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"You're not still mad at him, are you?" Harry asked Hermione as they all clambered up a grassy hill in Ottery St Catchpole, Lori and Ron watching a thicket of trees as they went.
"I'm always mad at him." she replied, a house just as rickety as the Burrow wading into their view, a string of kites billowing in the wind.
A large bush, flowering floating orange blooms stood one side of the door. "Keep off the dirigible plums." Ron read as Hermione knocked on the door.
The top half opened to reveal an unkempt Xenophilius Lovegood, his beady eyes scanning the four of them in turn, "What is it? Who are you? What do you want?"
Harry pushed up the stairs, "Hello, Mr Lovegood, I'm Harry Potter. We met a few months ago. Could we come in?"
With an almost unnoticeable reluctance, he eased the bottom half of the door open and beckoned the four teens in, putting together five mugs of coffee.
Lori stared through a window, Ron joining her as both gazed at the thicket again, their family home just beyond that dense copse of trees, Lori and Cedric's cottage dipped amongst a small valley.
"Where is Luna?" Hermione asked, all of them taking a mug from Lovegood and sitting in a small circle.
"Luna?" he muttered, "she'll be along. So, how can I help you, Mr Potter?"
The Weasleys and Hermione stifled looks of disgust as the vile liquid touched their lips, discreetly setting them on nearby tables.
"Well, actually," Harry began, "it was about something you were wearing on your neck at the wedding - a symbol."
Lovegood pulled a chained charm out for them to see, a triangle with a line and circle running through it, "You mean this?"
"Yes, that exactly. What we've wondered it, what is it?"
"What is it? Well, it's the sign of the Deathly Hallows, of course."
"The what?" the four all asked in unison, leaning forward in their seats.
"The Deathly Hallows," he repeated, "I assume you're all familiar with the Tale of the Three Brothers?"
Again, the four spoke in unison, though Harry was the only one who voiced he hadn't. "I have it in here." Hermione explained, bringing out her copy of the book.
"There were once three brothers," she began, "who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight."
"Midnight. Mum always said midnight." Ron cut across her, getting a roll of the eyes and sharp jab to the ribs from his sister beside him, "But twilight's fine. Better actually."
"Do you want to read it?" she quipped, Lovegood floating towards the window.
