The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|133| Deathly Hallows

The four of us looked at each other with not even the slightest clue of what Xenophilius Lovegood meant.

"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 knuckleheaded young man at your brother's wedding," he nodded at Ron, "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, I took a sip from my cup as well, and almost gagged: The stuff was quite disgusting, as though someone had liquidized 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 what are the Deathly Hallows?" asked Hermione.

Xenophilius set aside his empty teacup.

"I assume that you are all familiar with "The Tale of the Three Brothers'?"

Harry said, "No," but Ron, Hermione, and I said, "Yes."

Xenophilius nodded gravely.

"Well, well, Mr. Potter, 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 Hermione said, "I've got a copy, Mr. Lovegood, I've got it right here."

And she pulled out The Tales of Beedle the Bard from the small, beaded bag.

"The original?" inquired Xenophilius sharply, and when she nodded, he said, "Well then, why don't you read it aloud? Much the best way to make sure we all understand."

" 'Three brothers were traveling on a road, when they came to a dangerous creek. Because they're wizards, they're able to cross the water by magic. However, Death comes along and is totally miffed that they've thwarted him. Death cunningly pretends to be pleased that the brothers escaped his trap, and offers them three gifts.'

" 'The oldest brother asks for the most powerful wand in existence, which will win any duel. Death goes over to a nearby elder tree and makes him one.'

" 'The second brother asks for the power to bring the dead back to life. Death picks up a stone and says that it will have that power.'

" 'Finally, the third brother, who's suspicious of this whole scenario, asks for something that will let him go on without being followed by Death, so Death gives the brother his very own Invisibility Cloak.'

" 'The brothers go their separate ways, each to his own fate. The oldest brother, who received the Elder Wand, boasts unwisely about it and is killed by another wizard, who goes and steals the wand.'

" 'The middle brother uses the stone to bring the girl he once loved back to life – but she's still separated from real life, and is miserable. He kills himself to try and truly join her in death.'

" 'The youngest brother, however, evades Death for many years, until he passes the Cloak on to his son; when Death came to him, he went willingly.'," Hermione finished.

Hermione closed the book. 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."