Kassandra Bauer and the Deathly Hallows. (Book 7)

Chapter 28: Three Brothers. Three Prizes.

I turned to look at Ron, Hermione, and Harry. None of them seemed to have understood what Xenophilius had said either. But I did. 

"The Deathly Hallows?" Harry asked.

"That's right." Xenophilius answered. "You haven't heard of them? I'm not surprised. Very, very few wizards believe. Witness that knuckle- headed young man at your brother's wedding." He nodded at Ron. "Who attacked me for spotting 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." 

"The Deathly Hallows... I remember. Ethan mentioned it in Lizzie's shop once before they departed for the Middle East." I commented. "Of course... there's another tale-" 

"I'm sorry." Harry said. "But I really don't understand." 

I still didn't drink my drink. Just from Harry's reaction, it must've tasted like someone had made a liquid form of the Shit flavor for Every Flavor Beans. Why that's even a flavor, I will never know. 

"Well, you see, believers seek the Deathly Hallows." Xenophilius started, smacking his lips in apparent appreciation of the Gurdyroot infusion. 

"But what are the Deathly Hallows?" Hermione asked. 

Xenophilius set aside his empty cup. 

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

Harry said no. But Ron and Hermione and I said: "Yes." 

"The Three Brothers..." Anubis commented. "I have not heard that tale since..." 

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 and beaded bag.

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

"Er... alright." Hermione said nervously. She opened the book, and I saw that the symbol we were all investigating headed the top of the page. 

"Anubis? You heard the tale too?" I asked. 

"It wasn't so much of a tale as it was an event we heard from foreign merchants." Anubis answered. "Right around the time Horus first took the throne of Egypt." 

Hermione gave a little cough and began to read. 

"'There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at Twilight-'" 

"Midnight, our Mum always told us." Ron interrupted, who had stretched his arms our behind his head to listen. Hermione shot him a look of annoyance. 

"Sorry, I just think it's a bit spookier if it's Midnight!" Ron explained. 

"Yeah, because we really need a bit of more fear in our lives." Harry sarcastically said. 

I was too distracted by something that was on my mind. 

"Go on, Hermione." Xenophilius bayed. 

"'In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were trained 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-"