Exactly what Hermione was going to tell Harry, though, turned out to be very important. The last day before lessons started again, Professor McGonagall appeared in the Gryffindor common room, an important event in itself, as Professor McGonagall only ventured into the common room to announce something very serious.

"Miss Granger, may I see you momentarily in my office?" she said, a very grave look on her face.

"Yes professor," said Hermione obediently. She didn't seem at all surprised that Professor McGonagall was in the common room, nor that she was summoned to her office. Hermione returned about half an hour later, looking very perturbed about something.

"What's up?" Harry asked, upon her return. "What did Mcgonagall want?"

"Later," said Hermione. "I'll tell you later."

When lessons started the next day, it became clear that Viktor Krum was visibly upset at Hermione. Hermione didn't seem to care, though- The Gryffindors had basically forgotten their momentary vendetta against Hermione Granger, so everyone was behaving perfectly civilly towards her again. They had completed their water creatures segment in Care of magical Creatures, and now Hagrid was teaching them about flying creatures. He had brought cage of whizzbees, wasp like things the size of sparrows that buzzed circles around the class. All the class basically had to do was feed them with slabs of honeycomb, but as they were such tricky little creatures it proved to be quite difficult. When Lavender, in frustration, took a swipe at one, it stung her, causing her to levitate several feet off the ground until Hagrid rescued her and brought her down to earth.

Viktor Krum handed Hermione a slab of honeycomb without speaking to her or looking at her, even though she gave him a smile and said hello.

"I think he's ignoring you," Harry said to Hermione as she broke her honeycomb into pieces.

"You think?" she said. "It's obvious. But I suppose it doesn't matter any more, really."

"Why? Gone off him, have you?" Harry said, trying to entice a Whizzbee out of a tree with a piece of honeycomb.

"I'll tell you later," Hermione muttered.

"You keep saying that," Harry said, frowning at her. "Why don't you just tell me, Hermione?"

Hermione looked away. "Well…my parents…they've got the idea that I've been a bit unhappy," she started.

"Which stands to reason," Harry said. 'You have been unhappy."

"Yes, but…I mean, no, I haven't!"

Harry smiled. "Okay then, go on."

"It's my parents…" she said. "You know they're dentists, well…dad's gone an bought a practice from some French dentist and he wants to set up there. So…he and mum are both going."

"Your parents are moving to France?" Harry said. Hermione shook her bushy head.

"Not just mum and dad…" she said quietly. "Not just them. They…they want me to move to France too."

"Oh, really?' said Harry. "But…why is that such a big problem- I mean, you can still board at Hogwarts, can't you?"

"But they don't want me to go to Hogwarts any more," Hermione burst out. "Oh Harry…they…they want me to…to go to Beauxbatons Academy!"

*

"I can't believe it," Harry muttered under his breath for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Would you stop?" Hermione said. "What is so unbelievable about it?"

Harry remained silent. Ron, standing on Harry's other side, gave them both a look of mild curiosity. It was the next day, in Potions class, and they had all separated into threes to make a mild truth serum. Somehow Harry, Ron and Hermione had ended up together. As Ron and Hermione weren't speaking and Ron hadn't spoken much to harry himself since the incident at Hogsmeade station (still unexplainable), it was quite awkward.

Snape was swishing around the dungeon classroom, berating the Gryffindors and praising the Slytherins, as usual.

However there was nothing usual about Hermione's announcement. Harry and Hermione had talked long into the night about it. Apparently the decision was quite final- the Grangers had sent an owl to both Professor Dumbledore and Madame Maxime, explaining the reasons for Hermione's transfer and making sure it would be possible. It was most unorthodox for a witch in training to transfer from one school to another during her magical education, and Madame Maxime had qualms about it.

But nothing, it seemed, would change Hermione's parents' minds. Hermione had explained that she had tried to persuade her parents to let her continue boarding at Hogwarts, but they didn't like the idea of Hermione attending a school so far away in England. "Besides," Hermione had reasoned the night before, "It does make sense. Dad's always wanted his own practice, and we can all speak the language, and Beauxbatons puts a lot more emphasis on the subjects I want to focus on. Like…Arithmancy."

Hence, Harry was feeling a bit put out. Hermione actually seemed to want to go, and she knew full well that he didn't want her to.

"Maybe Ron's right," Harry thought gloomily, as he measured out the correct amount of powdered unicorn's horn. "Maybe her loyalties don't lie with us any more…."

"Pass me the scales," Ron murmured to Hermione. He looked at her quizzically as their hands touched, but Hermione kept her gaze fixed on the recipe.

"You're going to have to let everyone know," Harry mumbled to her. "Sooner or later, you know."

"I know," said Hermione, frowning even more deeply. They worked in silence for a few more moments then Harry continued. "Have you told Viktor yet?"

"No," said Hermione. "Now shut up about it won't you?"

"No," said Harry fiercely. 'It's just not fair, Hermione. It's as thought you don't even want to stay!"

"Would you leave me alone!" Hermione hissed angrily. "It's not my fault, all right? Not my fault..."

