Luz said with worry as she performed her light spell back stage, "I'm not ready for this Eda, maybe we should go back."

"Nah kid, you and Strix got this, just do what we practiced!"

"But what if I mess something up? Or what if I do something wrong? What if I die?"

Strix said, "Luzer, you're worrying too much."

"It could happen! And stop calling me Luzer!"

"Hey. Calm down, calm down," said Eda. "I had to do the same thing when I was a witchling. It's like a rite of passage. Granted, I was a little more skilled."

"EDA!" exclaimed Luz.

"Right, right. Sorry, sorry. Now, get pumped."

"Pumped!"

"Get ready."

"Ready!"

"Now, go!" Eda pushed Luz out to the center stage. Strix looked down at the uniform that was once his mother's. "Guess I won't be wearing these colors for long, will I?"

"Nope," said Eda. "Besides, it's starting to be a bit too small for you. My little owlet's growing up!"

Luz walked into the center stage wearing a long cloak and hood. "From the humblest of beginnings, a hero will rise. I have traveled from another realm and trained with a powerful witch to master dark and forbidden magic. I am..." She tore off the cloak and revealed herself. "Luz Noceda!" She tossed some confetti out of her pockets. "Confetti!"

The only person in the school auditorium, Principal Bump, raised an eyebrow. "Right...the human that wants to be a witch. Against my better judgement, I've allowed you to take this exam into Hexside. But can you even do magic with all your... human parts?"

"I sure can." Luz reached into her fanny pack and pulled out her glyph cards. "It's said that humans can't do magic, but I've discovered a lost technique that changes everything." Bump watched with intrigue. Luz cast the light spell, creating a ball of light then cast the ice spell, forming a column of ice that held the light ball.

Bump was impressed. "Hmm? Spells cast with paper? I've never heard of such a thing. But is it enough to pass the exam?"

"Uh..."

"Improvise," Eda silently called out from stage left.

"Um, I can do other things, what about... this?" Luz popped her inner eyelids out on top of her eyeballs and made weird noises before... "Ow! Eyelash! Eyelash!" She slipped on the ice pillar, which had melted into a puddle at this point, and tripped on her cloak, falling right off the stage and onto Principal Bump. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" She backed off and accidentally placed her hand on an ice spell glyph, creating an ice pillar that brought her to eye level with Bump. "I failed, didn't I?" she asked sheepishly.

"Believe it or not, I've seen worse." He handed the girl a pamphlet. "Welcome, Luz, to Hexside School of Magic and Demonics!"

Luz fell off the pillar and landed on her face. "Yay," she groaned.

"Alright," Bump said. "Next is...Strix Clawthorne."

A timid Strix walked to the center of the stage, his knees knocking together like a couple of castanets. "Uh...hi." Principal Bump watched with a deadpan expression. "Okay...spells. Right. So, I only know the two spells that Luz knows but I hope that I can add my own glamor to it." Bump remained deadpanned.

Strix placed a whole bunch of ice glyphs onto the stage floor and pressed them, forming an ice rink. Then he cast the light glyph and shined the light on him. "It's show time," he said, turning on a music player. He then began to do a weird dance and began to sing.

"Daaaaayyyyyy-o! Daaaaayyyyyy-o! Daylight come and me wanna go home," he sang. "Day, me say day, me say day, me say day-oooooo. Daylight come and me wanna go home." He cast another light spell and twisted it like a balloon animal and formed a banana. "A beautiful bunch of ripe banana! Daylight come and me wanna go home." He twisted it again, until it formed a spider that crawled around the ground. "Hide the deadly black tarantula! Daylight come and me wanna go home. Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch!" He cast three more light spells, forming stacks of bananas. "Daylight come and me wanna go home! Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch! Daylight come and me wanna go home!" When he was finished, he took a bow, panting heavily.

Bump's face remained neutral. "Tacky. Yet very impressive use of light and ice magic. Seen worse." He handed Strix a pamphlet. "Welcome, Strix Clawthorne, to Hexside School of Magic and Demonics!"

