Hey there, everybody! How's the quarantine treating you? Cause I'm officially about to go NUTS! The contagious rate in my town is PRETTY high because people don't seem to care about it and it seems the quarantine will last a bit more, plus there's a curfew at 6 pm. It's official, 2020 it's the WORST year ever.

Anyhow, here's the next chapter. We'll get to see a bit more of some students and we'll be introduced to some new characters.

Defective Magic of Spooky Doom

Chapter 12- Detentions and Dragons

Other than the little incident with the hyooman, nothing exciting happened for the rest of the week. The Headmasters announced they had taken care of the issue and classes continued as if nothing had happened. Sadly they couldn't stop the rumors from spreading out, and within hours everyone was talking about the hyooman and of Zim destroying the office.

Speaking of Zim, the 'act of vandalizing the Headmasters' office' and disobeying a direct order added yet another week of detention to his current sentence. This meant he'd have to scrub pots for far longer than his roommates. Additionally, he had to write 500 times 'I must not go into the Headmasters' office without permission' and 'I must not use destructive spells inside the school' into a long piece of parchment.

Zim, of course, didn't understand why he was being punished. He was the one who caught the hyooman! Shouldn't they be praising him for that? Then again, perhaps the Headmasters couldn't show any favoritism, and so they decided to tone down his punishment to show their appreciation. Yeah, that must be it! This thought cheered him up considerably to the point he happily scrubbed the pots in the kitchen.

As October arrived, the leaves of the Mauvir tree in the central courtyard changed into a deep shade of bluish purple. Unlike earthen trees and plantlife, Irken plants don't lose their leaves when the temperature drops. Instead, they change color and turn into dormant buds, which will bloom into flowers in spring. This specimen, in particular, is over fifty Irk years old (500 human years) and is one of Irkharth's trademark symbols and a reminder of the Irkens' homeworld.

One thing that Irkens curiously share with humans is of particular importance on October 31. Not 'Halloween,' but an Irken Holiday known as 'Probing Day*.' Back on Irk, the Tallest check on Invaders' progress and quality controls are strictly made on smeetieries, engineering facilities, and mostly all assets of the Irken Empire. Irkens living on Earth have it more comfortable, as it's a neutral planet, and the Empire's hold is far weaker. The Irken Ambassador and taller authorities make sure all registered Irkens living on Earth are being productive. Those who are not are taken back to Irk for an Existence Evaluation.

For the Irkens in the magical world, this is done by the High Council of Irken Magic, composed of three elderly, but powerful and tall Irkens, heads of the Irken Magical Congress (or IRKMAC, for short), in charge of maintaining order within the Irken magical community. Each species has its own Magical Congress, but for now, we'll go back to the IRKMAC.

On Probing Day, the High Council sends qualified examiners to Irkharth to see how well it's faring under its current Headmasters. Naturally, this put Red and Purple on edge. That week they were constantly peeking at classes to check on students' progress, told the SIRs to gather the best ingredients for dinner, and clean everything up to properly welcome the examiners. Even the teachers were stressed out about the visit; a wrong impression on the examiners could cost them their jobs. They were less tolerant of students' slacking off or causing trouble, and many were given extra homework or sent to detention for something as simple as yawning or throwing a paper ball.

Unfortunately, not everyone was taking it seriously.

"Sugar, spice, and everything nice!"

GIR added a few extra ingredients to Zim's cauldron: cheddar cheese and chili pepper, then stirred the resulting pink liquid into a giant, sticky bubble. Zim was coming back from getting mushrooms when he realized what his familiar was doing.

"GIR, stop!" He dropped his ingredients and rushed back to the table, but it was too late.

The bubble exploded, sending slimy pink liquid flying all over the counter. Being the closest to the source, Zim and GIR had turned into pink versions of their former selves. The latter didn't seem to mind and started licking the substance of his body.

Naturally, this incident drew the attention of none other than Professor Sizz-Lorr.

"Zim, keep wasting ingredients, and I'm sending you to get more graphorn horns!"

"You should stop adding the wrong things," Skoodge whispered hurriedly once Sizz-Lorr turned away.

"It wasn't me; it was GIR!" Zim glared irritatedly at his familiar.

