Kori

Chapter Three----Sorrow

Harry, Ron, Fred and George were all outside teaching Kori how to play Quidditch. It was the Saturday after she got attacked, and ever since she found out that a game like Quidditch existed, she kept bugging Harry to teach her how to play whenever she saw him in the halls. They did have different classes, after all. Besides, she needed something to look forward to. People in the halls kept asking if she were all right, and although Kori didn't recognize them, they seemed to know her. Eventually, Harry gave in and agreed to teach her how to play. He had already gone through the rules and the balls and stuff like that, along with the willing help of Ron, but she still hadn't actually got onto a broom. It was the part she really wanted to know how to do.

It turned out that Harry had been quite right in saying that he had a few friends that would be happy to help her get her memory back. Ron, Hermione, Fred and George were introducing her to new people at every turn. She had a little trouble keeping all the right faces and names together.

"Now, you can use one of the schools old brooms for the first ride. I'll be right at your side if you run into any trouble. So, don't worry. I'll go get a broom for you." Harry gave Kori an encouraging smile and walked off to get her a broom.

When he came back, she eyed the broom warily. "I have to rise that? But..." she just looked from Harry's Firebolt to the old broom in his other hand. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"There is no way you can ride a Firebolt on the first try. Just try this. Trust me, it'll seem quite fast once you're in the air." He put the broom on the ground by her side.

George took over the instructing at this point. "Now just stick out your hand and say, UP! It should jump into your hand.

She did so, and it did.

"Now mount your broom. Just do what I do." George mounted the broom. She copied him. So far so good. "Now push off against the ground. Me, Harry and my brothers will be there to help you if you have trouble. Go on, give it a try."

Kori pushed off, and she gently rose into the air. She found it to be quite easy. It came to her almost naturally. She lifted the nose of the broom to rise and tilted it down to go down. Simple. Soon she was soaring around, pulling tight turns and swerves.

"Wow. Harry, she might be a match for you! She's really great. Better watch out, or she'll take your job as Seeker!" Ron said to Harry, staring open-mouthed at Kori.

"Well!" Fred announced, "I think it's time to practice with the rest of the equipment. Kori! Come on over!" She flew over and landed softly. "I'm going to release the Bludgers and the Snitch. Me and George will hit around the Bludgers while you and Harry can face off to catch the Snitch."

Hey!" Ron protested. "What about me?"

"You," George replied, "you can ref." Ron grumbled. "Let's give the Snitch a little head start. Just a minute or two," George added when he saw Kori's face. He grabbed the case and opened it. He released the snitch, and it flitted off through the field. After a couple of minutes, he decided they could start. "Okay, everyone get in the air, and then I'll release the Bludgers. Ron, you keep an eye out for Kori, just to make sure she does okay."

"Hey! It can't be that hard, can it?" asked Kori, one eyebrow raised.

George smirked and just shrugged. "We'll see. Okay, everyone up!" They all mounted their brooms and took off, except for George, who released the Bludgers. They immediately rocketed off towards the other players. George jumped on his broom and took off after them.

Fred was shooting after a Bludger that had started towards Harry. George took over the other one, who was after Kori. They both hit them at the same time, and the Bludgers collided into one another. They only stopped for a second, and then shot off again.

Harry soared above the field, entirely concentrated on finding the snitch. He knew that it wasn't a real game, and also that he should probably give Kori a head start, just because she had never done this before. It also didn't help that she was on quite a pathetic broom. But for some reason, he gave it his all. He felt that he should beat her at all costs, not knowing why, but just feeling that if he didn't, something would happen.

Kori flew around the field, searching every inch for the Snitch. She knew that she probably didn't stand a chance against Harry's Firebolt, but she was unnervingly determined to get to the Snitch before him. She just had this strange feeling. She didn't know what it was exactly, but she was going to get it before him. I have to.

Ron saw her approaching before anyone else. "Hey! Hermione! Up here!" he shouted. "Grab a broom and come on up!"

Hermione, who was never skilled at all on a broomstick, was wary of this idea. What the heck? Why not? She thought. She grabbed a school broom from the storage shed on the side of the field and mounted. As soon as she did, Hermione felt that something was wrong. The broom began to rise. I'm really not good enough to be soaring into the middle of this. She thought. Well, I'll just have to deal. She flew up to meet the group. Hermione felt a little wobbly in the air, but she thought she would do ok.

Kori saw it! She saw the Snitch! It was hover by the goalpost on the left side of the field. Kori sped towards, putting her full concentration on the tiny golden ball in front of her.

Hermione never saw the Bludger coming. It hit her full on, right in the back of the head. She was stunned momentarily, but it was enough to loosen her grip on her broom. She fell sideways, off the broom. She screamed and tried to grab hold of it again, but it was no use.

Luckily, she was far enough above the ground that Harry spotted her before she was a third of the way down. Not to mention she was screaming her head off.

"Hermione! Hang on! I'm coming!" he yelled. Hang on, He thought scornfully. What a thing to tell someone who just fell off a broom. He ignored the thoughts popping up in his head, and rocketed off to her.

Kori was immune to all of this. It wasn't like she didn't care, she had just tuned out everything except for the sight of the Snitch in front of her and the sound of the wind rushing past her. Something did strike her as strange, though. Why hasn't Harry caught up to me yet? He should already have the Snitch in his hand, she thought. She pushed this thought aside, and focused her attention once again on the Snitch.

Harry shot under Hermione and she fell into his arms. Harry's broom gave a gigantic lurch downwards at the extra weight. Harry felt his broom hit something and he thought, there is no way that was the ground, or even the goalpost. He was right. He had no idea that the Snitch had been only a few feet beneath him, or that Kori had been speeding towards it.

Fred saw it all. He saw the Bludger hit Hermione, Harry speed towards her. He saw Kori fly at the Snitch, Hermione and Harry pitching down. He saw Kori get hit by Harry's broom, her head dropping down. He saw Kori fall off the broom. He didn't need to see anymore. He shot towards her and caught her smoothly. He landed immediately and set her down gently on the ground. George and Ron set down seconds after, soon followed by the puzzled Harry and Hermione. Fred was kneeling by Kori. He checked her pulse. Nothing. He put his hand under her nose. Nothing.

"Oh my God!!! Oh my God!! Is she okay? Please, please let her be breathing. Oh God." Tears were welling up in Hermione's eyes. I did this, she thought. I did this. I killed her. If I hadn't been so stupid as to get on a broom, this wouldn't have happened. I killed her.

Then she noticed the strange angle her head was at.

It's all my fault, Ron thought. She's dead because of me. I was supposed to watch out for her and I was too busy watching Hermione. It's my fault. Why am I so stupid? Oh my God. She's really dead.

George, who was standing by Kori, watched Fred shake her gently, talking to her, his voice getting more and more frantic by the moment. He knew it was no use. He felt positive she was already dead. The way her neck was bent, it just wasn't natural. He didn't know what to do. He thought he should go for help, but he just couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze from Kori's face. What do I do!?

Fred looked up at everyone. "She's dead," he whispered.

Where should I go from here? I'm stuck and I would love any suggestions. Please email them to me at [email protected] all ideas will be helpful, and I really, really need help!!! I don't want to give this fic up.