Ethel Hallow sat outside Miss Cackle's office. She knew what it was going to be about. There was no question about it. It had to be about what happened during Miss Hardbroom's potions class.
Mildred Hubble always got on Ethel's nerves. She was, without a doubt, the most annoying student at Cackle's Academy. And Mildred isn't even from a witching family! Ethel just couldn't stand her. It went too far earlier that day. Too far for Ethel, at least. While she was doing her best to create a flawless Tree Transformation potion (that actually took a lot of hard work), Mildred just kept fooling around with her friends and messing up whatever she was trying to brew. It looked nothing like a Tree Transformation potion. Mildred's potions never looked like what they were supposed to be.
Ethel could have just tried to keep concentrating on her own work, but she just couldn't. Mildred kept distracting her. And Ethel couldn't take it.
She knew that it was totally against the Witches Code. Rule one, paragraph three. Magic is never to be used for selfish or trivial purposes. And this had been very selfish.

The wait was very long. It would have been horrible waiting there to be punished anyway, but knowing that her parents were inside talking to the headmistress made Ethel feel nauseous. How long had she already been there? Even though it couldn't have been more than an hour it did seem a lot longer than that.
Ethel tried to think of things she was going to say to Miss Cackle. Obviously they weren't going to believe her if she tried to tell her that it was Mildred's fault. Miss Cackle had always given Mildred Hubble the benefit of the doubt and seemed to always stick up for her. It was unfair. Mildred didn't even belong at Cackle's Academy. She knew nothing about the craft or magic in general. Mildred had just been very lucky. But Ethel's success was all down to hard work and a lot of practice. Why did everyone always praise Mildred for every single thing she did, and why was Ethel always the one receiving detention?

The door suddenly opened and Ethel stood up. She tried to smile to Miss Cackle, but she was too nervous. So Ethel put her hand on her forehead and bowed.
"Well met, Miss Cackle," she said.
Ethel was shocked to notice that Miss Cackle looked quite upset. She wasn't smiling as she usually was and seemed really cold.
"Yes, well met, Ethel," Miss Cackle said. "Please come inside."
Ethel followed her headmistress inside the office. Her heart sank when she was her parents looking terribly disappointed. Ethel felt too bothered to greet them, but she did sit down next to her mother, who did not even look at her.
Miss Cackle sat down behind her desk and looked at Ethel with the same disappointed expression on her face as Ethel's parents. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.
"Ethel... You have been one of the best students Cackle's Academy has ever had," said Miss Cackle. "Your marks are excellent, you take your work and classes very seriously and you were more than prepared to take your Witches Higher Certificate exams."
Ethel tried to smile, but she was still too anxious to do so.
"But bullying is not, and will never be, tolerated at Cackle's Academy," Miss Cackle continued. "I have been very patient with you, Ethel. But you have given Mildred Hubble a hard time since she arrived at this school. Mildred has done all she can to fit in, even though she is from a non-magical background. I thought my pupils were tolerant and accepting. Discrimination is strictly against the Witches Code and Cackle's Academy's school rules. Do you understand that, Ethel?"
Ethel nodded.
"Yes Miss," she said. "I do understand and I am very sorry."
"You should be!" said Ethel's father. "This is not what a Hallow should act like. If only you could be more like your sister, things wouldn't be..."
Miss Cackle interrupted the man.
"Mr Hallow," she said. "I'm sure Ethel is very sorry. She is well aware of the Witches Code. Aren't you, Ethel?"

It went silent for a short moment. Ethel knew that her parents already knew what the punishment was going to be. They were avoiding eye contact with Ethel. Her parents always did that when they were hiding something from her. It could not be good. Ethel was in so much trouble.
"Since this has not been the first time this has occurred, and you've been given several warnings, your parents and I have decided that perhaps it's best for you to continue your studies at another school," Miss Cackle said. "Please know that this is no punishment. As I said, you are one of our best pupils and a very powerful witch. But your behaviour has been bothering the other students in your year, and as we're only a small private school, we are very concerened about this."
Ethel didn't understand. Was she being expelled? Sent away just like that? What did Miss Cackle even mean? It couldn't have been that bad, could it? Alright, she hadn't always been to nice to Mildred, but did that bother all the other students? It didn't... Did it?
"Miss, I don't understand," said Ethel. "Am I being expelled just because I don't get along with Mildred Hubble? I'm sorry Miss but... I just... I don't understand! You can't expel me just because of that!"
For the first time in a while, Miss Cackle smiled. But it did not make Ethel feel at ease.
"Ethel, you aren't being expelled," she said. "Miss Hardbroom and I have been talking about this for a while. You're a very intelligent girl. Your mind needs to be challenged and we're not sure Cackle's is the right place for you. We have looked at some other schools and currently Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Pentangle's Academy for Witches are accepting new student. And with marks like yours I don't think it would be too hard to obtain a scholarship."
"Not that we need that," Ethel's mother said. "We do have the funds to pay for all our daughter's education. In fact, we have been so generous to donate a couple of thousand galleons for this school building's maintenence."
"Yes, yes, Mrs Hallow, we are still very grateful," Miss Cackle said with a friendly smile. "I only meant that a talented young witch like Ethel is guaranteed of a spot at the school of her choice."

Ethel was so confused. Was she being sent away because of what happened with Mildred or were they just using this because they hadn't had the chance to bring it up yet. Apparently Miss Cackle had been talking about it to Miss Hardbroom before it had even happened. It did feel like she was being sent away. And it made her feel terrible. Ethel didn't want to leave Cackle's! The Hallows have attended Cackle's for generations! They couldn't just expel Ethel just like that! No matter what she had done to Mildred. She belonged at Cackle's Academy! Ethel belonged at Cackle's.