HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks for the reviews, and additions to alerts and favorites! I'm so excited it's been now over a year of writing this! Yeehh! I've loved it! Hope you like this one and please review if you have time. Nothing a fanfic writer loves more than a review. :)

The Curse

The four prisoners were rounded up and made to seat on the ground. One of the dark figures took his mask off. It was Marcus McDavol.

"Which one is George?" he asked calmly.

No answer.

A masked figure with long blond hair took hold of Chrysta and made her stand.

"Which one is George?" he asked and then threw Chrysta on the ground face first and stepped on her back. "Tell me or the mudblood pays."

"It's me!" screamed both Fred and George.

"We don't have time for this," said the blond-haired figure.

"We have both of them. If the information is right, she'll come," assured McDavol. Then he looked to a clearing and a ray of sunshine that peaked through the trees.

"Ella," called McDavol. "Ella."

Silence.

"I know you're near. You want to come to him," said McDavol.

"Stay hidden!" yelled George.

"Don't come out!" yelled Fred trying to hide his brother's outburst.

"Swanson, let her come. She belongs at my side. I'll let her have all she wants, her ideas, her inquiries, her pureblood Weasley," stated McDavol.

"Don't waste your gifts Swanson. We could use a strong pureblood like you. Just give up the mudblood girldfriend and let our dear Marcus have his sister back. Then you'll be free to join us. Refuse and… I'll have to do my part, but I don't fancy killing another Swanson so soon," sneered the figure with the long blond hair.

George heard someone practically growl and a large shimmery eagle attacked the hooded figures. Ely Swanson appeared out of nowhere and faced the man who said he killed a Swanson.

"Like father like son," mocked the blond figure as he deflected Ely's eagle and cast a black shadow-like hand from his wand. The shadow and the eagle met and while Ely held his wand in battle, three other figures began to cast spells against him. George tugged furiously against the ropes that bound him, but could not break free to help.

"Your wretched family should have never taken my sister!" exclaimed McDavol throwing a spell and joining in the fray against the Ravenclaw.

"She's my sister! Nothing like you or him!" responded the Ravenclaw as he got hit with a cutting spell.

"Ely!" a girl cried and the landscape changed. The ray of sunshine disappeared from the clearing and a large tree took its place. Mel Cooper stood next to the trunk of the tree.

"Mel no!" screamed Ely, but she ran towards him. Then they heard, "Avada Kedavra!"

Mel Cooper landed on the ground lifeless. Ely turned to the one who had uttered the killing curse, ran and began casting spell after spell, with tears flowing down his face. There were no thoughts, no hesitation – he was like a man possessed.

Several voices yelled, "Avada Kedavra!", and Ely Swanson was no more.

Estella kicked and screamed and punched against the walls of tree that concealed her. She knew it was useless. Ely's spell to create this natural prison was an infallible tool provided by Ralph Swanson himself and especially designed to protect children who are in your care. Dammit! She might not be of age, but she wasn't a bloody child! Yet, as long as Ely wanted to keep her in there, she'd have to stay, safe and sound. Not to mention the fact that Mel had probably created an illusion to hide the bloody tree.

But she could hear everything! They were asking which one was George and telling Ely to give her up. She couldn't stand it! She was anxious, angry, and for once ready to replace fleeing with fighting. So she kicked and screamed harder and harder while her wand cast light inside the tree.

She heard someone cast the killing curse and then Ely began casting hexes and curses in a rage until… she felt it. The magical connection with the adoptive brother who had always cared for her, who had saved her so long ago, had just… broken. The kyklos proctais went from glowing yellow and gray to an angry black and red and then fell off. For the first time in five years, her neck was free. And it was not because she was hiding the piece of jewellery with a disillusionment charm. This time the amulet lay flat on the ground in its simple silvery form.

Sadness, anger, despair - she couldn't even describe the feelings that boiled inside her. Her entire body was inflamed with emotion and with Ely gone one simple flick of her wand was enough. She was free.

Seconds after Ely fell, the tree that had appeared in the clearing burst into pieces and from it emerged… Estella. She looked shocked, miserable, outraged… like her cousin had looked before. But unlike him, she approached the battle slowly, with eerie meticulousness.

One of the Black Hand fighters was close to Ely, and Estella coldly said, "I will kill you if you touch him."

No one dared to get any closer. She reached the Ravenclaw, kneeled next to him and took a pendant from his chest. She placed the jewel in her satchel and then kissed Swanson's forehead. Then she stood and looked directly at McDavol.

"Did you do this?" she asked.

"I ordered it," he answered.

She pulled her wand and faced him.

"No one else gets near her," ordered the Slytherin looking at the other hooded figures. His eyes showed a red glow.