Strix held onto the pamphlet, frozen in shock. Eda ran up to her son and apprentice and hugged them both! "Oh, I'm so proud of you! And don't expect me to say that twice."

The day after tryouts, Strix and Luz were given their new uniforms and cowls. Unlike the other kids, theirs were blank white, an indication they had not joined a school track yet. After getting their backpacks, they hopped onto Eda's staff and Eda herself flew them to school.

Luz started to have butterflies in her stomach. "Mmm, we gotta go back. This was a mistake! I'm gonna mess things up again and everyone will see, and-"

"Speak for yourself," said Strix. "I feel like I'm gonna barf!"

"Right, you gotta calm down," said Eda. "What are you nervous about, Luz? You've been to school before."

"That's why I'm nervous! At my human school, I didn't make a good first impression. This is a chance to be seen as something other than a screw-up."

"Hey, don't worry about what those dorks think, if you want my advice, walk into class and punch the first kid you see. To establish dominance."

"Got it," said Strix.

"Aw, I won't be doing that, but thanks," said Luz.

Eda landed right at Hexside's gate and let the two kids off. "Last chance to back out, and earn a new Bad Girl Coven patch." She held up a patch that had a kid making a "No way!" gesture and the words "Quitter Badge". "Quitting: It's like trying, but easier."

"Nah, we'll just earn it when we quit showering. Bye!"

"Hold up!" Eda blocked them with her hand. "Just try not to be too much of a goody Luz shoes. You've got this. And Strix, don't get into too much trouble. I already gave this school heck. I don't want them to think the apple fell from the tree." She gave him a wink. He winked back.

"Thanks, Eda," said Luz. "In fact, I have written a heartfelt sonnet to commemorate this occasion." She held up two sock puppets made in her and Eda's images.

"Whoops! A gust of wind just got me. See you after school! Byeeee!" Eda was quick to leave.

Luz still smiled and acted out her sonnet. "'You're gonna do great, kid.' Thanks, Puppet Eda."

"Please put those away," said Strix. "I don't think you want that to be your first impression."

The front entrance to the school had a new feature to it: a banner that read, "Welcome to the new semester!" and nine flags with the colors and emblems of the nine covens along with images of witches beneath the emblems. Students were scattered about here and there, chatting with friends and making sure they had all their school supplies.

The first student Luz and Strix met was Amity. "Hey, Luz. Strix," she said. "Congrats on getting in. And not being in the baby class."

"Thanks, Amity! Up top!" Amity and her abomination high fived her before she left. "Blegh!" Luz wiped the gunk off her. "Wow, my first day at Hexside. A chance to discover my true magical potential. And maybe meet a hot yet vulnerable upperclassman."

"Dream on," King said as he popped out of Strix's backpack.

"King, why are you in my pack," Strix asked.

"You're a free ride to the best buffet in town!" The little demon hopped into a nearby rubbish bin and started scrounging for food. "The trash cans here are filled with half-eaten gold!"

"Okay, but if anyone asks, you don't know me," Luz said as she and Strix walked to the school.

"Have a wonderful school day, person-I-don't-know!"

It was then King realized a student overheard that. "I really needed to hear that," the boy said.

Luz and Strix met their two favorite people at the front stairs. "Luz, Strix," exclaimed Willow and Gus happily.

"Hello, fellow Hexoleos," said Luz.

"I thought it was Hexsidans," asked Strix.

"I changed my mind."

"Hello, classmates," said Willow.

"You did it, Luz!" Gus cast a spell, forming the words, "Better luck next time!" He chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry, I was covering all my bases."

"So, do you know who those witches are?" Willow pointed to the nine banners. "Those are the heads of the main nine covens. Each one excelled at a magic school like Glandus, St. Epiderm, and, of course, Hexside. Are you prepared to enter these hallowed halls?"

"Hmm, that's what I'm gonna figure out right now. See you on the other side, friends," Luz called out as she and Strix walked in.

"See you later, Luz." Gus cast another spell, this one spelling the phrase, "Goodbye forever!" Willow frowned at him. "You know what? I'm uh, I'ma just get rid of these."

