Kassandra Bauer and the Half Blood Prince. (Book 6)

Chapter 19: The Request.

Ethan P.O.V

Lizzie was right. By the time I had reached Hogsmeade, The Ministry had already shut down The Three Broomsticks. Even going as far as to leave a notice on the board. 'The Three Broomsticks is shut down until further notice. By order of the Minister of Magic: Rufus Scrimgeour.' 

And what was more... Madam Rosmerta was arrested. Madam Rosmerta of all people! She would never have done this. Not willingly at any rate. There had to be more. 

I would've been there sooner. But Kassie was hurt at Quidditch. She was my little sister, and damn the asshole that attacked her. What was his name again? Smith? Son of a bitch. But back to the matter at hand. 

This fight against Voldemort was taking almost as much of a toll on me as did the fight against Trotsky. Half my time was either spent in the Auror Office, and when I wasn't in the office, I was in the field trying to stop Death Eaters and keep the people safe. I wouldn't always succeed. It was a very rare miracle if I could go home and spend time with Penny and Sean. I wanted to be with them. See them as much as I could. And even then... half my time was still focused on more Death Eater attacks. But now... now it felt like I was playing a dangerous political game with the Ministry... again. 

I was happy to have Penny in my life. She understood my pain completely. And what I was going through. I was going through my notes. And I didn't need to look to know Penny was standing by the doorway. 

"I'll be with you in a minute." I said even if I didn't believe my own words. 

"That's what you said for the past 40 minutes." Penny replied.  

I closed the notes. "E... you can't torture yourself like this." She said to me. "And don't even think about shutting me out." 

"I'm not." I insisted. "I'm just trying to figure out what the hell is going on anymore. Now Scrimgeour got Rosmerta arrested for supposedly poisoning Ron." 

"She was framed." Penny said. "There is no way that-" 

"She could've poisoned Ron Weasley, I know." I knew what Penny was going to say. "Rosmerta's not the type. Any more than Stan Shunpike is a Death Eater." 

"Of course." Penny rolled her eyes. "You'd think that if the Ministry actually did a better job, instead of just relying on you to fix all your problems for them, we wouldn't be in this situation." 

"I think they like it." I replied. "Pawning off all their problems on me." 

"At least our Circle of Khanna is with us this time. Okay... they've always been with us. But you get the idea." Penny said. And then she sighed.

"What?" I asked. 

"The Ministry is accusing Rosmerta to make themselves look good. They want another suspected Death Eater behind bars." Penny explained. "It makes me sick to my stomach. How long before they accuse Chiara of being a Death Eater just because she's a werewolf? Or even Lupin?" 

That would never happen. Not while I was there. "Fat chance." I told Penny. "They're not destroying Chiara's, nor are they going to make her life miserable." 

"What are we going to do about this? About Rosmerta?" Penny asked. 

Like both Penny and I agreed. The Ministry may be arresting these suspected Death Eaters... but that didn't mean those suspected but were innocent were going to suffer for it. "The only thing we can do, Penny. Prove her innocence." I answered. 

Back at Hogwarts. (Kassandra P.O.V)

Both Ron and I were discharged from the Hospital Wing first thing on Monday morning, back in fighting shape and ready to go. And Neville took my brothers words to heart. He made sure I got plenty of bedrest and that sort of thing. And wanting to humor Neville, I decided to be a good little girl and obey him.