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Chapter Twenty: The Tale of the Three Brothers
Harry turned to look at the other three. None of them seemed to have understood what Xenophilius had said either.
‘The Deathly Hallows?’
‘That’s right,’ said Xenophilius. ‘You haven’t heard of them? I’m not surprised. Very, very few wizards believe. Witness that knuckle-headed young man at the wedding,’ he said referring to Krum, ‘who attacked me for sporting the symbol of a well-known Dark wizard! Such ignorance. There is nothing Dark about the Hallows—at least, not in that crude sense. One simply uses the symbol to reveal oneself to other believers, in the hope that they might help one with the Quest.’
He stirred several lumps of sugar into his Gurdyroot infusion and drank some.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Harry. ‘I still don’t really understand.’
To be polite, he took a sip from his cup too, and almost gagged: The stuff was quite disgusting, as though someone had melted together bogey-flavored Every Flavor Beans.
‘Well, you see, believers seek the Deathly Hallows,’ said Xenophilius, smacking his lips in apparent appreciation of the Gurdyroot infusion.
‘But sir, what we’re trying to ask is what are the Deathly Hallows?’ asked Theodore. Xenophilius set aside his empty teacup.
‘I assume that you are all familiar with the “Tale of the Three Brothers”?’
Harry, Tracey, and Theodore said, ‘Yes,’ but Allison said, ‘No.’ To himself though Harry had to admit it had been many years since the last time he read it. Xenophilius nodded gravely.
‘Well, well, the whole thing starts with “The Tale of the Three Brothers”…I have a copy somewhere….’
He glanced vaguely around the room, at the piles of parchment and books, but Tracey said, ‘I’ve got a copy here, Mr Lovegood, Theo’s actually.’
And she pulled out The Tales of Beedle the Bard from the small, emerald purse and handed it to Theodore.
‘The original?’ inquired Xenophilius sharply, and when Theodore nodded, he said, ‘Well then, why don’t you read it out loud? Much the best way to make sure we all understand.’
Theodore passed the book to Allison.
‘I’ve learned to translate and read runes, but I think you’d recite it in proper tone compared to what I could do,’ explained Theodore. ‘It starts on page eighty four.’
‘Well, alright then,’ said Allison. She opened the book, and Harry saw that the symbol they were investigating headed the top of the page as she gave a little cough, and began to read. ‘“There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight—“‘
The other three got comfortable to listen to the story. Xenophilius, however, did not seem to be paying much attention, but was staring out of the window at the sky.
‘“In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them—“‘
‘I never understood that part,’ interjected Harry, ‘Death spoke to them?’
Allison shot him a look of a teacher with a trouble making student interrupting her class.
‘It’s only a fairy tale, it’s like the muggle mythological figure of Thanatos,’ explained Tracey.
‘Right, sorry. Go on Allison,’ apologized Harry.
‘“And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the older brother. Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death further still, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead. And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility”…Death had his an Invisibility Cloak?’
‘Yes,’ said Tracey, ‘I think it’s another metaphor about how most don’t see their death coming until it arrives.’
Allison nodded and then continued.
‘“Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death’s gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination. The first brother traveled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible. That very night, another wizard crept upon the older brother as he lay wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother’s throat. And so Death took the first brother for his own.”’
‘This is just terrible,’ whispered Theodore.
‘“Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and he turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him. Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her. And so Death took the second brother for his own. But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, as equals, they departed this life.”’
Allison closed the book and handed it back to Tracey. It was a moment or two before Xenophilius seemed to realize that she had stopped reading, then he withdrew his gaze from the window and said, ‘Well, there you are.’
‘Sorry?’ said Theodore, sounding confused.
‘Those are the Deathly Hallows,’ said Xenophilius.
He picked up a quill from a packed table at his elbow, and pulled
a torn piece of parchment from between more books.