In his office, Principal Bump watched the news on his crystal ball. " A terrible development at Glandus High School, students were found unconscious and without magic. The cause remains unknown."

Bump just laughed and said, "Ha! Take that, Glandus! Looks like this year's Grudgby match is going to be a forfeit."

At that moment, Luz and Strix entered. The former waved to him, "Hiya, Princy-B! Can I call you that?"

"Absolutely not. Now, today we will be visited by the Emperor's Coven for a routine inspection. If we want to impress them, you'll need to join a coven track before they arrive."

"Actually, Principal Bump, I've made my own schedule. First, vet care for mythical beasts, than healing and dealing, and then after lunch-"

"Studying multiple tracks at once?" Principal Bump asked with a laugh. "No one does that."

"Then Strix and I will be the first."

"Wouldn't that make me second?" Strix asked.

"No you won't," said Bump seriously. "According to the rules, a good witch needs to hocus-focus. You can only pick one of the nine tracks. And you do not want to embarrass me in front of the inspector."

"But all the tracks are so cool! Is there some sort of enchanted article of clothing that can sort this out for me?"

"Well there used to be, but..."

Bump flashbacked to when they still had the Choosy Hat, the hat that sorted every student into their track. That was until the incident. Bump placed the hat on a student's head and the hat spoke. But rather than select a track, the hat said, "And now...I FEED!" The hat swallowed the kid's head like a Venus flytrap.

Bump shuddered at the memory. The kid survived and only with a partially digested head. Since then, they kept the Choosy Hat under lock and key. Luz was not satisfied. "I don't know if I can choose just one."

"Then I'll choose one for you. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe! Ah, yes! The Potions Track, you humans are filled with liquids, right?" Bump cast a spell and Luz's clothes changed color. The uniform turned yellow and the cowl turned black.

"Oh, I guess I have always liked pouring things into other things," Luz said, inspecting herself.

"And what about you?" Bump asked Strix.

"I suppose I could also be in the Potions Track. I do want to follow in my mother's footsteps."

Bump narrowed his eyes at him. "Let's not do that especially on today. Besides, I'm afraid you won't be in the Potions Track."

"WHAT?!"

"Sorry, but the teacher hasn't exactly forgiven you for the whole, 'cheek switch' incident. If you wish to follow in someone's footsteps, might I suggest..."

In a flash of light, Strix found himself wearing the Illusion Track uniform. He groaned at it in disappointment. "The Illusion track?"

"I expect you both to be on your best behavior. Based on the costly repairs from recent incidents, we could really use a donation from the Emperor's Coven. Now, off to class." He cast a teleportation spell and sent Luz and Strix to their respective classes. Suddenly, he heard a scream outside. "The Choosy Hat! It's free!"

Luz fell from the ceiling and landed on a desk in the Potions class. The teacher, a bird woman wearing a yellow robe, said, "Welcome to a new semester! Let's get stirring! Today we'll make... fog brews. Begin!"

The kids took out their text books, a cauldron and instruction books. Luz looked at her supplies with some uncertainty. "See, potions are fun," she said to herself. "You could spend the rest of your life studying this, right?" She heard an explosion outside and looked out the window to see Willow and an Oracle Track coven kid having a play duel. "The Oracle Track! The Plant Track! Wow!" Luz was snapped out of her fantasy when the teacher cleared her throat. "Sorry!" She went back to stirring her potion.

Class ended and Luz couldn't be happier. Her hand was callused and her left arm was sore from stirring. "Ooh boy, stirring is in the pits. Let's see what else is in the schedule for today." Turns out she was right about studying potions for the rest of her life when she read the script. "Ah, man. I'm sorry, elbow."

"Hey, Luz," Strix said. "How's Potions?"

"Fine. Fine. How's the Illusions?"

"Boring. All I learned was how to make a clone illusion spell. And just look at this schedule!" He showed her his schedule. Turns out he was stuck with Illusions for the rest of his life AND death! He groaned in frustration. "I do not want to be like Aunt Lilly!" Then he eyed an Oracle Track kid put her crystal ball in her locker, but forget to close it. A mischievous smirk crept on his face. "Hey, Luz. Bump didn't say we had to study the other tracks outside of class."