Both Ella and McDavol began throwing hexes and curses, but managed to dodge each other's spells.

"You should learn not to fight like that useless Ravenclaw!" McDavol yelled while hiding behind a tree.

"He was better than both of us Marcus," answered Estella as she conjured a strong blasting charm.

The tree McDavol was behind blew up and a chunk of wood got impaled in his left arm.

George heard, "Imperio!"

Simultaneously Estella's voice rang a loud, "Expelliarmus!"

Then George saw something he had never witnessed before. The beams of light that emerged from Ella and McDavol's wands became… intertwined. What kind of magic was this?

George along with all witnesses of the duel felt a sort of seismic pulse around them. The hooded figures tried to help McDavol and approached the area, but they got knocked off their feet and landed unceremoniously on their arses. Then… thank Merlin! Ginny, Neville, Leah, Malfoy and Luna approached and began to fight. They managed to free Lee and Chrysta. But the figure with the blond hair got close to Fred and George and prevented their release.

"Enough!" he said.

McDavol and Estella both looked at the figure and broke their connection.

"Put the wand down or your lover pays," said the man behind the mask.

"Don't you dare!" yelled Estella coming closer to twins.

"Eeny…" he said pointing the wand at Fred's chest, "Meeny…" pointing his wand at George's neck, "Miny…" pointing at Fred forehead, "Moe!" pointing at George's temple.

"NO!" yelled Estella throwing her hand to the ground.

"It's that one," said McDavol. The blond figure threw Fred towards the young phoenixes who freed him from the ropes.

"Leave him alone!" yelled Estella.

"You'll come with me?" asked McDavol.

"No."

"Very well," he sneered looking towards George.

"Iniuria Constante!" yelled McDavol.

George winced, prepared for whatever evil magic McDavol had thrown in his direction. But the spell never reached him. Instead, he had to helplessly watch as Estella ran right in front of him. Immediately, he heard her screaming in agony and then she fell to the ground.

"Ella!" he screamed.

All the Phoenixes attacked again and were able to free him. They formed a tight circle around him and Estella who was now in his arms. But they were in serious trouble, completely surrounded by hands of terror.

"It's okay… it's okay," murmured Estella as she tried to get up.

A scream startled their pace and Harry broke off from the group and ran to where the painful cries had come from. He could hear Ron, Hermione and his parents yelling for him to stop, but he had deaf ears for anything but the awful noises of agony. Quickly, he found himself close to a clearing.

Think! What's the best strategy? We learned this in the meetings, figure out a strategy. Is it best to attack or hide and then surprise? First assess the situation.

Harry hid behind a tree and looked at the scene unfolding. George was next to Estella who was leaning on him. She was on her knees with her top completely drenched in blood and tears in her eyes, but she faced hands of terror with her head held high. Ely and Mel were completely motionless on the ground and several other YPS members, including Fred, Ginny, Lee and Draco Malfoy, were guarding George and Estella even though they were bruised and hurt themselves. One of the aggressors didn't have a mask on, it was Marcus McDavol.

"You shouldn't have done that sweet sister, is that boy really worth it? Would he have done the same for you? Would he put himself in the way of that curse for you?"

"You... you... would never... understand," she answered while choking on blood and crying from pain.

"What I understand is that your dear Swansons are dead, the lot of them. It's all because of you. Their deaths are all on you. No one will care about you. All you have left is me. I am your family. Agree to be on my side and I can end the pain, only the caster can end Iniuria Constante. If you agree, Weasley won't have to die too. I'll bring him with us. I'll make him do anything you want. You will never hurt again. We can have anything we want, together we'll be invincible!" said McDavol in a hypnotizing tone as he looked Estella right in the eye.

She seemed conflicted, like she was actually considering it.

"Ella, no! Remember them! You aunt, your uncle, Mel, Ely they would never want that! You are not that person! You chose to give, not to take, not to force! You taught me to stop being a coward, to do whatever is necessary for what is right! Remember! Ella! Ella!" screamed Draco.

"So you've decided to join them! My own son! You will beg for forgiveness!" said the man with the long blonde hair behind his mask, his voice filled with disdain. He quickly raised his wand.

"She will not give into him, she won't! You will never win her!" said Draco firmly as he prepared to duel his own father.

Harry decided that was it, he had to help. Lucius Malfoy was too much of an opponent. He fought in the previous war, plus there had to be over twenty hands of terror surrounding about ten phoenixes in this area, it was too much. Harry stepped up and ran towards his friends and Malfoy.

"He's right about one thing, YOU WILL NEVER WIN!" he screamed as he moved closer. "Stupefy!" he yelled, but Lucius averted the curse. Suddenly, curses began to fly from all directions as many duels started.

