cord like an upside down balloon. 

"Once you remove the string from the bulb, it will release bubbles as a defense mechanism. Does anyone like bubbles?" Longbottom asked. A few students began to lift their arms, but the professor shook his head. "You will not like these bubbles, I assure you. The liquid they are made out of is poisonous and it will burn your skin. These bubbles also do not pop easily. They will stick to your skin, so be very careful." More students began to grown. A few stepped back away from the table. "I will show you what it looks like to be touched by them, just so you know how careful you should be." Longbottom pulled the sleeve of his robes up to his elbow and raised his forearm. A few students gasped as they stared at the white tennis ball-sized marks on his skin. There were two of them, one was inflated and seemed to be about to burst with some liquid, the other seemed to have burst already and a thin skin clung from where it used to be. 

"What we have to do today is capture some bubbles in these jars right here to preserve their liquid. Professor Slughorn has been asking me for weeks for a few bottles of this so I'm hoping we can get enough for him. According to the Professor,  the liquid is used as an ingredient for many different potions so I'm guessing today won't be the last day you get to deal with these plants.

"Now put on your protective goggles. I'll demonstrate to you the most effective method to capture these and then we'll all do it together!"

An hour later, the class was finished and only two students had to accompany Professor Longbottom to the infirmary. As everyone headed back to the castle for lunch, Issa searched for Heather. She hooked her arm around hers as they often did. 

"Oh Issa! Did you get burnt by any of the bubbles?" Heather asked her. She reclined her head on Issa's arm. The top of Heather's head only reached up to a few inches below Issa's shoulder. Issa had a long and slender body. She was tall for most of the girls, but not taller than the majority of the boys. Albus was probably only some inches above her though his tousled hair gave him a few extra inches more.

"No, thankfully. My bubbles seemed to target McKorney beside me." She chuckled. "Did you?"

"No, but a venus plant kept biting my ankles all class." She lifted a foot, her socks were painted with blood. 

"Oh my, Heather!" Issa exclaimed.

"It's just a few cuts." Heather said nonchalantly. She pulled out her wand and the stains disappeared with a flick of her wand. "Can't have my socks looking like that though." 

"That's a useful spell." Issa pointed out.

"I've been designing clothes, that's how I learnt it. Look I can even do this!" Heather turned to her and tapped her wand on Issa's tie. Suddenly Issa had turned into a Hufflepuff. Her robes and headband were now mustard yellow and black.

Issa's eyes brightened. "Oh that's brilliant!" Then she gasped, "Wait, Heather! It's perfect!"

"Why thanks." Heather replied, playing with a strand of hair. "I didn't think it would be that impressive."

Issa stopped in her tracks. She turned her entire body towards her. "Can you turn me into a Gryffindor?"

"Sure, but why would you want to do that?" Heather cocked her head. 

Issa considered lying for a moment, but then shook the thought away. She could trust Heather with the plan that she and Reagan had been brewing. She told her everything.

* * *

That night, while everyone feasted on their Halloween dinner at the Great Hall, Issa and Reagan hurried to the ladies bathroom and without a second thought, chugged down a vial each of the perfectly brewed Polyjuice potion that Reagan had stolen from class. Well, she had made it anyways, so could you really consider it stolen?

As soon as the liquid had settled in their stomachs, their bodies began to deform. It felt like thousands of ants crawling underneath their skin, pulling and stretching it. It was an extremely uncomfortable feeling, and they were both glad when it finally seemed to stop. They looked at each other and could help but chuckle. They felt woozy as they tested their new limbs and voices out in front of the grimy mirror. Reagan tucked her black rimmed glasses inside her robe pockets. Apparently her eyesight had improved. 

"So this is what tall people see." Regan said mesmerized when she turned and looked down at Issa.

"These robes are way too long for me now. If only Heather were here." Issa picked up her robes that were now sweeping the floor.

"Yeah, they're definitely tighter at the bust for me." Reagan said to the mirror while she inspected her new bosoms. "Who's are these,  anyways?" She asked, holding them.

