'Death takes all when their time comes' - A truth universally acknowledged.
Then what of the Peverell brothers? These three men - Cadmus, Antioch and Ignotus, played a very important role in shaping up the plot of the Harry Potter series.
Let me start with the Tale of the Three Brothers.
There were once three brothers, walking upon a deserted road at twilight (or midnight; it's debated, so take your pick). They approached a gloomy and forbidding forest, but collecting their nerves, they walked inside. The harsh echoes and deep silence of the woods were enough to make any passerby flee, but our three brothers walked on in bravery. Then they met a river in their path - it was eerie and too treacherous to pass. But the brothers, who were proficient in the magical arts, waved their wands and created a bridge, over which they could walk to safety. Death, who had set up the river as a trap and end for anyone who passed by, was angered that they had found a means of escape. So he confronted them and pretending to be pleased, offered them a reward each.
The first brother's nursed ambition was to be the strongest wizard in the world. He demanded such a tool of Death, that would make him invincible. Death fashioned an elder wand from a nearby tree, and handed it to the eldest brother. This wand was unconquerable when in duel and it acquired many other names such as the Deathstick and the Wand of Destiny.
The second brother begged Death to give him something to bring back his dead lover. Death gave him a pebble that could animate a dead person, and effectively, bring them back from the barrier of death.
The third and youngest brother, though, saw right through the hooded mask Death was wearing. Being shrewd, he realized that Death was manipulating them to their death. So, he chose to be left alone by Death until he was ready to die. Death, being outwitted, had no choice but to give the brother his cloak, which would render the wearer completely invisible.
Thus, the three deathly hallows were formed - The Elder Wand, The Resurrection Stone, and The Cloak of Invisibility. The story goes on to explain how the three brothers met their end - the first two, immediately after procuring their gifts, and the last one, after long years of happiness.
This story, though, is only an animated and interesting form of relating what happened. The brothers were probably strong magicians (according to Dumbledore) who created these hallows themselves, and were unable to understand their danger. Lust for obtaining the three hallows - especially the Elder Wand - brought many people face to face with their Death (pun intended!).
Then what of the Peverell brothers? These three men - Cadmus, Antioch and Ignotus, played a very important role in shaping up the plot of the Harry Potter series.
Let me start with the Tale of the Three Brothers.
There were once three brothers, walking upon a deserted road at twilight (or midnight; it's debated, so take your pick). They approached a gloomy and forbidding forest, but collecting their nerves, they walked inside. The harsh echoes and deep silence of the woods were enough to make any passerby flee, but our three brothers walked on in bravery. Then they met a river in their path - it was eerie and too treacherous to pass. But the brothers, who were proficient in the magical arts, waved their wands and created a bridge, over which they could walk to safety. Death, who had set up the river as a trap and end for anyone who passed by, was angered that they had found a means of escape. So he confronted them and pretending to be pleased, offered them a reward each.
The first brother's nursed ambition was to be the strongest wizard in the world. He demanded such a tool of Death, that would make him invincible. Death fashioned an elder wand from a nearby tree, and handed it to the eldest brother. This wand was unconquerable when in duel and it acquired many other names such as the Deathstick and the Wand of Destiny.
The second brother begged Death to give him something to bring back his dead lover. Death gave him a pebble that could animate a dead person, and effectively, bring them back from the barrier of death.
The third and youngest brother, though, saw right through the hooded mask Death was wearing. Being shrewd, he realized that Death was manipulating them to their death. So, he chose to be left alone by Death until he was ready to die. Death, being outwitted, had no choice but to give the brother his cloak, which would render the wearer completely invisible.
Thus, the three deathly hallows were formed - The Elder Wand, The Resurrection Stone, and The Cloak of Invisibility. The story goes on to explain how the three brothers met their end - the first two, immediately after procuring their gifts, and the last one, after long years of happiness.
This story, though, is only an animated and interesting form of relating what happened. The brothers were probably strong magicians (according to Dumbledore) who created these hallows themselves, and were unable to understand their danger. Lust for obtaining the three hallows - especially the Elder Wand - brought many people face to face with their Death (pun intended!).