Luz thought it over, then she walked over to the kid's locker and took the crystal ball. "Maybe it can show me if I'm on the right track. No, don't be tempted! It's your first day. Make a good impression."

"Come on! I know you're bored of this as much as I am! Wouldn't it be nice to see what it's like to be an Oracle Track kid?"

Luz made a mischievous grin of her own and touched the ball. Suddenly, a spectral image appeared and said in an eerie voice, "You will be in trouble very soon."

"That sounded ominous," said Strix.

"Like mother, like son." The kids turned to see a cross Principal Bump. He grabbed the two kids and dragged them down the hall.

"But we weren't studying other subjects," Luz insisted. "I uh... fog brew!" She took out a bottle and smashed it on the ground. Only a pathetic yellow cloud burst out. "Yeah. I figured that wouldn't work." Suddenly, King popped his head out from a garbage bin. "King! Vouch for our characters!"

"Uh, right! I don't know you!"

Strix's eye twitched. "Traitor!"

Bump shoved Luz and Strix into a room that was grey and lacking any decorations. There were three students, all wearing black uniforms. There was a boy with brown hair, a humanoid dog and a girl with her brown hair tied in a pony tail with a spiked scrunchie. The teacher was a man with grey skin and six eyes. "What is this place?" Luz asked, afraid.

"This is the place where all the troublemakers go. The Detention Track." With a snap of his fingers, Bump turned Strix and Luz's uniforms black.

"DETENTION?!" exclaimed Strix. "Wait, how is that possible? I thought the detention room was..."

"Yes. Actual detention still needs... repairs. In the meantime, I am keeping all troublemakers far away from the eyes of the inspector. You may try for a new track next year."

"But I'll be back in the human world by then," said Luz, saddened.

"Maybe you'll do better in human school," Bump said coldly as he closed the door.

"Ouch," Strix said.

Luz and Strix took their seats next to the three other kids and Luz said, trying to cheer herself up, "Hello, fellow detentioners, room for two more?" No one responded. "I like the little spikes in your hair."

"Hey! You all better be quiet, unless you want to scrub the classroom again."

Strix glared at the teacher. "Why should they be punished for something Luz and I did?"

"Oh hurray. A hero." The teacher handed Strix a mop and bucket. Strix stuck his tongue at him. He just huffed and said, "Like mother, like son."

Back in the hallway, King was still scrounging the garbage bins for food. "Time to scrounge through the trash-"

Suddenly, a teacher burst out of the teacher's lounge, looking quite angry. "That's it! I'm sick of someone eating all the donuts in the teacher's lounge. I quit!" He tossed his tie into the trash can and it landed on King's head. King struggled to get it off his head, only to accidentally roll the can into a classroom. He got out and realized there were kids staring at him.

"Are you our substitute?" one of them asked.

"Substitute? I ain't no desk jockey."

" Look at his professional looking tie! He must be!"

King jumped up and snapped at the kid who said that, "Can it, Fangs! You don't know diddly dang about squiddly squat!"

"Uh, yes, sir! Sorry, sir!"

King had a look of intrigue as he realized how quick the kids were willing to obey him. "Obedience? Well what is a teacher if not an authority figure? A king of children, if you will." He walked up to the blackboard and wrote his name on it. "Yes! I am your teacher! You may call me Mr. King!" There was a moment's silence. Then he clapped his hands and the kids applauded.

Back in detention, Strix and Luz were polishing the windows. By that time, the teacher had fallen asleep. As Luz did her duty, she sadly watched a kindergarten class outside. "All right, kids. Who wants to go on a field trip to the astral planes?" the kindergarten teacher asked her students, who all cheered.

"I do," Luz said quietly.

"Luz! Strix!" Willow and Gus ran up to the window.

"Oh, my gosh! I missed you so much. Let me squeeze your faces." Luz reached out and squeezed Willow's face.

"What's going on?" Gus asked. "We didn't see you in any classes."