"According to Heather, you should be Kaia Lesley and I'm Cindy Estrella. They're Heather's friends and she promised to keep them occupied until dinner is over, maybe more if she can but we better hurry."

So they headed to the Gryffindor tower only to reach a portrait of a fat lady. Issa was sure this was the place, but it didn't look like an entrance to her. 

"Password, girls?" The lady in the portrait asked.

Reagan cursed under her breath. 

"Er-" Issa uttered. 

"We forgot it." Reagan said, nervously.

"Then you shan't enter."The Fat Lady said, sipping from her wine. 

"Merlin's pants." Someone behind them said. They turned to look a the source of the voice. A Gryffindor boy with shoulder-long hair brown hair grinned at them. 

"Correct." The portrait said, and flipped itself open to reveal a circular doorway.

"Uhm, thank you." Reagan told the boy. Even in the lowlight her blush was apparent. Issa shook her head, she couldn't lose her so soon. 

"Don't mention it, I just came back to get something. I'll wait outside once I'm back." He said, touching her shoulder gently. 

Her skin flared. "For what?" Reagan asked and shot Issa a nervous look.

"For you." He laughed.

"Oh, you don't have to." Reagan's face reddened even deeper.

"I do." He said. Issa could even admit that he had a caramelized voice. Sweet and gravelly.

"No really. It'll take a while, you shouldn't." 

The boy grinned. "Take your time, babe." He said and kissed Reagan on the lips. Issa's eyes went wide but not as wide as Reagan's. 

"Okay." She squeaked, and stormed off his Issa in hand. 

* * *

Issa couldn't help but goggle at the Gryffindor Common Room. She wasn't sure what she expected, but so many years in the Slytherin dungeons had definitely distorted her mind as to what something "cozy" should look like because this common room seemed to be the very definition of the word.

Red and gold tapestries hung from the high stone walls which were of a peachy cream color. There were Quidditch posters everywhere and the dark wood tables were scattered with shiny candy wrappers. Comfy sofas were plopped next to the fireplace which crackled as the wood snapped and popped. The floor was made up of several rugs and quilts that overlapped each other and from the ceiling hung a chandelier covered in party streamers as if something had been recently celebrated. 

Issa could understand after taking the whole room in why her place was called the dungeons. There, everything was dark and lowly lit by a few candles. The walls were rocky and jagged and they were always damp from the moisture of the Great Lake. During certain times of the year, moss grew on them. It did have beautiful stone carvings and statues, but Issa would replace their statues with a few plump soft sofas any day. She looked at Reagan, and she knew she wasn't the only one thinking so. 

"I like the Gryffindor House already." Regan said, her face still hot. Issa had a feeling she wasn't just talking about the common room. 

After the admiration came a twinge of jealousy. "Lets just do what we came here to do." Issa said coldly. 

* * *

"Acccio love potion!" Issa hissed. She held her hand out, but nothing came her way.

"Maybe it's hidden with an enchantment?" Reagan guessed, she was lifting cushions and opening drawers.

"Aparecium!"  Issa waited, still nothing revealed itself. 

"That's for invisible ink on parchment." Reagan told her. Issa rolled her eyes.

"Then what?"

"We've searched the entire place twice. Maybe it's not here. And If you think about it, there's no place in here where she could have brewed a potion without being seen."

Issa hadn't wanted to admit that exact thought that had been running through her head. She threw a pillow she was holding back on the bed.

Then, a voice called from downstairs. "Kaia?" 

Reagan gasped, "It's my boyfriend!"

Issa cursed. She began to feel a tingling sensation crawling through her body. She looked at Reagan, "You're changing." She said, touching her own face. 

"You're too!" Reagan held her breasts as if for confirmation.

"We need something, I can't just leave without having found anything!" Issa said almost frantically. She began to open up Victoria's drawers for a fourth time. Sweaters, bobby pins, bras... it was a mess. Then she touched the surface of a book. 

"Issa, we're going to de-transform, please!" Reagan begged.

"It's a Potions book!" Issa breathed, staring at it. 

"Great, now lets get out of here! I can't let my boyfriend see my like this!"