"But that's how you get it to taste good!" That said, GIR licked the liquid off Zim's face, much to the latter's chagrin.

An amused chuckle drove Zim's gaze to the table to their left, where he found Stink with his roommates Grapa and Spleen. There was a cocky smirk on the first one's face as he glanced at Zim.

Stink Mag'ok is Irkharth's resident troublemaker. He never pays attention in class and is often behind pranks aimed at students and professors alike. Last week he pranked Headmaster Red by adding chili into his slushie. He was given a few weeks of detention, but in Stink's opinion, the look on the Headmaster's face was worth it.*

Zim wasn't going to stand by while he was being mocked. He had learned from the experience with Larb and his cronies.

"How dare you laugh at Zim?!"

"It's hard not to, considering you're always making a fool of yourself," Stink retorted. "You can't even keep up with the rest of us, so why bother? You can't even fly a broom without becoming a laughing stock."

"You're the one who can't keep up!" Zim snapped.

Stink merely put his feet on the table and leaned back.

"Wow, good one," he said sarcastically, turning his head away. "You yell like an annoying little human."

Zim could more-or-less tolerate most insults, but being compared to a puny, inferior hyooman was too much. In a sudden display of childish immaturity, Zim pushed Stink's chair, causing him to lose his balance and fell to the floor with a surprised yell. Once he recovered from the fall, Stink glared up at Zim.

"What is wrong with you?!"

"Zim just fixed your bad behavior, Stink-beast!"

Stink stood to his full height and straightened his lekku, the Irken threatening posture, meant to rub their height into their rival's faces.

"I don't want to hear about bad behavior from you!" He spat.

He was inches taller than Zim, so the posture would have worked wonders if it weren't for the fact that Zim didn't hold the same importance on height than Irkens usually have. Since he didn't grow up with his kind, he was never appropriately educated on it.

"You only hate me because I'm a better wizard!"

"You? HA! A blind hobo would be a better wizard than you!"

"Take that back!"

The argument escalated into a physical altercation as both Irkens grabbed the other by the shoulders and tried to shove each other to the ground, yelling and swearing as they exchanged hisses and screeches. Neither realized they had pushed a nearby table, causing a few berries to fall into one of the cauldrons.

Mixing random ingredients or adding a foreign substance to a formula has different consequences, depending on the items. In this case, mixing crimson wild berries with cat toenails and bleeding hearts caused a big smoke explosion inside the classroom. It knocked off the things on top of it as well as the students occupying it.

The condition called the attention of Sizz-Lorr and the rest of the classroom. Before the former could reverse the damage, Tak got ahead of him, shouting Immobulus and pointing her wand at the ceiling. All the flying debris and smoke instantly froze mid-air. Tak waved her wand, this time casting Reparo, and all the broken pieces flew back to the table and re-shaped into the cauldron, vials, and ingredients as if nothing had happened.

The other students, Larb in particular, praised and cheered for Tak but she ignored them and instead frowned at Zim and Stink sternly, crossing her arms.

"Can the two of you stop disrupting the class with your childish fight? There's people here who actually want to learn." she scolded like an older sister calling out on her younger siblings.

Zim and Stink didn't take it kindly. While they might not get along, the two Irkens had something in common: they disliked Tak. Before either could respond, though, heavy footsteps from behind made them freeze in place.

"You two!" Sizz-Lorr yelled, glaring down at both Zim and Stink, flattening his lekku against his small head. He seemed to be giving off a dark aura, making him look even scarier than usual. "Perhaps I wasn't clear enough the last time I warned you."

"He started it!" Zim and Stink shouted simultaneously, pointing at each other.

"I don't care who started it, the two of you are going to detention!"

"B-But Professor, there's a party tonight!" Zim protested.

"Well, you will NOT attend! The school is being evaluated, and the last thing we need is you two causing trouble!"

As Sizz-Lorr sent the two back to their seats, they glared at Tak as she spoke one more time.

"Perhaps the two of you can figure out who is more childish while carrying out detention."

The dining hall was thoroughly cleaned and decorated by the SIRs. The tables were cleared out except for a few accommodated in a line, displaying a buffet complete with plates and utensils. Meanwhile, the SIRs were adding some last touches in the entrance, ironing the velvet carpet, and accommodating the students on the sides in rows.

