Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Anything you don't recognise is mine includes names, places, poems and spells. Though some places may actually exist, some names are from my family tree.

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A/N: Sorry if you've read this chapter, but I've made a few changes and added more to the chapter, I've also shuffled a little around. Again Sorry and enjoy.

Don't forget feedback is good helps one know if I'm on the right track, if the story makes sense to everyone and if there are any mistakes.

CH 1: The Curse

In 1547 there were few magical communities throughout England, even fewer in Lancashire and none in the town of Carnforth so as a result muggles and magical folk lived amongst each other. A magical community would not be formed until 1652 in the nearby town of Hawkshead.

Martha Davis stood at 5"1; she had straight black hair that looked as if her head had been dipped in molasses. Her small black eyes were sunken into her sallow skinned face, with no defining features she looked to be in her fifties although she was only in her mid twenties. A persistent woman who when slighted didn't hesitate to curse the said person. The trouble was that she was making more and more of a habit of it and that is how she came to be the predicament she now found herself in. She certainly hadn't kept it a secret that she was a witch and many of the towns folk had laughed her off as being slightly unbalanced to say the least.

John Allonby came from a well bred family of witches and wizards; they were graced with good looks and carried an air of sophistication that he was graced with, without even trying. His physique gave that of a strong person though not necessarily in a physical sense. He had a broad chest and shoulders, he was not thin but then not really what you'd call solid either. Standing at 5"9 with dark brown wavy hair and crystal blue eyes he was an entity all of his own. A friendly character he was careful not disclose his family's abilities as it wouldn't be prudent or even beneficial to his family's future to be found guilty of witchcraft. His family were well off and though most purebred families married for wealth his family tended to consider that breeding was just that much more important, it would not do to have distasteful looks in the family, his mother was a tad vain in that regard. Being the only son of four children it was requisite that he would court a witch of fine breeding and good looks. He courted one of the Scott girls; Ellen and while not a pureblood but a half-blood her family was still quite well off and she fitted his family's high standard requirements of fine breeding, unfortunately there were no fitting purebloods near at the time, not unless he was to marry someone near his mothers age and that just wouldn't do.

Ellen's stature of 5"7 suited her well, she had long curly hair the colour of honeycomb her eyes resembled a toffee colour as opposed to a brown or hazel which oddly enough her sister Hazel had. Ellen's family were also careful about the fact that they were also magical folk.

Martha's father Willard Davis had far from been happy that Cypria Allonby, John's father was not co-operating with his idea of betrothing their children he was eager for the union not only for the fact that both families were well off but he hoped that the stability of the Allonby's and the stature in which they were regarded would have meant bringing back some semblance of respect to his family since not only did Martha appear to be unstable but his 17 yr old son William was under suspicion of the murder of some family's in the surrounding lowlands. Willard's family were themselves pureblood and always had been, his wife - Bertha came from the Kenmore clan who were also purebloods, though there was a whisper that some generations back there had been some tainting of their line and talk that the bloodline would never be the same, that it would weaken and destroy them. The story was a family tale now and not so much believed, well that was until now. It would appear that not only would it destroy the Kenmore family line but it would also destroy the Davis one too, at least through him anyway. Luck had not been on Willard's side, he never wanted to believe the stories but he had no choice now. Willard had married Bertha because of love; his family had wanted him to go through with a betrothal like his four brothers and two sisters. Sometimes he now wished he had, they were all successful and had healthy large families, he on the other hand had not been so fortunate, while in business dealings he had done fine, his family had not. Bertha had given birth to a total of five children - only two had survived into adulthood. Willard had hoped to be able to save the remnants of his family, but it would not be so.

Martha's obsessive and delusional behaviour was what lead her to being where she was today this November 12th 1547, with witchcraft being illegal and peoples paranoia being what it was, which was also compounded by the fact that unusual things aptly seemed to happen around Martha and if she was angry the consequences were usually something negative, bad luck may befall one and sometimes there were deaths. Martha had since childhood sprouted that she was a witch but no-one paid heed to it since 1) it had previously not been illegal and 2) she was believed to be a little mad. Now though with more recent events she was sent to trial for witchcraft. During the trial she did nothing to help herself and it only intensified the fears of the towns' folk. No-one save her father stood to defend her. Towns' folk were fearful and those that had been affected by her curses had spoken out and accused her of witchcraft. Her father of course had testified that it was all just a coincidence and that his daughter was not a witch, as much as it pained him to do so but since there was a law against such he had to deftly deny that she was such and that she was just sick in the head. The fact that she probably was sick in the head due to his wife's family; was more than likely a large factor but since none of the muggle folk knew of her families past it could not be used to prove fact, this is why she couldn't learn to hold her tongue in regards to her current situation and as a result she was found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to death by being burnt at the stake.