‘The Elder Wand,’ he said, and he drew a straight vertical line upon the parchment. ‘The Resurrection Stone,’ he said, and he added a circle on top of the line. ‘The Cloak of Invisibility,’ he finished, enclosing both the line and circle in a triangle, to make the symbol that so intrigued Theodore and Harry. ‘Together,’ he said, ‘the Deathly Hallows.’
‘I’m sorry, but I’m still confused, I never translated any of the runes in that story to say Deathly Hallows. Did I miss something, Allison?’ said Theodore, to which Allison shook her head.
‘Well, of course not in the book,’ said Xenophilius, maddeningly smug. ‘That is a children’s tale, told to amuse rather than to instruct. Those of us who understand these matters, however, recognize that the ancient story refers to three objects, or Hallows, which, if united, will make the possessor master of Death.’
There was a short silence in which Xenophilius glanced out of the window. Already the sun was low in the sky.
‘Luna ought to have enough Plimpies soon,’ he said quietly.
‘When you say they make someone “master of Death”—‘ said Tracey.
‘Master,’ said Xenophilius, waving an airy hand. ‘Conqueror. Vanquisher. Whichever term you prefer.’
‘Let me try to understand,’ said Theodore slowly, and Harry could tell that he was trying to keep any trace of skepticism out of his voice, ‘are you saying you believe these items—these Hallows—actually exist?’
Xenophilius raised his eyebrows again.
‘Well, of course.’
‘But sir,’ said Tracey, and Harry could hear her restraint starting to crack like Theodore’s, ‘how could they possibly be—?’
‘Luna has told me that some of her friends are intelligent, but painfully limited. Narrow. Close-minded,’ said Mr Lovegood while looking at Tracey and Theodore. ‘That would be you two, I gather.’
Theodore looked as though he was trying to suppress his offence at being called closed-minded. He took a deep breath before speaking.
‘What we’re trying to say,’ Theodore began, ‘is that while we know a handful of Invisibility Cloaks exist, the other—‘
‘Ah, but the Third Hallows is the true Cloak of Invisibility, Mr Nott! I mean to say, it is not a traveling cloak imbued with a Disillusionment Charm, or carrying a Bedazzling Hex or else woven from Demiguise hair, which will hide one initially but fade with the years until it turns opaque. We are talking about a cloak that really and truly renders the wearer completely invisible, and endures eternally, giving constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it. How many cloaks have you ever seen like that, Mr Nott?’
Theodore opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again, looking more confused than ever. He, Harry, Tracey, and Allison glanced at one another, and Harry knew that they were all thinking the same thing. It so happened that a cloak exactly like the one Xenophilius had just described was in the room with them at that very moment.
‘Exactly,’ said Xenophilius, as if he had defeated them all in reasoned argument. ‘None of you have ever seen such a thing. The possessor would be immeasurably rich, would he not?’
He glanced out of the window again. The sky was now tinged with the faintest trace of pink.
‘Okay,’ said Theodore, disconcerted. ‘Let’s say the cloak exists…what about the other two, Mr Lovegood, like the stone?’
‘What of it?’
‘A stone that brings people back from the dead? If it existed every witch and wizard would know about it and would be fighting to possess it, so how could it possibly be real?’
‘Prove that it is not,’ said Xenophilius.
Theodore looked like he was reaching his limit for frustration.
‘T-that’s not how research, facts, or discoveries work. Just because I can’t prove it doesn’t exist doesn’t prove it does. You could say anything that’s made up is real with that logic.’
‘Yes, you could,’ said Xenophilius. ‘I am glad to see that you are opening your mind a little.’
‘So the Elder Wand,’ said Harry quickly, before Theodore could explode, ‘you think that exists too?’
‘Oh, well, in that case there is endless evidence,’ said Xenophilius. ‘The Elder Wand is the Hallow that is most easily traced, because of the way in which it passes from hand to hand.’
‘Which is what?’ asked Harry.
