The Key (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Chapter 40: Lovegood

Amelia's P.O.V
So Hermione and I have had an idea. We're not sure which way it'll go but we have to try it. You see, we were thinking, you know when Harry said he saw Xenophilius Lovegood wearing that weird symbol at Bill and Fleur's wedding? Well, we're going to ask him if he knows what it means. Because if it was inked into Hermione's book of the tales of beedle and the bard, then Dumbledore might've put it in, as it was his in the first place. He only gave us information that he thought we need, and he's proved helpful so far, so why not now? Harry and Ron aren't really sure about it, but they've agreed to it anyway. My foot still hurts like hell, and I seriously want to strangle that snake, but at least I can limp on it (kind of... not really) it's still painful to do so, though. Hermione has forgiven Ron for what he did, but it's still a bit awkward between them, but it will be like that for a while, but they'll get used to each other, eventually.

Crack!

I felt my dangling feet press onto firm ground as I opened my eyes, scanning the landscape around me. We were in a very large field of lush green grass, surrounded by a forest of fresh smelling trees, in the middle was what looked like a massive tree trunk that had been turned into a house. That's Luna alright. That was when I remembered this place properly, we were very near the Burrow, where the Weasley's live. I knew we all wanted to run over the hill to see them, but that was definately not an option, unless we wanted everyone to be killed. All four of us trudged through the muddy field, careful not to step in any puddles while we walked until we reached the Lovegood residence. I climbed up the stairs and glanced over to my left, were a plant with floating plums growing off it stood. Ron read the 'keep off' sign next to it aloud and gave us all a strange look which we returned. I knocked on the door lightly and waited as thundering footsteps trailed up to the door, which swiftly opened just a crack, where a man with long white hair poked his head through.

"What do you want?" He asked us and Harry stepped forward.

"Hello, Mr Lovegood. I'm Harry Potter, we spoke at the wedding. We need to ask you something." Harry greeted politely and Mr Lovegood hesitantly let us in. We stepped inside the room, the floorboards creaking under our feet. It wasn't a tidy place, it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while. The walls were a pale blue colour that was peeling off a bit, there was papers and quills and strange looking objecs scattered everywhere. Mr Lovegood lead us over to a living area where odd chairs sat around a small, circular table. I sat down on a wooden stool next to Harry as Xenophilius handed us a cup of tea each then settling himself down on one of the spare chairs.

"So where is Luna, Mr Lovegood?" I asked after a while.

"She'll be along shortly, no need to worry, Miss Potter." He replied, putting on a smile which was obviously fake. I lifted the cup to my lips and poured some of the steaming tea into my mouth, only to have a vile taste hit my tongue. I hid the grimace that almost appeared on my face and kept the mug in my lap.

"How can I be of service to you, Mr Potter?" Xenophilius asked, sipping his cup of tea.

"It's actually about the necklace you were wearing at the wedding - the symbol." Harry started and Mr Lovegood held up a chain that was hanging around his neck, hooked onto the end was the same symbol that was drawn in Hermione's story book.

"Do you mean this?"

"Yes, we've been wondering what it is, or what it means." Harry answered and Mr Lovegood gave him a look.

"This is the sign of the Deathly Hallows." He explained and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"The what?" I piped in, my voice higher than I meaned it to be.

"I assume you all know the tale of the three brothers?" Xenophilius asked, Hermione and Ron immediatly said yes, but Harry and I said no.

"I have it in my book." Hermione stated, rumaging around him her beaded bag until she pulled out the tales of The Beedle and the Bard. She flipped through the book until she reached a certain page and began to read.

"There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely winding road at twilight-" Hermione got interupted by Ron.

"Mum, she always used to say Midnight." Hermione shot him a look and coninued reading.

"In time, the brothers reached a river too dangerous to pass. But being learned in the magical arts, the three brothers simply waved their wands and conjured up a bridge. Before they could cross, however, they found their path blocked by a hodded figure. It was Death, and he felt cheated. Cheated because travelers would normally drown in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to crangratulate the three brothers on their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. The oldest asked for a wand more powerful than any in existance. So Death fashioned him one from an elder tree that stood nearby. The second brother decided he wanted to humiliate Death even further and asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave. So Death plucked a stone from the river and offered it to him. Finally, Death turned the third brother. A humble man, he asked for something that would allow him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.

The first brother travelled to a distant village where, with the Elder Wand in hand he killed a wizard with whom he had once quarreled. Drunk with the power that the Elder Wand had given him he bragged of his invincibility. But that night, another wizard stole the wand and slit the brother's throat for good measure. And so Death took the first brother for his own.

The second brother journeyed to his home where he took the stone and turned it thrice in hand. To his delight, the girl he'd once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared before him. Yet, soon she turned sad and cold, for she did not belong in the mortal world. Driven mad with hopeless longing the second brother killed himself so as to join her. And so Death took the second brother.

As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him. Only when he attained a great age did the youngest brother shed the Cloak of Invisibility and give it to his son. He then greeted Death as an old friend and went with him gladly, departing this life as equals." She recieted, closing the book after the last word.

"So there it is. That is the story of the Deathly Hallows." Lovegood said, looking a bit distant.

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand." Harry said and Xenophilius looked towards him before dashing over to a desk and picking up a stick of coal and a piece of parchment. We followed him and watched as he heavily drew a long, thick black line on the dirty paper.

"That is the Elder Wand. People know it as the most powerful wand ever created." He then inked in an oval that went half way up the picture of the wand.

"That is the Resurrection Stone, it can bring anyone back from the dead for a period of time." Lovegood continued, and finally, he drew a triangle around the whole thing, making up the symbol.

"And the Cloak of Invisibility, together, all three make the Deathly Hallows, one master of death." Xenophilius told us and I glanced at Harry who shared my slightly worried look.

"That sign was on a grave at Godric's Hollow." Hermione said, making us all look over to her.

"Sir, does the Peverell family have anything to do with the Hallows?" She asked curiously and he nodded, rushing back to the table.

"Er- yes, the three Peverell brothers were the original owners of the Deathly Hallows, so they were the inspiration for the story. Oh dear, your erm, teas gone cold, I'll be right back." He stammered, picking up our cups and taking them down the creaky, winding stairs, muttering inaudible words to himself.

"Let's just leave. I'm not drinking anymore of that stuff, hot or cold." Ron said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. All four of us stepped down the staircase and saw Mr Lovegood cooking up another batch of tea.

"Thank you, Mr Lovegood." Hermione said politely, startling him.

"You've been a great help to us." I stated with a smile.

"You forgot the water. In the er- tea I mean." Ron piped in and I rolled my eyes.

"Did I really? How foolish of me." Xenophilius answered with a laugh, going over to boil some water.

"You don't have to. We should really be going now." Hermione told him and he dropped a metal bowl.

"NO YOU CAN'T!" He bellowed before rushing to the door, blocking it.

"You're my only hope. They were furious, about what I was writing in the Quibbler. So they took her from me. They stole my Luna." He whimpered, walking over to Harry and I, moving our hair out of the way so he could see our scars.

"But it's actually you they want." He continued, no longer looking as though he was about to cry.

"Who took her? Who took Luna, sir?" Harry asked, looking up at the man.

"Voldemort." Lovegood said simply and the windows smashed, throwing glass everywhere. Harry pulled me down to the ground so the glass wouldn't hit me. Deatheater's flew around the house in their clouds of pure black smoke, throwing spells and jinxes everywhere. We all crawled across the floor while Xenophilius screamed "Stop! I have them!" which was obviously talkinig about us. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I linked hands before apparating out of that death trap. He was going to give us to Voldemort.