"Bumpy put me and Luz here for mixing magic," Strix grumbled.

"And whose idea was that?" Luz asked accusingly.

"The Detention Track?!" exclaimed Willow. "You can't do anything in there."

"You'll learn less than you did before," said Gus.

"No, I'm better than this," Luz whined. "Please, you gotta help us break out."

"Yeah, don't worry. We'll get you out, dead or alive!" Willow gave Gus a look. "Okay. Alive."

Luz sighed in relief. "Aw, you guys." She heard a noise behind her. "It's the teacher, gotta go!" She and Strix turned to see the girl with the spiked scrunchie behind them. "It's you!"

"Shh," the girl hushed. She led Luz and Strix to the blackboard, drew a door with a piece of chalk, then turned the chalk into it like it was a key. The drawing turned into a real door that swung open. In it was a hall and at the end of it was a door with the words, "Keep Out!" sloppily written on it.

"Whoa," Luz said. She and Strix followed the girl inside.

"This is the last room you'll ever see alive. Ah, just messing with ya. I'm Viney."

"I'm Strix."

"I'm terrified. Um, I mean... I'm Luz."

Viney smiled at Strix. "Thanks for standing up for us back there. Not many people would do that. Follow me! I wanna show you something. You're one of us troublemakers now, so you'll get special access to..." She opened the door and revealed a room filled with doors. "...the Secret Room of Shortcuts!" The other two kids in detention were here as well.

"Whoa," Luz and Strix awed.

"Hey Jerbo! Barcus! You can stop hiding now!"

The boy and the humanoid dog popped out of their hiding spots and the former asked, "How do we know she's cool, man? What do you think?" The dog sniffed Luz barked. "Barcus says your aura is strong and silly, like a baby's laughter." Barcus sniffed Strix and barked. "He says your aura is strong and full of mischief. And very you're still friendly. Welcome!"

Luz squealed with excitement. " love secret rooms! Where do the doors go?" She opened the closest door she could find and found herself in the locker room. She saw Amity talking to herself.

"So, you three go to the same school now, that doesn't change anything," she said. Luz quickly retreated back into the Room of Shortcuts and closed the door before she could see her.

"This place connects the different parts of the school," explained Viney. "We found it after being thrown in the Detention Track. The witch who made it is known as Lord Calamity." There was a framed painting hanging on a graffiti-covered wall that sadly was marked by tags so you couldn't make out any facial features.

"They started this trouble maker wall and we added our names in their honor," Jerbo said, bowing before the painting.

Strix took one look at the painting and made a knowing smirk. He had a hunch who Lord Calamity was.

"This place is amazing," said Luz. "I bet you guys can get into so much trouble in here."

"Sure, we can," said Viney. "But we can also do so much more."

Barcus opened a door and revealed the Oracle Track class. "Remember," the teacher said. "Seeing the end of a life is the beginning of reading a fortune. We have to work backwards from it to see the truth." She folded some paper into a cootie catcher. Barcus followed her example.

"We aren't allowed to study any kind of magic," explained Viney. "So we study every kind of magic in secret."

"You actually like school?" asked Strix.

"Yeah, we might have liked it too much."

"I tried mixing plant magic with abominations," said Jerbo. "Created an abomination from soil with a little flower on it. Bump was not thrilled. Barcus makes potions with oracle magic. However, when the potions teacher saw her own death in the cauldron, she was terrified. Bump didn't approve to say the least."

"And what about you?" Strix asked Viney.

"Mixing healing and beast keeping was highly unconventional, but Puddles was a great assistant, dang it! He can't help it if he's a griffon! We all want to be in more than one coven track! But Bump just says we need to focus."

"Sounds like Bump's priorities are out of whack," said Luz.

"They're not out of whack," said Strix. "Bump's just following the traditions and rules set in place by the Emperor's Coven and the Emperor himself. And whatever the Emperor says goes."

"Well, maybe some traditions and rules have to be changed."

"Forget changed. How about you bend and break them instead?"

Viney chuckled. "I'm glad you two are one of us. You made a good first impression. Would you like to add your names to the troublemaker wall?"

