Prologue
Harry and Hermione were doing some Charms homework together, Ron was eating chocolate frogs and Neville was in the hospital wing – all was normal in Gryffindor Tower. The Charms work Harry and Hermione were doing involved them putting two spells together to find a hidden object – or a lost object if that was the case. Hermione was about to go and ask Professor Flitwick about testing their project in the Charms classrooms when the portrait opened up and in came both the Weasley twins who, for once, wore serious expressions.
"Harry? Hermione?" said George. "Dumbledore wants to see you" he said.
"But not you Ron" added Fred. "He was quite insistent on that" and both twins looked puzzled. Harry and Hermione looked at each other before packing up their stuff and heading to Dumbledore's office.
"What does Dumbledore want with them and not me?" asked Ron.
"I don't know" said Fred.
"But trouble's coming" supplied George.
# # # # #
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" Hermione said in shock.
"But you can't!" said Harry.
"I am afraid I have done so" said Dumbledore. "The Board of Governors has decided you are both too dangerous to be at Hogwarts much longer. You must leave the castle by sunset, but you may keep your wands. And before you ask, I am in full agreement with the Board for the first time in years" and he looked at the dejected pair. "You should go now" and he motioned to the door. Harry and Hermione got up and with a glance between each other, took out their wands and before Dumbledore could react stuck him to the wall and removed his clothes. The pair went quickly to Gryffindor tower and to Harry's dorm.
"We're screwed" said Hermione. "Our educations… our futures…" she shook her head with tears running down her face.
"The first thing is to get our stuff together" Harry said. "No doubt Ron and Ginny are behind that door waiting for us" he added. "Once you've packed, we'll go out to the gates and get the Knight Bus to Grimmauld Place. Maybe we can get in to that school Fleur and Gabby are at" Harry shrugged. Hermione, face still tear stained, hugged Harry then cancelled the privacy charms on the door and rushed through Ron and Ginny to get to her dorm to pack. A few simple spells did the trick, and she levitated her trunk in front of her and walked out Gryffindor tower for what she thought would be the last ever time. Harry was waiting by the main entrance, and they walked down the path and outside the school – watched and followed by nearly half the school.
# # # # #
"I bet it was bloody Malfoy" Harry fumed as he drank some tea.
"Lucy does seem the right person to do that" Hermione said. Harry noted the fact she seemed to have loosened up quite a bit after they were both expelled from Hogwarts. "Now we just have to figure out were we go to finish our educations" his best friend said.
"Dumbledore must have put a lot of pressure on Madame Maxine for her to say no to us" Harry pointed out.
"There was one other place we could try" Hermione suddenly became very calm and thoughtful. "I read about it a couple of summers ago" she continued. "Its run as sort of a private Boarding School – gets better results then Hogwarts, but because of its status it doesn't get its awards mentioned. I know the year has already begun, but they might let us go in" and then she seemed to realise something.
"What is it?" asked Harry.
"A place called Cackles" said Hermione.
A/N:
A little bit short and in a rush, but that's how I had it planned out – sort of! The talking Dumbledore's office will be explained in the next chapter which might take some time.