ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
AN: This is written for the Table Pong challenge on the Harry Potter Fanfiction challenges forum (my prompts were 'Percy' and 'sopping') and for the Fanfiction Terminology Challenge (my prompt was next-gen.) Please R&R!
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Psst! Lucy!"
Lucy looked up from the picture she had been drawing. Hugo was beckoning her from the staircase.
She glanced over at the adults. They were deeply absorbed in their conversation, something boring about goblins. Uncle Harry and Uncle Bill appeared to be arguing about something in a friendly way, with everyone else interrupting at random intervals.
Looking back at the staircase, she saw that Lily had appeared next to Hugo and was also signaling her. Slightly surprised, Lucy got to her feet. At the age of eight, she was four years younger than Lily and Hugo, so she was rarely involved in their schemes. Besides, she was a solitary girl and preferred playing by herself, anyways.
The moment she stepped onto the staircase, Lily whispered "Lucy, we need your help! Can you do something for us?"
"What is it?" said Lucy cautiously.
"We're going to play a funny prank on one of the aunts or uncles," grinned Hugo. "We want you to go outside and start crying and shouting for someone to help you. Someone will come running out, and we'll pour a bucket of water on their head!"
"Will you do it?" asked Lily. "Please? It will be so funny. Neither of us can lift the bucket by ourselves, so we need someone else to be involved."
Lucy took a moment to consider. Even if she got in trouble, Lily and Hugo would, too, so it wouldn't be too bad. Besides, it would be funny.
"Okay," she said.
"Great!" said Lily. "Give us a minute to get onto the upstairs balcony, then sneak outside and start screaming!" The two turned and ran back upstairs.
Quietly, Lucy slipped out the front door. Standing among the roses of Aunt Ginny's garden, she stared up at the balcony. A minute later, Lily and Hugo appeared. Together, they lifted a huge bucket, brimming to the top with water.
Lily nodded at her.
Lucy took a deep breath and started to scream "HELP! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! AHHHHH!" She was pleased to discover that her screams sounded very dramatic.
The front door flew open. Lucy's eyes widened with shock.
Daddy was running towards her.
Oh no, she thought. Of all the grown-ups, the prank victim had to be her dad? They would definitely get into trouble if they soaked him with water. He was much stricter than any of the other parents.
But it was too late.
With a triumphant cry, Lily and Hugo poured out the water. Too late, they realized that they had just drenched their strict Uncle Percy. In their shock, they both let go of the large, heavy bucket, which tumbled towards Percy's head.
With a yell, Lucy leapt forward and shoved her father out of the way, and two of them tumbled onto the ground, just barely avoiding the bucket.
Lily and Hugo, looking even more horrified than before, stared down at the scene.
"Daddy?" said Lucy anxiously, getting to her feet. It was very strange to see her daddy sitting in Aunt Ginny's rose garden, sopping wet, his glasses askew. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," said Percy, getting to his feet. "But…
Lucy was certain that there was a lecture coming..
He smiled down at her, ruffling her hair. "Don't scare me like that again, okay, munchkin? It sounded like someone was murdering you!"
"You're not mad?" said Lucy, surprised.
He glanced up at Lily and Hugo. "Oh, I didn't say that!" he said. "You two go find me some dry clothes, please, and I'll consider not turning you into toads!"
Shrieking, Lily and Hugo ran off.
"I don't think you should be mad at me, 'cause I saved you from the bucket," said Lucy seriously.
Percy laughed. "Fair enough. Come on, munchkin, let's go inside."
Happily, Lucy took Daddy's hand and skipped inside.
She already had an idea for the next prank.