Alastair walked into the common room. It felt nice and familiar to be back for another term. He knew that being a fifth year things were going to get tougher. Maybe he would try out for the quidditch team, he had always wanted to be a keeper.

Alastair sat on a comfortable blue chair and pulled out a potions book, he needed to study even before classes began

The common room, once stepped into, once alive with bursts of color and warm light, has faded to an unsettling gray. The cheerful banners hang limply, their hues now ghostly shades of charcoal.

Cushions that were once plush and bright have lost their vibrance, looking washed out and worn. Even the walls seem drained, the lively textures blurred, as if covered in a layer of dust but without any dust evident. It’s as if someone has dimmed the lights, casting everything into a muted, monochrome haze. Better check the dorms, it looks like this isn't the only spot to have gone gray.

Oh dearsie! Poor Schmoop was in a right state. It seemed that he had lost all of his colour! Not just him but all of his elfsie friends as well!

Oh no! Oh no! Schmoop didn’t know what else to do other than to clean and clean. Cleaning would help take his little elfsie mind off things yes! Sadly, this was not the case. Schoomp stared in dismay at his favorite Common Room.

“Noooooo!’’ Schmoop wailed in dismay. “Schmoop isn’t liking this. No, no, no.” Without further ado Schoomp whipped forth a cloth from his small assortment of cleaning supplies. Scrub, scrub, wipe, wipe went the cloth against the wall. No matter how the elf put his best foot forward his efforts were in vain.

Greer waltzed into the common room ready to study. She needed to catch up on her Herbology homework and that stupid woad that got her so hung up. She swung her book bag around to set on a table and her jaw dropped. The color .. what had happened to the color? Everything was just grey .... what in the world. Greer noticed a house elf cleaning .. but it to had lost it's color.

"Excuse me" Greer mentioned to the house elf. "What's going on? What's happen to you, to the common room." Greer was getting a little afriad now, what if she lost color to and became grey.

Schmoop let out a startled squeak before jumping around to face the studentsie. There was another squeak as he came face to face with her. “Oh Missus!’’ Schmoop began to explain. “Looksie at you. As graying as the poor common roomsie!” The distraught Schoomp wrung the cloth between his smol hands.

“Poor Schmoop doesn’t know what to do, Missus! No amount of cleaning is working.” Schmoop peered hopefully at the student. “Does Missus have any idea how to helpsie?”

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Greer screamed as she looked down herself. She was as grey as the common room! What was happening!!! Dear Merlin!!! "Whhaaat did you do to me!!!" She screeched at the house elf. Now that wasn't fair - Greer knew in her heart of hearts that the poor hous elf had nothing to do with this, he looked just as frighten as she did, but we was scared.

"I got nottttthing" Dear Merlin, what was she doing? Why did Greer sound so silly. Even her speech was odd, this couldn't be happening, she needed to get out of here. "We need to get help!"

Schmoop was utterly horrified that the studentsie could accuse him of such a thing. He hung his head miserably. “Schmoop did not do this, Missus! Oh no he dids not!” Schmoop continued to wring the cloth in his small hands. He was clearly more agitated now.

The little elfsie did look up his eyes wide and extra round. Missus was talking funny but he dared not point it out. What if she blamed him again? “Professor Carton woulds know what to do,’’ he squeaked. There was such big nods from Schmoop this his earsies flapped.