Strix took a pen from her, but he looked at the painting with uncertainty. "I don't know. I mean, compared to what Lord Calamity did, could I ever live up to her reputation?"

Viney raised her eyebrows. "Did you say 'her'?"

Suddenly, Willow's voice rang out, "Luz? We're here to get you and Strix out of that horrible class."

All the detention kids glared at Luz and Strix. Luz chuckled sheepishly. "Eh, they're probably looking for some other Luz."

Not believing her, Viney walked to the door to detention and opened it to find the teacher still asleep and Willow and Gus looking around. Gus said, "Maybe they already booked did say she was better than this place."

Viney made a look of betrayal as she turned to face Luz and Strix. "Oh. You think you're better than us?"

"Wait! I never said that," Strix said frantically.

Luz tried to explain, but the damage was done. "No I didn't, I just didn't think I deserved- I mean, none of us deserve-"

Jerbo pointed an accusing finger at her. "Jacques! I should've known you'd look down on us. Everyone else does." Barcus sneezed. "Barcus says you have an aura of lies!"

Viney sighed sadly. "It's fine, I just...I thought someone finally understood us. But, maybe you should just leave. Both of you."

"Viney..."

"Just go, Strix. Just go be in a real track and don't think about us delinquents."

That hurt Strix even more. Without saying a word, he turned to leave with Luz.

In detention, Gus snapped his fingers in front of the six-eyed teacher. He kept on snoring. "Man, this guy can sleep through anything. I'm gonna test that theory." He grabbed a mop but Willow stopped him.

"No. We have to find Luz. If only these walls could talk."

The chalkboard door opened and a very depressed Luz and Strix walked out. "Hey, guys," she said.

"Thank you walls! We found a way to get you out to talk to Principal Bump."

"We have an expert disguise!" He held up two garbage bins. "Hop in! It's got holes for your gangly teenage legs."

"That's actually very fitting," Strix said glumly as he and Luz put the cans on.

"And this way the inspector won't see you either." The kids left detention, but Gus returned and slapped the mop on the six-eyed teacher, who did not even flinch and kept on sleeping. "Incredible."

Outside the school, a woman with glasses and wearing a grey uniform and an Emperor's Coven badge appeared outside the school's grounds. She walked up to the front doors where Principal Bump greeted her. "Welcome to Hexside, inspector."

"Greetings, Principal Bump. If everything's in order, the Emperor's Coven will be happy to cover your repairs."

"Excellent. Please come this way. We've prepared a show with some of our finest students."

Bump led the inspector to the auditorium where Amity performed a special dance with her abomination. The two concluded the performance with a bow. "And that concludes the presentation from the abomination track."

Principal Bump clapped his hands and asked the inspector, "That was some real Hexside magic, huh?"

"Yes, this is... good! But let's see if your student can put up more of a fight!"

"Yes, yes- wait what?"

The inspector tossed her clipboard, walked onto the stage and, to everyone's horror, transformed into a giant snake-like creature. "Is...uh...this part of the inspection?" Bump asked.

"Abomination, fight!" Amity commanded. The abomination grabbed onto the snake's face only for her to fling it into the air and swallow it whole. " The magic at Glandus High was tasty. But I hope yours will be more filling," the snake hissed.

"Amity, stay back," Bump shouted, blocking the creature's way. "She's an imposter!" He cast a spell circle, but before the spell could activate, the snake swallowed it. Suddenly, Bump felt weak and he fell to his knees. Amity tried to cast another spell, but the snake swallowed it too and Amity, suddenly drained of all her strength, collapsed to the ground.

Meanwhile, King was teaching his class, completely unaware of the danger going on outside. "Assume a coefficient of ten, carry the two, solve for Y, and that is the way to steal a pie from a windowsill! Also you can eat trash."

"Finally, some skills we can really use," a student said.

"And now, for my next lesson-" Suddenly, he heard a loud growl outside. "Seriously? It's not even fifth period yet." He entered the auditorium. "Excuse me! Could you keep it down? Mr. King's trying to mold young minds here!" He stopped his rant when he saw Principal Bump being drained by the giant snake.