"Red, I'm nervous."

"You've told me that about ten times, Pur," Red retorted, though he was just as concerned as his vice-Headmaster. He continually glanced at the clock on the wall. 17:15. Damn it, five minutes until they arrive!

"What if they fail us?" Purple spoke in-between munching handfuls of fries. It was a habit of his when he was nervous, making it hard to understand anything he said. "I don't want to lose my job!"

"You think I do?"

"H-Headmasters!" Professor Lena hurried down the hall. "They are here!"

Red took a deep, gently pressing the top of his wand to his throat to raise the volume of his voice.

"All of you, remember to be on your best behavior tonight. Whoever ruins this inspection will earn a one-way ticket to detention for three months!"

"And you're not getting any doughnuts!" Purple added quickly.

The SIRs stationed near the doorway started playing their instruments just as the doors were pushed open.

The students went stiff and into formal positions: puffed out chests, hands behind their backs, lekku half-raised, and eyes closed. Ilk, who was amongst the front rows, couldn't help herself and opened an eye slightly.

Three tall Irkens, taller even than the Headmasters, strode down the carpet, each wearing mauve and pink robes. The two at the sides had matching eyes and flowing capes, but the third one's were closed, and he moved via wheelchair, which was pushed by a shorter Irken. Ilk calculated he was about her age, maybe older by a year or two.

"Oh, my, he's so tall and handsome!" she heard Poot squeal next to her.

"That must be Dren* Harken, grandson of Tallest Archmage James!"

"Welcome to Irkharth, councilors!" Headmaster Red greeted the newcomers. Ilk couldn't help but notice a small hint of apprehension in his voice. "It's so nice to see you!"

"Yeah, very nice!" Headmaster Purple added.

One of the Irkens, a female slightly older than the Headmasters, nodded her head.

"Reddok, Purpurous*. It's been a while. I haven't seen you since your ascension ceremony." she said.

"Indeed, miss Flik! Did you curl your lekku? It looks very nice!"

"All Irkenettes have curled lekku, Reddok," the other Tallest Mage, this one a male, said matter of factly. "I suppose you know why we are here."

The reception was surprisingly lively. Ilk joined her roommates at the buffet table and served herself a generous portion of goldcherry pie and marinated octorok. Every now and then she'd glance towards the table where the Headmasters sat with the examiners, noting that they seemed to be in the middle of a pleasant conversation.

Ilk twitched her lekku as she heard two familiar voices further down the buffet table. She saw Skoodge and Bob, along with their respective familiars, serving themselves some cupcakes. But there was no sign of Zim or GIR anywhere.

"Hey, guys, where's Zim?" she inquired.

"Detention," Bob said bluntly, chewing on some bacon. "Got into a fight with Stink during Potions. I'm surprised they made it out of the classroom in one piece."

"You gotta admit that Stink started it," Skoodge pointed out.

"Well, it's Stink we're talking about. He was baiting Zim and he fell for it. Then again, we're talking about Zim; he gets mad at flies just for landing on his head."

"You mean Zim is alone with Stink?" Ilk felt a shiver down her spine. "That ought to end badly."

Stupid Stink, it's all his fault! Curse you, Stink! Curse youuu!

Such thoughts constantly replayed in Zim's mind as he sat in the front desk, glaring sideways to where Stink sat with a similar expression. Both were the only ones who got grounded that day, so the classroom was mostly empty except for them and Professor Sizz-lorr. Meanwhile, everyone else was having fun and eating tasty food at the party.

Professor Sizz-Lorr didn't look happy to be missing the party either. He hadn't spoken to them yet; he had just come in, told them to be quiet for the next two hours, and sat at the teacher's desk to read the newspaper.

"Look, master, I made you a paper piggie!" GIR held up a crumpled piece of pink paper with two black dots in front of Zim's face, attempting to make him feel better.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks," the only reason Zim bothered to accept the paper was to keep GIR from wailing and prompting Sizz-Lorr to make their experience even more unpleasant.

"Aww, don't be sad! Look who's here to cheer you up!"

"GIR, lower your voice, would-?" Zim panicked as he saw the item his familiar held in his paws: Mr. Scales.

