Q's attention was diverted as the albatross flew in front of him. Q's eyes followed the bird as it sailed through the air, just above the heads of everyone in the room. Just low enough to make sure everyone noticed it. Then it flew to the front of the Great Hall and did two loop-the-loops right above the Head Table, before stopping to hover just above the headmaster's seat. Its wings began to stretch and widen and little by little its body began to flatten as its beak and legs disappeared. . . .
Within a minute the bird was gone and instead a large white banner with green and silver lettering hung in its place. It read:
THIS YEAR'S HOGWARTS PRANKFEST HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY SLYTHERIN HOUSE. WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT AS MUCH AS WE ENJOYED LAUGHING AT YOU.
P.S. With special thanks to Blaise Zabini for his wonderful drawings and the House Elves for their willingness to sneak things into dormitories.
Stunned silence followed. Followed by loud, somewhat outraged, chaos.
"House Elves?" Professor McGonagall screeched. "They got the House Elves to help them?"
"No wonder we couldn't figure out how someone was getting into the dormitories," Professor Sprout groaned in exasperation. From beside her, Dumbledore chuckled and turned to wink at Draco and the others with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Hang on!" shouted Ron. "Is that trying to say that Zabini created Voldilocks?"
"Oi!" one of the Weasley twins exclaimed. "Slytherin House?"
"You mean, the entire house was pranking the rest of the school?" added the second twin.
As one, the two turned to gape at the Slytherins present, who beamed and nodded proudly. the twins turned to one another.
"Blimey! That's-"
"-bloody brilliant!"
"No wonder they couldn't be caught-"
"-and no one could figure out who it was!"
"So, do we run now?" Blaise gritted out through his wide smile, valiantly trying to ignore the furious glares they were receiving from all the Death Eaters. And, of course, a fuming Dark Lord, who was made even more furious by the fact that none of his spells seemed to work on the mysterious dye he was covered in.
"Well, either that or pray Dumbledore doesn't feel like letting us die just yet," Pansy answered through her own wide smile, in a slightly high-pitched voice.