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"Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death."
The Tale of the Three Brothers by Beedle the Bard[src]

Cadmus Peverell (fl. 1214) was a pure-blood[3] wizard, the middle of the Peverell brothers. Cadmus, like his brothers, was skilled in the magical arts, but personally was described as being an "arrogant man". Cadmus and his brothers were the inspiration for the The Tale of the Three Brothers and thus the original masters of the Deathly Hallows.

Cadmus was said to have possessed the Resurrection Stone, though the exact circumstances of this are unknown.[4]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Sometime early in his life, Cadmus fell in love with a woman, and the two were engaged to be married. However, she died before this union could take place.[4] Despite his fiancée dying, Cadmus was able to father an heir; whether it was with this woman — and she died in or after childbirth — or with another woman, is unknown.

Meeting Death[]

Tumblr m4eabyXx1j1qcd6r7o3 r1 250

Death bestows the Resurrection Stone to Cadmus

In The Tale of the Three Brothers, Cadmus was walking along a lonely, winding road one night with his two brothers. The trio reached a river too wide to cross under normal means, and conjured a bridge to cross it. At this, Death appeared before them, angry that they had so easily crossed a river that many usually die on while crossing. However, he pretended to be impressed, and offered each brother a gift. Cadmus, seeking to further humiliate Death, requested a stone that would have the power to bring the dead back to life, which Death provided for him.[4]

An alternative and more logical version of this story proposed by Albus Dumbledore was that Cadmus was merely a very skilled wizard who had created the Resurrection Stone himself.[5]

Using the Resurrection Stone and death[]

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His lost love and death

Regardless of how the Resurrection Stone was created, Cadmus returned to his home with it and used it to revive his dead lover. However, he soon found she had not been truly revived. She appeared sad and cold, and he felt as if a veil still separated them.

Driven mad with longing, Cadmus committed suicide so as to truly be reunited with his lost love.[4]

Post-mortem[]

Cadmus apparently fostered an heir before his death, as the Gaunt family were direct descendants of Cadmus.[6]

Following his death, Cadmus was laid to rest in the churchyard by the Parish Church of St. Clementine, in Godric's Hollow, along with his brothers Antioch and Ignotus.[7]

The Resurrection Stone would go on to be set into a ring, which would be passed down through the Gaunt family,[8] and eventually be turned into a Horcrux by Tom Riddle, a distant descendant of Cadmus.[9]

Personality and traits[]

According to The Tales of Beedle the Bard, "The Tale of the Three Brothers", Cadmus was arrogant as when offered a gift by Death, he chose an object that he believed would further humiliate Death. He was also incredibly devoted to his fiancée even after she died, as he tried to use the Resurrection Stone to bring her back to life, and eventually killed himself to be with her.[4]

It is possible that Cadmus's true personality was nobler than his depiction in the tale, since the spirits summoned by the Resurrection Stone were capable of protecting its users from the influence of Dark creatures such as Dementors. Also, the living were able to draw comfort and strength from the spirits of their loved ones, as was exemplified in Harry's case when facing Voldemort. Furthermore, the symbols of his brothers' specific creation (the Elder Wand and the Cloak of Invisibility) as well as his own were etched into the stone, implying that he had a great amount of respect for his brothers and their work.

Magical abilities and skills[]

Marvolo Gaunt's Ring

The ring containing the Resurrection Stone, which later became one of Voldemort's Horcruxes

  • Transfiguration: Cadmus, along with his two brothers, was capable of creating a long and stable bridge out of thin air. This was a form of Conjuration, which was a very difficult branch of magic.[4]
  • Owner of the Resurrection Stone: Cadmus was the first owner of the Resurrection Stone which would later become one of the famous Deathly Hallows. Cadmus used the stone effectively but was overly dependent of it, letting its powers bring about his own death.[4]
  • Magical manufacturer (possibly): It is uncertain if Cadmus actually obtained the Resurrection Stone from Death. Albus Dumbledore believed it was more likely that Cadmus and his brothers created the three Hallows themselves.[5]

Etymology[]

The name Cadmus may have been taken from the legendary ancient Greek Cadmus, founder of the city of Thebes. In the myth, he marries the minor goddess Harmonia, the daughter of Ares. Harmonia later comes into possession of a beautiful necklace, but this item in truth is cursed and causes great pain among Cadmus's descendants (a possible allegory for the Resurrection Stone, the cause of Cadmus Peverell's death as well as the object of a curse many years later or to the Opal Necklace in Borgin and Burkes).

Also worth noting that, in Greek Myth Cadmus created life by sowing dragon's teeth into the Earth. This is somewhat ironic when one considers that, the Resurrection Stone he was given (or created himself), brings back the dead (thus "creating life" in a manner of speaking), and the final fate of the stone is to be buried in the earth and lost.

