Charlotte Weasley

Chapter 13 - Pranking gone wrong

The crowd began to whisper nervously and I stared, shocked, at the empty portrait. Bartholomew looked around hurriedly and then saw Professor McGonnagal approaching.

"What is going on here? What is with all of the commotion?" She frowned at Bartholomew, and then she noticed the vacated painting. "Where is the fat lady?" she whispered horsely. 

Filch, who had been following her, spoke up, "Shall I round up a search team to scour the castle?"

"Yes please, ghosts as well, thank you," She turned to the gryffindors surrounding her, "While we look for the fat lady, you will all be sleeping in the great hall- this is temporary." We all nodded, and followed Batholomew the way we had come. 

"Why today?" Brit whined on the way back to the great hall.

"Good question," I responed. 

When we reached the hall again, the long house tables had been shoved to the walls and a variety of mattresses, cushions, and quilts were laid out over the stone floor. The fireplaces that lined the walls were lit and warm, dancing flames heated up the large room. 

"Gryffindors!" Bartholomew called out to all the gryffindors, "Please find a bed and get to sleep- lights out in twenty minutes!" Gryffindors surged forward to snag the mattresses close to the fireplaces. Brit and myseld, along with the other first years, grabbed a few mattresses next to a fireplace and began to settle in. 

Peter ruffled his blond hair and walked over to where Brit and I sat chatting, "So, this is quite wild - being our first day and all." We both nodded at him and he sat down next to me on my mattress, "Well, I was thinking about pranking either Arnold our Jacob. Wanna help?" 

"Yeah, totally!" I agreed excitedly.

"Um.. I don't know.. I'm really tired.." Brit went on to explain how she really must get some sleep, and a variety of other excuses. 

"Well, fine, if you don't want to  have some fun, stay here- but don't spoil it!" he and I began planning what we were going to do.

"Well, I think we should do it to Jacob," I smirked, looking at Jacob, who was sleeping on the mattress next to myself and Peter. 

"Good idea, I'll be back- have to grab something." While he was off getting the supplies I stared at Jacob, who was softly breathing, his dark curls quavering with each breath. Peter appeared suddenly and I jumped.

"Gah! Why did you scare me?" I whispered harshly, looking around across the dark hall to see if anyone heard- luckily no one had.

"Too tempting," he winked and I scoffed, "Okay, so I got a glass jar with warm water."

"Perfect," I responded. Peter handed me the jar and I crawled over to James. He was still sound asleep, so I gently gripped his wrist and lowered his hand into the glass of warm water. 

I waited, hovering over him to see if he had a reaction, Peter watched and then chuckled when, after a  little while,Jacob let out a soft sigh and they saw wetness spread across his pants. I chortled, and then remembered that I was right next to him. I stiffled my laughter but- too late. James' eyes flashed open to see me right above him. "Wa- what happened? Whats goin' on?" And then comprehension dawned on him. 

I grinned at him and he looked back at me with a "That wasn't funny look".  "Why did you do that, Charlotte?" I glanced quickly at Peter, and James followed my gaze "Peter!" he muttered in a deep grumble. 

Jacob got up, and the wet spot where he wet his pants was more visible than ever. He clenched his fists and walked over to where Peter was crouched, snorting with silent laughter. "You will pay for this-"

"You, ah, may want to wash up first," I cut him off. His face blushed.

"Yeah, that may be a good idea... Do you know where the bathroom is?" Jacob asked me.

"I have no idea, ask a teacher or something."

"That is the last thing I want," he gestured at his pants, " For a teacher to know that I wet my pants- on my first day no less."

"Okay I can see that." I agreed.

"But can you come with me?" 

"Uh, fine!" I understood where he was coming from- wandering around the castle alone in the dead of night. 

I followed him out of the hall. "So where to next?" he asked me.

"I have no better idea than you do," I responded. His green eyes were glittering in the torchlight like two polished emeralds. "I guess we could go this way," I indicated to the left were a long hall led to a smaller staircase going up. He nodded and we walked side by side in silence. 

"So..." Jacob began, trying and failing to start conversation. 

"So..." I replied lamely. We had reached the top of the stairs, "Now which way?" This time I asked Jacob. 

"Let's try the right," we turned and walked down that hallway for a while until hte next crossroads. This went on for a while- me saying  a direction, then him, then me- so on. There was not a single bathroom in sight. 

"Finally!" I heard rushing water- a sign of a bathroom. I sprinted down the hall, not noticing the enormous puddles, until "SPLAT!" I fell flat on my face, blacking out.

(JACOB'S POINT OF VIEW) 

"Finally!" Charlotte cried, she sprinted forward to the door, not seeing the puddles of water that were steadily growing. She slipped before I could shout a warning. My stomach flipped.

I ran forward, careful to not fall as well. Charlotte was lying in the water, unconscious, her long blonde hair spreading out across the floor, and crimson rivers of blood swam around in the water.