Harry Potter and the Archway of the Dead

Chapter sixteen: Secrets And Legends

HARRY POTTER AND THE ARCHWAY OF THE DEAD

Chapter sixteen: Secrets and Legends

"It vas in a time of turmoil. The Vizarding Schools had just been created. In those times, non-magic Kings sought alliances vit vizards to increase their vealth and pover. Some vizards even took part in vars, such as Villiam Peverell who vas a Knight.

"The King whom Peverell served vas obsessed vit the legend of Destina Nobilis, or the Deathly Hallows, three magical objects offered to three brothers as a gift from the hands of Death, also known as Hades, Lord of the Underworld. According to the tale, the objects hold great individual pover, but no one knew vat vould happen if the Hallows vere to be united under a single bearer. The King had this theory that even greater pover vould emerge and that the bearer vould become immortal. So, the King commissioned the Knight Peverell to go on a search and bring him back all three objects.

"Villiam Peverell travelled for many years and during that time there vere many battles. The King grew old and lost all of his sons in meaningless fights. On his deathbed, he summoned Peverell back. They spoke in private for a long time, and then the King died. Many believe that it vas at that moment that the King revealed to Peverell that he vas in possession of at least one or two of the sacred objects. As for the Knight, he became known as Villiam 'The Elder' Peverell, so ve can assume that he had at least the Elder Vand."

"William Peverell had the Cloak too," Harry cut in, sitting on the edge of the table. "He must have been Ignotus' great-grandson or something."

Hermione gave a quick nod and Viktor continued.

"After that, Peverell vent to Durmstrang and taught Duelling for a few years. He vas also very involved in the first Vizard Laws. Too many innocent had died and it vas becoming imperative to render some curses illegal, like the Killing Curse. But the real problem vasn't making Laws, it vas applying punishment."

"Muggle prisons weren't quite up to the challenge," Hermione commented.

"That's correct," said Viktor and Hermione smiled as though she had just given a right answer in History of Magic. "Peverell vas very famous by then and so the Chief Varlock charged him vit the task of finding the location for the first vizard prison.

"So Peverell took a ship and vent to sea vit a Muggle crew. He vas gone for many months. And then, one night, there vas a deadly storm. Magic vas of no use and Peverell lost the ship's entire crew and found himself alone on a tiny island. It vas barely a spit of rocks on vich there vas nothing but a single arch made of stone. And so, having nothing left to loose, Peverell valked through the Archvay of the Dead. This gave birth to the idea that the Deathly Hallows hold some kind of protection against Death. He couldn't have valked through the Gate and come back to tell the tale othervise. No one ever returns from the Undervorld.

"The rest belongs to legend, really. Peverell made a deal vit Hades, the Lord of the Undervorld, asking for his consent to build the prison on the island. The Dark Lord agreed and even offered the Dementors to guard the prison, but under the condition that the he vould collect the souls of those who commit a capital offence through the Dementors' Kiss.

"So Azkaban Prison vas built around the Stone Arch and no one vas allowed to valk through the Gate, except Villiam Peverell. Many tried, of course, but ven Peverell vas asked to bring those people back, he said that he couldn't bring back the dead. At one point, there vas a movement of protest and they tried to destroy the Gate, but Peverell told them that vithout the Gate, they vould loose the Dementors as vell. Therefore, the Gate remained.

"Many years passed, but Peverell did not seem to age. If he vas sick or hurt, he vould step into the Gate and come back good as new moments later. In Azkaban, there vere rumours that he must have bargained vit Hades to extend his life indefinitely. It became a tale among the prisoners, an account kept secret, and the Destina Nobilis Society vas created. Its members, the Triskelions, passed on the knowledge. And eventually the story escaped the walls of Azkaban."