b A/N: FYI This chapter is more of a plot introduction, I guess you could call it. But it is important all the same .. so here you go. The only things I claim as my own are Kora, her family, and the plot. Everything else can, and should, be credited to the lovely J.K. Rowling. /b

Kora Lovel seemed nice enough at first glance. She had long flowy, naturally straight black hair that fell just short of the middle of her back. She had what most guys would consider to be a 'hot' body, but usually hit it behind all sorts of baggy clothes. Her face was very pretty. She had full pink lips, the perfect sized nose placed directly in the middle, and a clear complexion. Her eyes were what made her seem distant. Her blue eyes were usually fixed on the floor as she walked, not wanting to look up at all the faces that haunted her as she commuted from class to class at Hogwarts. If anybody had looked her in the eye long enough, they would've known something was wrong, it wasn't that hard to notice. The problem was nobody had.

The sad fact was that Kora was, there was no other word for it, a freak. A nobody. People had often knocked her around in the corridors and then just walked off, not even stopping to mutter an 'excuse me', or a 'sorry', or even to help her pick up her fallen books. She was used to it though, after having endured five rough years of it.

Kora had gone through a terrible loss at the age of 12; her Auror parents were murdered by Death Eaters. It had taken 6 of them. Her older brother, Matthew had then been named her legal guardian and she had lived with him for 3 years, until the Death Eaters came back. It wasn't enough to take away Kora's parents, oh no. They had to take away her brother as well. The only person left who had cared for her. The only person who had loved her. Kora had been sent off to Hogwarts that year anyway, Dumbledore said it would be for the best. Kora had always known he was off his rocker.

It was about a month into her 6th year when I it /I happened. She had still been trying to get over the death of her parents, and now her brother had been killed. She just couldn't take it anymore. She had written a goodbye note ( I 'To who? No one was going to read it, let alone care.' /I ) and had her empty classroom all picked out, one she was sure that was never, ever in use.

Earlier that day she had planned everything out. She was going to do it after dinner, that way nobody would be wandering the halls, likely to find her. She hadn't eaten anything that night ( I 'What was the point, really?' /I ), instead, she kept fidgeting with something underneath the table. Something shiny. Dinner had finally ended and she got up with the rest of her schoolmates, she refused to call any of them peers, and exited through the large doorway. Instead of where she should've turned right to head to the Gryffindor Tower, she turned left, heading for her empty classroom. Nobody noticed this. Perfect. She closed her eyes while walking, thinking of the note she had left on her bed, picturing Hermione or Lavender, or Parvati walking in and finding it. ( I 'Do they even know who I am?' /I )

She reached her destined classroom and walked inside, locking the door behind her, and walked to the farthest, most shadowy corner and sat down. She placed her hand into her pocket and withdrew a shiny, paper-thin razor. Even in the dim light, it seemed to shimmer at her, as if daring her to go through with her plan, betting her that she wouldn't do it. She was too much of a chicken. After a moment's hesitance, she held the razorblade up, gritted her teeth, and placed it against the skin on her wrist, slowly drawing a line across her veins, from which seeped a dark red fluid. She tried to hold back a whimper, but it had escaped her lips, only a soft one though. She lifted the blade and examined the cut, deciding that it wasn't anywhere near deep enough, so she placed it directly underneath the old cut and drew a new one, pressing much harder against her soft flesh. She screamed. She couldn't help it, the pain was much too unbearable. She was sure someone would hear her but she didn't care. She had locked the door, hadn't she? Once again she picked up the razor, making numerous more gashes on her wrist, screaming many more times before her body couldn't take it anymore, and she passed out.

Harry Potter, who had taken one of his routine nightly walks around the castle, thinking about the events that had happened at the end of last year, heard a scream coming from the corridor over. He stopped in his tracks, as if afraid to be seen, that was a bit silly though, seeing as he was currently hidden underneath his invisibility cloak, and strained his ears to try and hear another scream. Sure enough, another one came, and he turned around and ran, trying to find the source of it. He had soon found himself in front of a classroom door, however he wasn't very familiar with this one. He tried opening it, but found it to be locked. Pulling out his wand, and thankful that he had decided to bring it with him that night, he muttered "Alohomora" and the door clicked open, revealing a dark room.

He lifted his hand and started to paw at the wall next to him, searching for a light switch. His fingers finally found it and he flicked it on, not seeing anything at first. He scanned the room once more over and was about to turn the lights off and leave before being caught, when his eyes caught something red and shining coming from the shadows in the farthest corner, in between a couple enormous bookshelves. He squinted and took a couple steps forward and nearly fell over when he saw what he did. A crouched human body was huddled in the corner, either unconscious or dead. He closed his eyes and cringed a little, holding his wand out and muttering another spell, "Mobilicorpus", making the girl's body float in front of him. He gasped and nearly dropped her when he saw who it was. Kora Lovel, a Gryffindor, in the same year as himself.

"Holy shit …" he muttered to himself, before finally realizing the peril that this girl was in. He ran her up to the Hospital Wing, yelling for Madam Pomfrey to come out and have a look at her.

The next morning, instead of waking up in his bed, Harry Potter found himself nearly falling out of a chair in the Hospital Wing.

"Whoa .." he said, steadying himself, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he looked over at Kora, remembering last night. Harry didn't know it, but she wasn't unconscious, just simply choosing to keep her eyes shut.

"Why?" came a feminine voice from the bed, making Harry jump yet again. He looked over and saw that Kora's eyes were now open and staring at him.

"Why what?"

"Why did you stop me? Why did you take me here?"

"Because, you were .. I thought .." he stuttered, "You needed help."

"No I didn't, you should've kept me where I was." She muttered. Harry was about to tell her how wrong she was when Dumbledore came out of Madam Pomfrey's office, a grim look on his face.

"Ahh .. Ms. Lovel. Glad to see you've awaken so soon." He said, smiling, but Harry knew it was only a feeble attempt at making Kora feel better.

"Yeah .." she muttered.

"Well Ms. Lovel, you have given us all quite a scare last night. Are you okay?"

I 'No!' /I she thought, I 'Does it look like I'm fucking O-K to you! Are you that daft old man? Do I have to spell it out for you!' /I

"Yeah .. I'm fine."

"Good. I've asked your roommates to pack your bags, you're going to be leaving for a little while."

"Wh-what? Where am I going? Where are you taking me?"

"I think it would be best if you spent some time in St. Mungo's to help you sorten some things out. When you do, I will be delighted to welcome you back to Hogwarts."