"Only 300 years until retirement," he groaned.

King slowly backed away. "I can see that I'm interrupting, so I'm just gonna..." He took off running.

Meanwhile, Luz, Strix, Willow and Gus walked to the principal's office. The former two were still disappointed in themselves. So much for a good first impression. " Don't worry, guys," said Willow. "Once we talk to Bump, we'll get everything sorted out."

"I know, but what's the point if people get hurt on the way?"

"That is a fair question," said Gus. "Here's another question. What the heck is that?!"

Gus pointed down the hall, where the snake was draining students and teachers of their magic. The snake made a very hungry grin at Luz and her friends. "More cute morsels!"

"We may be cute," Willow said, casting a plant spell that summoned a Venus fly trap. "But we're not morsels!"

"Time for a power up!" Gus cast a spell that gave the plant some muscles. The plant lunged at the snake who swallowed it whole. In an instant, Willow and Gus was sapped of all strength and collapsed. "I feel so...weak."

"HEY!" Strix called out. He peeled off his face, revealing a green, skull-like visage underneath. "Ya hungry? EAT THIS!" He pulled a pie out of his pocket and flung it at the creature's mouth. The snake let out a belch and groaned in pain.

"Aw, what's wrong, indigestion?" Luz asked as she pulled out her spell glyphs. "I've got the cure!" She tossed them into the creature's mouth. The creature let out a roar of pain as ice filled its mouth.

"IT BURNS! IT BURNS!"

"Let's go!" Strix grabbed his friends and they ran into the Room of Shortcuts.

"Guys! I need your help," Luz exclaimed.

"Wait. Hold it." Strix tugged on his face and snapped it back, returning his features to normal. "Don't want people to see I'm wearing the Mask."

The detention trio glared at Strix and Luz. "Oh. You're back," said Viney.

"Look, we know we hurt your feelings, but we could really use your help right now!" Strix gestured to Willow and Gus, who were on the floor.

"What happened to them?" Viney gasped.

"Something horrible is loose in the school," Luz said, opening a door to reveal the snake monster feasting on more people's magic.

Viney gasped and slammed the door shut. "Don't let it see us! I think that's a Greater basilisk. I heard about them in a class. My cousin at St. Epiderm said she saw one, but those things should be extinct."

Strix said, "Wait. Bump's crystal ball said that Glandis and Epiderm's students and staff were attacked and drained of magic!"

"It must've attacked the other schools, and now it's come for us," Luz realized. "We have to do something."

"But if Bump catches us mixing magic again-"

"He'd kick us out of the school," Viney finished for Jerbo.

"WHO CARES?!" shouted Strix. "People are having their magic and possibly their lives drained out there! You're seriously going to let the rules stop you?

"He's right," said Luz. "Hexoleos are out there getting hurt, and we're the only ones who can save them. We're troublemakers, right? So let's go out there and make some trouble."

"I still like Hexsidians better," said Strix.

"Not the time!"

Down in the hallway, the basilisk was still devouring every magic she could find. "Hungry! Still hungry!" Suddenly, an ice glyph landed before her and when she slithered onto it, an ice pillar launched her up into the air. Luz appeared and stepped toward her. "From humblest of beginnings, a hero will rise. I've trained with the Secret Society, to discover the power of mixing magic, I am-"

"DINNER!"

Luz ran as the basilisk lunged for her only to slam into the ice pillar. The basilisk chased after her. "Viney! Do the thing! Do the thing!"

A griffon flew at the basilisk and pinned it down to the floor with its talons.

"Attagirl, Puddles!" Viney said. "Jerbo, now!"

"On it!"

Jerbo's abomination opened the shortcut door underneath the basilisk and Jerbo used his plant magic to pull the basilisk in through the door and into another open door that led to the auditorium.

Bump weakly got to his feet. "Must...find...help..."