Looking around, he quickly pulled the stuffed dragon under the desk before anyone could see it. If Stink saw him with a doll, he'd probably spread the word out, and Zim would never hear the end of it.

Unfortunately for him, Stink did catch a glimpse of his stuffed dragon and was formulating a plan to get even. It's a good thing he had brought the bottle; he had been saving it for the trophy animals in the DADA classroom, but this was even better. Subtly, the troublemaker took out a small purple vial from his pocket and peered down under the table. His fox* familiar, Vern, lifted its head from its paws, recognizing the look on its master's face.

"Vern, I got a job for you."

Zim was so focused on keeping GIR silent and content, and cursing Stink, that he didn't notice the latter's familiar sneaking towards his desk and pouring a small drop of potion on Mr. Scales. The fox scurried away just as the stuffed dragon released a puff of smoke and acquired a pinkish hue. A few seconds later, its button eyes blinked, and it got to its feet, stretching out its tiny wings with a small, cute roar.

GIR looked under the table and waved a paw. "Hi, Mr. Scales!"

"GIR, knock it off!" Zim joined in to further scold his cat, but froze as he saw his stuffed dragon moving and… breathing? Is that even possible for a doll with no organs?

Awe and excitement overruled any caution Zim might have felt over Mr. Scales becoming alive out of nowhere. Crawling under the table, he stared down at his plush with a big grin. Mr. Scales looked up at him and tilted his head to the side.

"Hey, Mr. Scales! It is I, Zim!" No response. Zim spread out his arms. "Now, come to your master!" He expected the small dragon to jump into his embrace, but instead, it opened its mouth and dug tiny teeth (where did those come from?) into his left hand.

Sizz-lorr growled as he heard a yell from Zim, but as he lowered the newspaper to tell him to be quiet, he saw the small Irken rolling on the ground.

"Zim, what on Irk are you doing?!"

"MY ARM! AAAHH, MY BEAUTIFUL ARM!" Zim yelled, ignoring Professor Sizz-lorr completely. GIR yelled along, though in his case he was merely mimicking his master.

Sizz-lorr realized something was biting unto Zim's arm. Is that a dragon? How on Irk did Zim get a dragon without anyone noticing? If the examiners find out such a creature in the hands of a student, it will harm the Headmasters' examinations… Good!

Meanwhile, Stink was laughing his squeedly-spooch out alongside Vern to the point the prankster fell off his chair and rolled onto the floor, clutching his stomach.

Resuming what happened next: Sizz-Lorr tried to catch the stuffed dragon, but Zim managed to throw it off, inadvertently aiming right at the larger Irken's head. Mr. Scales bit into Sizz-Lorr's lekku. After finally getting it to let go, Sizz-Lorr threw it against the wall. Both he and Zim chased Mr. Scales around the classroom, yelling and calling after it, but the stuffed dragon was quicker, and his smaller size made it harder to catch it. Just as Sizz-Lorr nearly grabbed its tail, he inadvertently stepped unto Vern's tail, prompting the fox to bite unto his leg in retaliation. Zim, on the other hand, tripped with Stink and fell on top of him.

"Get off me, you idiot!"

"How dare you get in Zim's way?!"

"Me?! You're the one who just crushed my squeedly-spooch with your foot!"

"Mag'ok, get your familiar off me or I will crush more than your squeedly-spooch!"

None of them noticed Mr. Scaled slipping out of the classroom. Well, GIR did, but his only course of action was to wave a paw at it and go back to eating Sizz-Lorr's newspaper.

*What do you think? I managed to introduce the Probing Day into this fic. In the Magical World, this means that magical schools get inspected to see if the Headmasters and teachers are doing a good job.

*I made Invader Stink Irkharth's resident troublemaker student, even more than Zim. The main difference is that Stink actually acknowledges that what he does causes trouble and he enjoys. He's not going to be mean to Zim forever, though.

*Well, look who it is! It's dear ol' Dren from Shades of Purple!

*Those are the names I picked for the Tallest' in this AU. They are called this by most people who know them, only those close to them(apart from each other) may call them Red and Purple.

*The reason I made Stink's familiar a fox is to refer to his mischievous, but cunning and sharp mind, traits that are often attributed to foxes.

This whole part was, admittedly, heavily based on a Little Witch Academia episode, but it has some Harry Potter additions too.