Dib stared at the group of green alien kids. Aliens. In Hogwarts. And Dumbledore was responsible for this. Apparently this has been going on for almost a decade, and not only was he and the other students banned from revealing the Irken race to the rest of humanity, they were expected to just accept it?

"Irken, Tak."

As soon as she sat down, the hat immediately shouted, "Slytherin!"... of course it did. Dib frowned. Why did they even bother giving Irkens a sorting ceremony? All Irkens were Slytherins. There has never been an exeption.

"Hello, Dib."

Dib groaned in annoyance. Great. He was here too. He met the crazy Irken at Diagon Ally, it was his first encounter with a real alien. Just imagine his horror when he found out that not only was Zim's identity known, he wasn't allowed to turn him into the government on pain of expellsion. It would have been pointless anyway. The magical community would have just wiped the memories of any government official that he alerted.

Dib turned to glare at him. "Zim. What are you doing here? Figured you would have been expelled already."

"Zim will not be ex-spe-elled! You will fall before me!"

"Pfft. As if. Your a trouble maker, and I won't rest until the entire staff knows it!"

"YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ZIM!"

A few of the students shushed him.

"ZIM WIll NOT BE SILENCED!"

Professor McGonagall loudly cleared her throat. "Irken, Zim."

"Ah, finally!" Zim immediately ran up to the stool and plopped down. As soon as the hat touched his head he jumped up, ready to join the Slytherin table... the hat remained silent. He looked somewhat confused, continuing stand. Dib smirked. Maybe Zim wouldn't get sorted at all. Maybe he just didn't belong here after all.

"Hm... interesting... very interesting...""What is interesting? Zim demands an answer!"

"You don't have to speak out loud, you know.""ZIM WILL DO AS HE PLEASES!"

McGonagall put her hand to her face.

A girl with red hair and short curly pigtails standing next to Dib smirked, speaking to him in a british accent. "This has gotten entertaining."

"Ah, just as I've seen, bold and daring, and quite reckless. You posses the drive, cunning and ambition just the same as the rest of your kind, but... there is something... more.""More? What do you mean by that?... TELL ME!"

Dumbledore watches with interest.

"Yes... you are different from the rest of your kind. I see now... you shall be-" "GRYFFINDOR!"

The great hall goes silent for a few moments, but for Zim it felt like an eternity. His eyes go wide with disappointment and disbelief. He felt his antenna fall. No, this couldn't be... he was an Irken... all Irken's were Slytherin, the house of cunning, of ambition, of greatness... him? A Gryffindor? It couldn't be!

Dib stared, mouth agap. This was some mistake. No way that annoying little alien was a Gryffindor. He was a Slytherin through and through just like the rest of his kind!

Eventually the Irkens started chattering amongst themselves, casting occasional glares at Zim. Zim growled.

"NO! ZIM IS NOT A STUPID GRYFFINDOR! ZIM IS A SLYTHERIN!" He looks at McGonagall. "Tell this stupid hat that it has made a mistake!"

Dib frowned. Was Zim... begging? No, that was stupid. Zim would never beg, especially not to a human, no matter what level of superiority they had over him.

McGonagall looked at him with a small amout of sympathy. "I am sorry, Zim, but the hat does not make mistakes."

"Then tell it to change it's mind! Zim cannot be a Gryffindor!"

"Zim, I must ask you to sit down at your designated table."

Zim makes a few odd noises before shoving the hat in her hands and sitting at the far end of the Gryffindor table. The Irkens continued to whisper among themselves, a few chuckles could be heard.

The red-head girl elbowed Dib hard, but non-hostily, grinning. "Well, he's a piece of work, isn't he? This has got to be one of the most entertaining sorting ceremonies this place ever had for that slimy green alien alone! And to think we get to spend every year with him..."

Dib grimiced, speaking sarcastically. "Yeah, fantastic."

Time passes as Dib waits for his turn. He still can't believe it. Zim. A Gryffindor... surely the hat made a mistake this time, right? There was nothing that he saw in Zim that could be anything but Slytherin... right?

"Membrane, Dib"

Dib walked up and sat on the stool. The hat hummed thoughtfully.

"Hmm... strong willed, fiercely determined... cunning and ambitious as well, with a brilliant mind to boot... but where to put you... not Hufflepuff, for sure..."Dib waits patiently, silently hoping to not be put in Slytherin with the other Irkens.

"Not Slytherin, eh? Well, you wouldn't be the first... are you sure?"'Yes."

"You love to solve mysteries of the unknown, the paranormal, find answers to questions yet to be asked. You are determined to achieve these goals, espeically your goals involving the Irken boy Zim..."

"Uh..."

"Very well, then... better be-"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Dib sighs in relief, actually glad that he was put in the house for those with quick wit, knowlege and curiosity. He hops down and joins the table. He casts one more look at Zim. He seemed to be sulking. Dib grinned. At least the bothersome Irken was miserable. As he observed the ceremony, he noticed that the girl who elbowed him, appearently named Winifred Portleyrind, was also sorted into Gryffindor as well. No suprise there.

Then what she told him finally dawned on him. "Oh, God... I'm gonna be stuck with Zim every year until I graduate."