"NO!" Estella screamed and a powerful white light shot out from her entire body hitting McDavol and knocking him and about five other hands of terror to the ground as she lost consciousness. George pulled her towards the trees and he cast protective spells around them.

Ron, Hermione and the Snapes arrived by the clearing.

"Kill young Snape!" Lucius Malfoy ordered.

Severus and Lily's eyes grew to about double their size and they ran into the battle.

George sprinted into the thick of trees, but the dead weight he was carrying made it difficult. Still, he moved with frantic effort. He could hear explosions and screams and different people yelling out curses. He hoped his siblings and friends were alright. He wished he could help them, but he had to get Estella away. Right now, she was all that mattered.

Suddenly he heard a grunt of pain. He stopped and put Estella down. Her eyes were open and teary.

"Sor… sorry," she mumbled.

"Shush… It'll be alright Menace."

"I… I'm… Marcus'… si…"

"Sister… I heard."

"So…rry… father…"

She began to gag and her very pale face managed to become a bit flushed.

"Don't…. shush… you can tell me all about it when you're healed."

She shook her head and then wailed in pain.

Dammit! He had no idea what to do. He was rubbish at healing spells or pain reducing charms. He really wished he had paid more attention when Flitwick covered the basics of this in class. Or that he was the one injured. Ella would know what to do. And the hands of terror were everywhere and could probably hear her screams. Dammit! He cast a silencing charm and all the protective spells he could remember from class and the meetings.

"Shush… Where does it hurt? What do I do?" he asked feeling useless and letting a few tears of anger and desperation fall. Then the call of a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Miss Swanson!"

"Professor Dumbledore!" screamed George as began pulling Ella closer to where the calls came from. "Here! Help! Please!"

Finally, George met the old wizard.

"Please help her!"

"What happened?"

"She duelled McDavol. She got it in the way. She got cursed," mumbled George realizing he was crying and probably sounded like an idiot.

"What was the curse Mister Weasley?"

"I… I'd never heard it before… it was…" he kept scrambling his brain. "Inuria-"

"Iniuria Constante!" said the Headmaster with alarm.

"Yes," answered George.

"Don't move her! And don't cast anything!"

"But-"

"Severus!" called professor Dumbledore and then he tried to talk to Estella and examine her wounds. The Snapes, followed by Ron and Hermione approached.

"Headmaster," said Severus.

"She needs to be transported to St. Mungo's and we need your help with her healing. She was hit with the iniuria constante curse."

Severus eyes grew in shock and deep concern. "How long had she been cursed?" he asked.

"I don't know," George sobbed. "That bastard sent that curse in my direction after he killed Ely and Melinda! She got in the way, she took the curse for me," said George, holding on to Estella who again moaned loudly from the pain.

Fred, Lee and the other Young Phoenixes arrived at the scene.

"It's... al... alright... George," whispered Estella slowly in between sobs.

"We shouldn't go to St. Mungo's. Anyone can get in there and after this, I don't know who to trust anymore," said Lily, still shaken up.

Estella's noises ended and her eyes seemed more focused as she took deep breaths.

"Headquarters," said the Headmaster, "We have set numerous protection charms and wards around Headquarters. It is the safest place."

"We can't move her using magic, we have to go the muggle way," said Severus.

"Could... I… die... from portkey travel?" asked Estella with a weak voice.

"No, but the pull of the portkey will make the pain excruciating. Even worse than it is now," answered Severus.

"It comes and..." She couldn't finish instead she cried and screamed from the appalling ache.

"Don't talk. I know. The pain comes and goes and the injuries open and close constantly. It's a torture curse," said Severus. Silence followed. George kissed her forehead and was overtaken by guilt. Draco moved closer and held one of her hands.

"Do it... move me by portkey... I'll deal... get me… out of here… please," she managed to say before twisting and crying in pain yet again.

"What about Ron?" asked Hermione filled with worry, "He's hurt too."

Lily approached them and examined the burns on Ron's back and shoulder.

"We can treat these at headquarters. Ron portkey travel will be very painful on the area with the burns, we can wait for muggle transport if you..."

"No, Mrs. Snape. If Estella can travel the way she is, I reckon I could too," said Ron.

Lily Snape looked into Ron's eyes and felt inspired by his empathy and bravery.

"Alright everyone, pay attention! George, stay with Estella, Hermione watch over Ron, and Harry please make sure your father sits and doesn't move. Anyone else who is not seriously injured, find pieces of the wreckage and bring those to me so I can make portkeys. When you are back each of you will talk with the Headmaster or me individually to get details on your next steps. Only the Weasleys, Draco, and my family will go to headquarters, that includes you Hermione, and Estella. The Headmaster will inform you on the location of Headquarters and how to get through the charms protecting it."

Well there it is :) Plz R&R.

Next Chapter: Revelations.