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. He received the last of the Deathly Hallows, the Invisibility Cloak that Harry now owns considering that Ignotus is his ancestor.

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 off 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.

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. His descendants are Harry Potter's children James Sirius, Albus Severus and Lily Luna.

Behind the scenes
According to Hermione, surname Peverell had quickly disappeared. It is said that Harry's father inherited Cloak, and it is also said that Ignotus had a son. However, wife of Ignotus' son or grandson probably gave birth to a baby girl, which could explain why their family's surname so quickly disappeared. But it is known, according to J.K. Rowling that James Potter I got the Invisibility Cloak drom his father.