Harry sighed. "Look, just let me send one letter to your parents with Hedwig. One! I won't be nasty or anything," he whispered pleadingly. "I'll just try and persuade them to let you stay, and…"

"For the last time, Harry, NO." Hermione hissed back. Harry decided to leave it for a bit. Hermione had a temper just as nasty as Ron's, if you annoyed her enough. Ron opened his mouth, as though he wanted to ask what they were talking about, but then he seemed to recover himself and looked sulkily away.

'Weasley," Snape barked suddenly. "Pay attention to what you are doing! That is far too much essence of badger bile you've just put into the potion!"

Ron grimaced. "Ever so sorry, my dear Professor. And I care so much about this stupid potion too." he muttered sarcastically, so that only Harry and Hermione could hear. Harry grinned. It was the first time Ron had made anything close to a joke for what seemed like an age, when it had in fact been less than a week.

As it turned out, Ron HAD put too much badger bile in the potion. Within a few moments, the potion began to boil over, sending blue sparks flying into the ceiling. Hermione's nerves, already stretched to breaking point, (mainly because of Harry pestering her) seemed to snap.

"Oh, Ron, you great idiot!" she cried, as the bright blue truth serum spilled over the pot and onto the floor, splashing their shoes. "He told you it was too much badger bile!"

"Well excuse me, Miss Perfect Granger," said Ron furiously, grabbing a bottle of All Purpose magical mess remover from the shelf above their work station and pouring liberal amounts of it on the stained bench top. "A thousand pardons for ruining your precious potion!"

"Idiot boy," Snape hissed triumphantly, swooping down on them. "You should pay attention to what you are doing!" he was about to take points off Gryffindor but Hermione interrupted him, apparently too annoyed at Ron to hear what Snape was saying.

"Well, you should be more careful! Don't you even care about your Potions mark?"

"Quite frankly, I don't!" Ron snapped.

Snape's eyes flashed. "When you two have quite-"

"Well that's just like you, isn't it?' Hermione said angrily. "You don't really care about anything, do you? Except yourself, of course!"

"I could say pretty much the same thing about you!" said Ron, scrubbing furiously at the bench.

"Would you two shut up?" Harry said, helping Ron clear up the mess. "It's not that important."

"Potter, Weasley and Granger, you will be in serious-" Snape tried again to punish them, but Harry cut through him. The three were so involved in their own argument, it was as though they couldn't even hear Snape. Indeed., the rest of the class was now watching with such interest that no one was paying any attention to their irate Professor.

"Anyway," Harry snapped, "You won't have to put up with each other much longer. Great! Now I won't have to put up with these stupid arguments of yours!"

"Delighted to hear it!" yelled Ron, dumping the ruined potion in the basin next to their workspace. "How do you mean? Is she being shipped off to a school for big headed know it alls?"

"Anywhere but here!" Hermione yelled back at Ron. "Anywhere but somewhere with you!"

"Well the feeling's mutual!" Ron snapped.

"You could at least make peace before she goes, you idiot!" Harry snarled at Ron. Ron now turned angrily to Harry. "What do you mean?" he yelled.

"Well, you'll regret it when she's off in France forever, won't you?" Harry yelled.

Hermione's anger suddenly subsided. "Harry, don't-"

"What do you mean?" said Ron again, but this time, much less angrily. He was looking from Harry to Hermione with a confused look on his face. Harry gave Hermione a reproachful look.

"I mean, from the end of this term onwards, Hermione's going to be boarding at Beauxbatons academy."

The last statement seemed to echo off the dungeon walls. Harry was suddenly aware of the silence in the room. He turned to see Snape staring coldly at them, arms folded over his chest, with the rest of the class all staring at himself, Ron and Hermione with expressions of shock on their faces. Even Draco Malfoy looked surprised.

Hermione burst into tears. Before anyone could stop her or even say anything, she grabbed her bag and ran out of the dungeon. Ron swore quietly under his breath.

"Have you quite finished." said Snape in his most dangerous voice. And it wasn't a question. Harry and Ron looked at each other. They both knew they were in deep trouble.

"Detention," said Snape simply, "For all three of you. And fifty points from Gryffindor. Clean up the rest of your mess. The rest of you, get back to work." Thai class quickly shuffled back to their cauldron and the truth serums, casting backward glances at Harry and Ron. Snape stood behind them, surveying their work. "I'm sure we'll all feel the loss of Miss Granger soon enough. But do pardon me for not breaking into tears." He sneered at the both of them, showing his rather yellow teeth. "I must admit, though, it will be a nice change, to be able to teach my lesson without interruptions from that...insufferable little know-it-all. Wouldn't you agree?

Suddenly, Ron stopped scrubbing the bench and turned, straightening up to his full and considerable height. Harry saw that Ron was practically eye to eye with Snape.

"No, Professor" he snapped, "I wouldn't agree. I would never agree. Not with you."

And, with remarkable self-control, considering that it was Ron, he picked up his bag and strode out of the dungeon.