‘Which is that the possessor of the wand must capture it from its previous owner, if he is to be truly a master of it,’ said Xenophilius. ‘Surely you have heard of the way the wand came to Egbert the Egregious, after his slaughter of Emeric the Evil? Of how Godelot died in his own cellar after his son, Hereward, took the wand from him? Of the dreadful Loxias, who took the wand from Barnabas Deverill, whom he had killed? The bloody trail of the Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of Wizarding history.’
Harry glanced at Theodore. He was frowning at Xenophilius, but he did not contradict him.
‘If it’s so traceable, where do you believe the wand is now?’ asked Allison.
‘Alas, who knows?’ said Xenophilius, as he gazed out of the window. ‘Who knows where the Elder Wand lies hidden? The trail goes cold with Arcus and Livius. Who can say which of them really defeated Loxias, and which took the wand? And who can say who may have defeated them? History, alas, does not tell us.’
There was a pause. Finally, Theodore asked stiffly, ‘Mr Lovegood, one of the reasons we came was to ask if the Peverell family has anything to do with the Deathly Hallows?’
Xenophilius looked taken aback as something shifted in Harry’s memory, but he could not locate it. Peverell…he had heard that name before…
‘But have you been misleading me, young man!’ said Xenophilius, now sitting up much straighter in his chair and goggling at Theodore. ‘I thought you were new to the Hallows Quest! Many of us Questers believe that the Peverells have everything—everything!—to do with the Hallows!’
‘Who are the Peverells?’ asked Allison.
‘That was the name on a grave we found in Godric’s Hollow that had the mark engraved on it,’ said Tracey, seeming to forget for the moment her no talking to Allison policy. ‘Ignorus Peverell.’
‘Exactly!’ said Xenophilius, his forefinger raised pedantically. ‘The sign of the Deathly Hallows on Ignotus’s grave is conclusive proof!’
‘Proof of what?’ asked Tracey.
‘Why, that the three brothers in the story were actually the three Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus! That they were the original owners of the Hallows!’
With another glance at the window he got to his feet, picked up the tray, and headed for the spiral staircase.
‘You will stay for dinner?’ he called, as he vanished downstairs again. ‘Everybody always requests our recipe for Freshwater Plimpy soup.’
‘How was Sirius friends with this man if he tried to poison him every time he visited,’ muttered Theodore under his breath to Harry.
‘He was part dog, maybe he didn’t care what he was fed,’ shrugged Harry.
Harry waited until they could hear Xenophilius moving about in the kitchen downstairs before speaking.
‘What do you think?’ he asked the group.
‘I think we’ve wasted our time,’ said Theodore. ‘Just like Viktor, Mr Lovegood must have misinterpreted what the sign really means.’
‘Which makes sense, this is the same man who thinks the Erumpent horn came from something called a Crumple-Horned Snorkacks,’ said Tracey.
‘None of you believe it?’ Harry ask. Allison looked hesitant.
‘It’s hard to Harry, I love Luna but it’s clear her father almost solely believes in things that don’t actually exist.’
‘But every story has a root of truth, doesn’t it? asked Harry.
‘Yes, but I think the truth in the Tale of the Three Brothers is the moral lesson in it, like most children’s stories have,’ said Tracey. ‘Like don’t be co*cky or brag about your power to a crowd that hates you, don’t try to cheat death, be humble, stuff like that.’
‘This story is probably also the origin of the myth that wands made of Elder wood are unlucky,’ said Theodore.
‘I’m not sure I’ve heard that one,’ admitted Allison, and Harry wasn’t fully sure if he had heard it either.
‘It’s just a superstition, both the muggle world and wizarding world have them,’ said Tracey. ‘“Step on a crack and you’ll break your mother’s back”, “May-born witches will marry Muggles”, “Broken mirror brings seven years of bad luck”, “Wand of elder, never prosper”. You all must have heard of at least one of them?’
And they all mumbled in agreement. They were all left in thought for a moment as a rather pungent smell drifted up from the kitchen.
With Tracey focused on her frustration towards Mr Lovegood, Allison seemed to take it as a moment to try and get on her good side again.
