The Fern Flower, native to Slavic countries (indeed, it has not been known to spread) is a fern plant with a magical flower. This flower is yellow throughout the year, except for the eve of the summer solstice, when the plant turns red. (Some Herbologists suggest that the flower is actually always red and only blooms on the eve of the summer solstice, so in fact the yellow flowers are actually false flowers). The power this plant brings to whoever finds it is manifested in the form of 'luck,' gaining wealth, and the ability to speak in the tongues of animals. This magical energy is considered to be very dark by the Herbologists who've studied it. The amassing of material wealth leads the finder further and further into greed, until they can be satisfied by nothing, and are driven mad by their longing. The luck brought forth by the flower leads to unintended consequences. The possessor of the flower may wish an enemy, or even an estranged loved one, ill, and that person will suddenly die in mysterious circumstances. A person may wish their favorite Quidditch team to win the next match, and the opposing seeker may have their hand chopped off in a serious accident.

How, you all might wonder, does the ability to converse with animals fit into all of this? Well, you see, many animals are best kept to themselves. Interaction with humans drives some of the more feeble creatures mad… squirrels stop storing nuts, and spend all their time trying for find more humans to talk to, bears lose interest in hibernating, as they notice the human habits and attempt to pick them up, worse still, is many humans fall to the temptation of creating servants out of the animals. Many a beaver has been set to cutting down trees and moving timber about at the influence of a human gone wayward at the effects of this flower. So, my advise to you would be, if you see this flower, leave it alone! In the mythology for muggles, the Fern Flower is usually described as being surrounded by evil spirits, in order to explain away the negative repercussions of removing the flower from the plant.