The Tale of the Three Brothers

The Tale of the Three Brothers is a fairy tale that wizard parents tell to their children. Supposedly written by Beedle the Bard, it is published as part of a series of works that collectively are called The Tales of Beedle the Bard. While most wizards view this story as one that teaches children morals (e.g. humility, wisdom, etc.), some few believe that the story refers to the Deathly Hallows, three highly powerful magical artifacts coveted by generations of wizards, and the three Peverell brothers who created them. 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' also has a different variation, referring to the twilight as midnight to make it more suspenseful for the entertainment of children, but in Dumbledore's original copy of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard it refers to the journey taking place at twilight.

Plot
One day long ago, the three Peverell brothers (Antioch Peverell, Cadmus Peverell, and Ignotus Peverell) decided to go out traveling the world together. At twilight they came to a treacherous river that had taken the lives of many people who attempts to cross to the other side. The Peverells, being expert wizards, casually whipped out their wands and created a bridge out of thin air to cross over. No sooner had they set foot on the bridge when they saw a dark, hooded figure blocking their path at the middle of the bridge. This figure was none other than Death himself, and he was outraged that he'd been cheated out of three new victims, since most people usually drowned in the river. However, Death was cunning and pretended to congratulate the three brothers for being able to "evade" him, offering each of them a prize for their skill.

Antioch, the eldest and most boastful of the Peverell brothers, desired power over others, and so he asked Death for a wand that must always win in a duel for its master, a wand worthy of a man who had conquered Death. So Death crossed to an Elder tree near the river bank, snapped off a twig from one of its branches, fashioned a wand fifteen inches in length with the core of a Thestral hair, and gave it to Antioch, promising him that the newly-created Elder Wand would be the most powerful wand in creation.

Cadmus, the middle brother, was an arrogant man and wanted to humiliate Death even further, so he asked Death for the power to bring people back from the dead. So Death walked to the river bank, picked up a black stone from the riverbed, and gave it to Cadmus, promising him that when turned over thrice in one's hand, the Resurrection Stone would have the power to bring back the dead as he had requested.

Ignotus, the youngest and wisest of the three brothers, was a humble man and did not trust Death at all, and rather than ask for something to further his own desires, he asked for something that would enable him to leave that meeting without Death being able to follow him. Death, knowing he may have been outsmarted by Ignotus but not wishing to betray his true intentions in giving the brothers their "gifts," took off his own Cloak of Invisibility that he used to sneak up on people with and gave it to Ignotus with very bad grace. This was no ordinary Invisibility Cloak, as it provided everlasting protection to its wearer and did not fade with age as most Invisibility Cloaks often do. With this, Death stepped aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their travels as they admired Death's gifts and talked of their adventure.

Eventually, the three brothers separated, each heading toward his home. Antioch reached a village and sought out a wizard with whom he had a quarrel, engaging him in a duel that left the rival wizard dead on the floor. Antioch then proceeded to a nearby inn, where he celebrated his victory and drank heavily in the process. He then drunkenly boasted of his unbeatable wand he had snatched from Death himself, claiming it made him invincible. Later that night, a greedy wizard who had overheard Antioch's ravings crept up to Antioch's room. Finding Antioch unconscious and wine-sodden, the wizard took the Elder Wand from Antioch's belongings and, for good measure, slit Antioch's throat, winning mastership of the Elder Wand for himself. So Death took back his first victim.

Meanwhile, Cadmus returned to his own home and took out the Resurrection Stone. As Death had instructed him, he turned the black stone over thrice in his hands, and, to his joy and astonishment, the image of the girl he had hoped at one point to marry before her untimely death appeared before him. However, she was cold and distant, as though being seen through a veil, and she suffered due to the fact that she no longer belonged in the world of the living and desired to go back to the world of the dead. Upset that the Resurrection Stone could not make it as though she had never died, Cadmus was driven mad with longing, and he took his own life so as to truly join his love in death. So Death took back his second victim.

Though Death searched for many long years, he was unable to find Ignotus, who successfully hid from Death for a good many years using the Cloak of Invisibility. Finally, when he was a ripe old age and had lived a long and happy life, Ignotus decided to take off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. Ignotus then greeted Death as though he were an old friend, and together they departed the world of the living as equals.

The Deathly Hallows
Main article: Deathly Hallows

The three objects mentioned during the tale are meant to be the Deathly Hallows, some of the most powerful magical objects in existence. The Elder Wand is the unbeatable wand of the oldest brother, the Resurrection Stone is the stone given to the second brother, and the Cloak of Invisibility is the cloak given to the third brother that could hide the wearer even from Death. It is believed that whoever succeeds in uniting all three of the Hallows would become the Master of Death. Xenophilius Lovegood, Gellert Grindelwald, and Albus Dumbledore were among thos who believed in these items and that they still existed.

The Peverell Brothers
Main article: Peverell brothers

The story is believed to refer to three actual brothers. These three men are Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. Antioch was the oldest brother and possessed the Elder Wand, which was not passed down in any true order. It became the property of whoever took from its previous master. It held a long and bloody history, until it came into the hands of Albus Dumbledore, who sought to change its infamous reputation and use it for the good of others. Cadmus was the middle brother and possessed the Resurrection Stone, which passed down until it came into the Gaunt family. Marvolo Gaunt was known to have possession of it, and then it chaged hands to his son Morfin, and then to his grandson Tom Riddle. Ignotus was the youngest and possessed the Cloak of Invisibility. This Cloak was passed down through his family, and was eventually given to James Potter. Before James died, Albus Dumbledore had asked to see the Cloak, and still had possession of it until he passed it to Harry Potter on Christmas Day during Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Appearances

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