Ignotus Peverell

Ignotus Peverell was one of the three brothers mentioned in The Tale of the Three Brothers in the book The Tales of Beedle the Bard which Hermione got in Dumbledore's will. Ignotus was described as the humblest, and the wisest of the three brothers, that was why he survived Death. He received the last of the Deathly Hallows, the Invisibility cloak that Harry now owns considering that Ignotus is his ancestor. His latest descendants are Harry James Potter, James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, and Lily Luna Potter.

Biography
According to legend, Ignotus was the youngest of the three Peverell brothers and did not trust Death by any means, and rather than ask for something to further his own desires, he requested the power to leave that meeting without being followed by Death. Death, not wishing to betray any hint of his true intentions, begrudgingly took his Invisibility cloak and gave it to Ignotus. Ignotus' two brothers met terrible fates due to the murderous lust the Elder Wand created in wizards and the limitations of the Resurrection Stone. However, Ignotus used the Cloak of Invisibility to hide from Death, successfully eluding him for many years. Finally, when he was an old man and had lived a happy, long life, Ignotus took off the Cloak, passed it on to his son, and went with Death as an old friend, but on his own terms and not those of Death. Ignotus was then buried in Godric's Hollow, in the same graveyard as James and Lily Potter, and Kendra, and Ariana Dumbledore.



Name etymology
Interestingly enough, though not surprisingly, the word "Ignotus" is yet another of Rowling's uses of the Latin language. Meaning Unknown, the name is appropriate, for during the entire novel, many things are unknown to Harry, including his alleged relation to this Peverell. Also another form of the name Ignatius, which shows up throughout history, such as Ignatius of Antioch.

Behind the scenes
According to the book Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy, the surname of Peverell disappeared fairly early in wizarding history. It is said that Harry's father inherited the Cloak, and it is also said that Ignotus had a son. However, somewhere not far down the line one of his descendants probably gave birth to a baby girl, which could explain why their family's surname so quickly disappeared. This would mean the Cloak was passed down from mother to child, until one of them had a son, continuing the father to son tradition. But it is known, according to J.K. Rowling that James Potter got the Invisibility Cloak from his father.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)
 * The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Notes and references
Ignotus Peverell Ignotus Peverell