For AnnaMarie Stephens, life has always been a mix of imagination, laughter, and a little bit of chaos. She and her husband, both self-proclaimed nerds, met in 2014 and instantly bonded over their love for anime, Comic-Cons, and everything fantasy. Dressing up was never just for Halloween; it was a part of who they were. They’d spend hours picking out costumes, gluing pieces together, and turning ordinary weekends into something magical. When their first child, Bellamy, was born, it was only natural that they wanted him to grow up surrounded by the same joy and creativity. Bellamy turned three months old just before Halloween, and AnnaMarie wanted his very first costume to be something special that meant more than just cute photos.
She thought back to her honeymoon with her husband, spent at Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. They had wandered through Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade like kids again, wide-eyed and spellbound. They even bought the Hogwarts robes they were still proudly wearing years later. That trip had been one of their favorite memories, so it only made sense that their first Halloween as parents would be Harry Potter themed. The idea came to her like a spell. What if baby Bellamy could be a Mandrake? The thought made her laugh, especially since anyone who has ever been around a tired baby knows how accurate that would be. She found a tiny brown outfit, added a few leaves, and placed him carefully inside a bucket labeled “Mandrake.” Just like that, the costume was complete.
When Halloween rolled around, they hosted their annual party. The house was full of laughter, snacks, and the sound of kids running through hallways dressed as superheroes and witches. As the night went on, it got close to Bellamy’s bedtime. Like clockwork, he started to fuss and cry, his little face scrunching up in protest. That’s when AnnaMarie realized the moment was too perfect. He wasn’t just a Mandrake in costume; he was acting like one, too.
She and her husband quickly grabbed their robes, put on earmuffs like Hogwarts professors handling magical plants, and posed with their crying baby in the bucket. A friend snapped a few photos, and then Bellamy was whisked off to bed, finally free to dream of milk and lullabies. Later that night, AnnaMarie scrolled through the pictures and laughed. The image was so perfectly absurd. She posted it online before bed, thinking a few friends would get a kick out of it. By the next morning, it had a hundred shares. By the following day, it had thousands. Within a weekend, their Harry Potter Mandrake baby had gone completely viral.
AnnaMarie and her husband couldn’t believe it. They spent the day refreshing their phones, watching the numbers jump every few minutes. People from all over the world commented, laughed, and shared how much joy the photo brought them. Some said it reminded them of their sleepless nights with newborns; others loved the creativity. The couple joked that they’d officially reached “peak parenting.” After all, how do you top turning your crying baby into a piece of Harry Potter magic?
But behind the laughter, AnnaMarie’s heart held something deeper. Motherhood hadn’t been easy for her. Not long after Bellamy was born, she struggled with postpartum depression. The days were long and heavy, and the joy she expected to feel seemed far away. It took time, help, and patience to find herself again. That’s why this photo meant more than just likes and shares. It was proof that she had found laughter again. Parenting, she often says, is messy and exhausting, but it’s filled with tiny, magical moments that make it all worth it. The viral photo is one of those moments, a memory that will sit proudly in Bellamy’s baby book for years.
