Children's Chapter Book - Adventure Fantasy set in another world involving a boy and a gyspy girl from that world and two children who come through a portal. The enemy had something to do with dragons.

[Ella Rose]

So I read this book at least 15 years ago from the library. I was under 10. What I remember is that it starts with a boy who lives with possibly a guardian. I'm unsure if he was a servant or a squire or something like that. I'm pretty sure the guardian gets murdered. The story changes POV to a girl who is possibly a gypsy? She is giving fortunes, and I think gives a bad one? She ends up having to leave and the boy and the girl meet in the woods.
Two other children are on a field trip to a museum and they fall through a portal - potentially a well. The end up with the enemy. I remember one working as water boy. They encounter a guy who's had his tongue cut out by the bad guys.

The girl and the boy go on a journey and it talks about the girl's mother either drowning or being murdered and dropped in a harbour?

I think the bad guys had something to do with dragons? There may have been something about a sword but that could have also been another book.

Please help, I've been looking for this book for over a decade!

edit: The villain in the story is the world leader has or is trying to take over the world maybe. He has an army that has something to do with dragons.

[Capn]

Flamers!? :)

Maybe this is too sci-fi, though?

There's a list for Children's Romany/Romani/Gypsy books, if you want to have a quick browse to rule these out:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

[Ella Rose]

No, but thank you for your suggestion. Not any on the list either. I don't think the gyspyies had much to do with the plot, just at the beginning. I'm not sure they were gyspyies in particular but maybe described as such?

[Capn]

If you think the museum might be memorable to others, there are a couple of lists to browse while you're awaiting another suggestion:

Museums:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6...
&
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

And a "Portal is Water" list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

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