Behind the scenes[]

Cadmus2

Concept art of Cadmus

  • The Gaunt family claimed to be descended from both the Peverell family and the Slytherin family; it is probable that the two bloodlines intermarried in a later generation.
  • The House of Gaunt are direct descendants of Cadmus Peverell, so it is certain that Cadmus had at least one child in his lifetime. It is not specified if the woman he intended to marry was the mother, or if Cadmus had fathered children from a previous or later relationship. Albus Dumbledore believed that, in reality, the Deathly Hallows had not been gifts from Death but rather inventions of the Peverells themselves. Given that there are no means for Beedle to know of what really happened, it is assumed that the account of Cadmus's death was simply fictionalised by Beedle.
  • The chapter art from The Tales of Beedle the Bard shows that Cadmus committed suicide by drinking poison, whereas the scene from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 film shows that he hanged himself. In the video game, he kills himself via a Killing Curse.
  • In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, Cadmus is grabbed by Death along with his brothers taking place in his home but what happened to the Resurrection Stone before Tom Riddle is unknown.
  • The fan theory that Cadmus made the Resurrection Stone is supported by how in The Tale of the Three Brothers, Cadmus knew to turn the stone thrice in his hand for it to work despite Death never telling him how to use it.
  • There is also a fan hypothesis that Cadmus created the Veil in his mission to bring his fiancée back, but only succeeded in creating an unpassable pathway between the living and dead.

Appearances[]

Wiki
The Harry Potter Wiki has 23 images related to Cadmus Peverell.

Notes and references[]

  1. Harry Potter Film Wizardry (see this image) As an older brother, Cadmus must have been born before Ignotus.
  2. Harry Potter Film Wizardry (see this image) As Cadmus dies second of the three brothers, his date of death must be before Ignotus'
  3. 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 22 (The Deathly Hallows) - "The only place I’ve managed to find the name ‘Peverell’ is Nature’s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. I borrowed it from Kreacher,” she explained as Ron raised his eyebrows. “It lists the pure-blood families that are now extinct in the male line. Apparently the Peverells were one of the earliest families to vanish.”"
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 21 (The Tale of the Three Brothers)
  5. 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35 (King's Cross)
  6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10 (The House of Gaunt)
  7. Pottermore - Explore the story: "Godric's Hollow graveyard"
  8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 13 (The Secret Riddle)
  9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 23 (Horcruxes)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
By Beedle the Bard
Tales of Beedle the Bard
Stories

Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump · The Fountain of Fair Fortune · The Warlock's Hairy Heart · The Tale of the Three Brothers · The Wizard and the Hopping Pot

Characters

Altheda · Amata · Amata's lover · Antioch Peverell · Antioch Peverell's enemy · Antioch Peverell's killer · Asha · Babbitty · Brigade of Witch-Hunters · Cadmus Peverell · Cadmus Peverell's fiancée · Captain of the Brigade of Witch-Hunters · Charlatan · Death · Evil sorcerer · Gigantic white worm · Ignotus Peverell · Ignotus Peverell's son · King · Maiden · Maiden's kinsfolk · Old man · Old man's donkey · Old man's family · Peasant woman · Peasant woman's granddaughter · Sabre · Sir Luckless · Warlock · Warlock's family · Warlock's friends · Wizard · Wizard's father · Young woman · Young woman's child

Objects

Altheda's potion · Altheda's wand · Cloak of Invisibility · Creepers · Crystal casket · Elder Wand · Fountain · Gold statue of Babbitty · Hairy Heart · The Hopping Pot · Poisonous toadstool · Poultice for warts · Resurrection Stone · Silver chalice

Locations

Altheda's home · Cadmus Peverell's house · Enchanted garden · Lonely, winding road · Never-ending hill · River

Known owners of the Deathly Hallows
Hallows
Elder Wand
Death (manufacturer) · Antioch Peverell · Antioch Peverell's killer · Emeric the Evil · Egbert the Egregious · Godelot · Hereward · Barnabas Deverill · Loxias · Arcus or Livius · Mykew Gregorovitch · Gellert Grindelwald · Albus Dumbledore · Draco Malfoy (master only) · Tom Riddle (owner only) · Harry Potter · (Interred)
Resurrection Stone
Death (manufacturer) · Cadmus Peverell · (generations of Gaunts) · Marvolo Gaunt · Morfin Gaunt · Tom Riddle · Albus Dumbledore · Harry Potter · (Lost)
Cloak of Invisibility
Death (manufacturer) · Ignotus Peverell · Ignotus Peverell's son · Iolanthe Potter · (generations of Potters) · Henry Potter · Fleamont Potter · James Potter I · Albus Dumbledore (owner only) · Harry Potter · James Potter II · Albus Potter
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