Suddenly, the basilisk fell through the ceiling and landed onto a bed of spikes conveniently placed onto the stage. Luz jumped down and bounced off the basilisk's belly and landed on the ground with the grace of a gymnast. Stryx laughed and high fived Barcus. "I'm so glad Luz agreed to use the spike bed. It's your turn now," he said to the dog.

Barcus nodded and walked over to the basilisk and poured a purple potion on her hand. His eyes glowed as he muttered something in dog language. "What's he doing? What'd he say?"

"He's reading your palm," said Luz. "And your future looks bleak."

"Actually," Strix said with a chuckle as he pulled an ice glyph spell out of his pocket and put it in the basilisk's mouth. "You don't have one," he growled as he activated it. Her head exploded and her body disintegrated, releasing all the magic that had been drained and restored everyone, even at the other schools.

Luz let out a cheer and pulled her friends into a group hug. "You did it! You were amazing! You guys-"

"Are in so much trouble," said Principal Bump. "Leaving your homeroom, mixing magic and- is that a secret hideout?" He pointed to the door in the ceiling that led to the Hall of Shortcuts.

"Yeah it is, but let's think about this, Principal Bump," said Strix with defiance. "Why would kids in the detention track need a secret hideout?"

"I don't care to know the ins and outs of rascality. But if the Emperor's Coven can send an actual inspector this time-"

"Okay, you need coven money, but if you have to hurt your students to get it, what's the point," asked Luz. "They saved Hexside, they should be allowed to study what they wish."

"But...but..."

"Do the right thing, you dingus," Gus called out.

Bump sighed and acquiesced. "Alright, I'm smart enough to know when I've made a mistake. Which tracks would you like to be in?"

"Healing and Beast Keeping!" Viney's uniform changed colors. Half of it was blue for Healing and the other half was orange for Beast Keeping.

"Plants and Abomination!" Jerbo's uniform changed to green for Plants and pink for Abomination.

Barcus just barked. His uniform changed to purple for Oracle and yellow for Potions.

"Then so be it," said Bump. "But if any of you cause more property damage, I'm feeding you to the Choosy Hat. And you two?" he asked Luz and Strix.

"Hey, whatever she's taking, I'm taking," said Strix.

"Oh, I still can't choose. Maybe it's crazy but I wish I can study a little bit of everything." Suddenly, both Luz and Strix's uniforms began to glow. "Whoa! What's going on? What is this?" In a flash of light, both Luz and Strix's uniforms changed. Their uniforms had all the colors of the nine covens. Luz looked so happy as she checked herself out. "Whoa-ho! This is so cool." She raised her fist up into the air and cheered, "Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna study everything!"

Strix looked down at his new uniform. "Well, it's certainly a lot more comfy than Mom's old uniform."

Bump smiled as he summoned the painting from the Hall of Shortcuts. "You know, only one other student wanted to study every track. Unfortunately, she was never given the opportunity." He snapped his fingers to clean all the graffiti off it, revealing a smirking young witch with wild red hair and wearing the yellow Potions Track uniform.

Luz immediately recognized Eda's face. Then she chuckled. "I shoulda guessed."

Strix put an arm around her as he said with a smile, "I knew it. Guess I have a lot to do if I ever want to live up to Mom's name."

"Wait," Jerbo said with shock. "Lord Calamity is your mother?!" He and the other detention kids bowed before him. "We are not worthy," they chanted. "We are slugs! All hail the new Lord Calamity!"

"Oh, dear," Bump said with concern.

Strix smiled. "Well, until I can live up to that reputation, call me Strix Aluco Clawthorne." He glanced at his mother's painting. "Just you wait, Mom. The Bad Girl Coven is going to be official."

After things went back to normal, Bump wrote his report as he walked toward his office. "The Emperor's Coven denies knowing about the basilisk, but that won't stop me from writing a very stern letter."

He stopped when he heard King say, "All right. Read chapters three to five on the right way to scratch yourself in public. Spoiler alert: There's no wrong way! Days like these make being a teacher all worth it."

Bump frowned at him. "You're not a teacher."

"Maybe not, but I care about these kids, and nothing can change that," King said, accidentally splashing coffee in the principal's face. Bump chased the little demon out the school with a broom.