Martha's execution was to take place on Sunday 13th November 1547 at sunset; many people were there to witness the event, many more to see if she would escape. While being escorted to her point of execution she saw John Allonby and Ellen Scott, she already felt betrayed by the fact that John had not spoken for her at her trial, but now this only exasperated her rage. As her guards walked her by him she stopped, he looked upon her with pity - yet fury burning in her eyes, she spoke to him in a low voice that sounded like a volcano ready to erupt.

"Oh John how could thy do this to us?" he shook his head saying "there was nought ever us Martha" sadness etched his voice at the pitiful creature before him.

"Thou shall be sorry my John" the guards tried to get her to continue yet looking at her they were not able to fathom how it was that they allowed her this chance to talk.

She continued "…Ī curse you and your kith and kin John.

As the wind doth blow,

And time does turn.

Ī place this curse upon your blood,

For generations to be.

Ī bind thy magic,

Until thy meet the same.

So let it be!'

Martha spoke in such a way that those around her either did not or could not register what she had said. She finished by spitting upon John before the guards were able to move on and take her to her final destination amongst the calls of the townsfolk.

As she was tied to the stakes that were to become her end she stared at John conveying that this was not the end. A chill ran down his spine, he thought pensively 'Ī should not be afraid of her curse, in theory when she dies it should die with her, so why is it that Ī feel that this is not so'.

The fire was lit yet Martha did not scream, she only looked upon those around her with hatred in her eyes and a wicked grin upon her face she knew her cast curse would not die with her nor could she ever imagine that it would one day return and when the magic did return to the family, it would be so powerful that no-one could foretell the consequences. Martha did not try to escape nor did she survive the burning. It appeared that she had died after all and many in the small community were happy with the outcome. John still felt restless and it wouldn't be long until he realised why.

On July 17th 1548 John Allonby married Ellen Scott, less than a year later Ellen gave birth to their first child a boy in 1549; in 1551 she gave birth to a girl. The boy at two hadn't shown any magical ability, another boy was born in 1554 and neither of the older children had shown any magical ability. The youngest boy died at the age of six months, John now realised that the curse cast by Martha had actually come into effect. The magic from his bloodline was now bound he could only hope that in the future the curse would be lifted or broken.

Just over four centuries later on February 27 1957, Jane Minnie Allonby was born to Minnie Elizabeth Jane Allonby and Henry Allan Hawkes, she was a direct descendant of John Allonby and the family was still cursed. Generations of Allonby's had endured ridicule and had also been trying various methods to try and break the curse, to date none had been successful. Many had married muggles while others had managed to marry half bloods, very few had married purebloods, those who did marry purebloods usually married one who was much older or had something not so appealing about them too many other pureblood families. The story of the curse was passed on down through the generations, some not believing that witchcraft even existed, others impartial. The families although cursed had however; managed to stay affluent in both worlds, although many in the magical community would not accept them.

Jane was lucky however; her mother had married a pureblood wizard, he was older but not so much older as to be considered sordid. He had known of the families curse but agreed to the arranged marriage due to the fact that his family were not as affluent as they once were. No-one spoke of the magical abilities and the family lived amongst muggles, Henry used very little magic at home so Jane knew of it but as she got older she continued the life of a muggle without exposure to the magical world. Things were to change drastically in the near future for Jane but how much she never would have imagined. She hoped that one day she would find her equal, get married and have children. How soon this would happen she could never speculate.

Jane took up dentistry studies and although her mother insisted that she need not work he father supported her need to do something with her life. While at Uni she met Richard Le'Grange a student from France. They found they had much in common and joined a Wicca coven together. Jane's life was taking a direction she never would have guessed; her life was of course never going to be the same.