Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor any of the characters related to it. I do not own the idea of the Incarnations and their offices, those are from the Incarnations of Immortality series. I did take some creative liberty in the sense that the story of Three Brothers, though I stayed true to it as much as I could.

Author's Note: I am trying to get back into writing so please be patient with me as I find my style again. Thank you.

This is not the story you know. Stories change when they are not written down, and this story takes place nearly 200 years before the children's story was written down. That said, the legend did not get everything wrong about the life, and death, of the Perevell brothers…

The Perevell estate sat just beyond town. With ample land, the three brothers had inherited enough to delay the inevitable separation that they knew would come. Traditionally, the eldest brother inherited the land and estate, while the latter siblings found other ways to survive. Typically, one would become a soldier and the other would join the church. But that was not to be in this case, for the church was a dangerous place for a wizard.

Antioch Perevell, the eldest brother, was a handsome young man. With black hair, which only made his blue eyes seem even bluer, he looked like the image of his late father. However, while his father was kind, Antioch was not known for his kindness. He would rather be feared than loved, for those who feared you would never dare betray you but love could be blown out in a moment. It was not that he had been raised to be so cruel, but he was alone when his parents passed suddenly. Both of his brothers were finishing their schooling at Hogwarts, though only his youngest brother would finish the full seven years, and their education was more important.

Cadmus was the next in line. He was taller than his brother, and leaner. Where his brother had talents in strength, Cadmus' talent was in magic. He could have gone on to do many jobs in the wizarding world, but he left Hogwarts before completing his seventh year to help his brother manage things back home. Soon, he had met the woman who was now his wife, Miriam Dilgitis. Her father had no sons, and operated a smaller estate a few days ride to the south. The couple frequently went between the two estates when they could since Miriam was close to her brother-in-law.

The youngest Perevell child was Ignotus. If any were to be sent to the church it would have been him, since he preferred his books above all else. Though the family's black hair was upon his head, his eyes were blue-grey that resembled a cloudy sky like his mother. He had refused to return home before completing school, though now he helped around the estate as needed. He planned to find a wife and settle down when he could, but for now he was content.

This tale begins at a joyous event. The three brothers were gathered together in the kitchen. The family cook had tried to get Cadmus to eat, but he refused. Occasionally, the screams from upstairs would drift down to them. Miriam had gone into labor far earlier than she should have. While Cadmus was concerned for the child, he was even more concerned for his wife. They had been barely married a year, and the thought of it being so short weighed heavy on him.

A knock on the door startled them and Antioch rose as one of the servant entered. She was a mousey little thing and her hair, a dirty blonde hue, veiled her face when she glanced down.

"Sir, there is a woman here with herbs for the midwife to ease the Mistress' pain," she said without looking up. Antioch said nothing and went to the door himself. The midwife was a witch, and he would not risk the church learning of magic while his family was susceptible to punishment. He opened the wooden door himself, and saw a young couple standing outside. The woman held a basket, with its contents covered by a blanket. The woman glanced at her companion, as if judging his lead.

"This is my wife, Deidre. She has brought some herbs to heal the birthing pains. We heard them when we were passing by," the man said, lifting the blanket. Inside the basket were devil's claw, rosenip, and boswellia.

Deidre slipped her hand inside the basket and shifted a few of the herbs to revel a slender piece of wood… a wand. Her blue eyes lifted to his as if to measure if he understood her message before letting the flowers fall back into place. Antioch looked at them for a moment longer. The woman was young, with dark brown hair that glimmered red in the light. Her husband was older, with a full beard already speckled with grey. He doubted this had been a match of their making, though that was not unusual among the purebloods these days in an attempt to keep their lines from being sullied. Judging by their dress, they had accumulated a decent amount of wealth.

Antioch called to the servant, "Take this woman to the midwife. Tell her to put her to use in any way she sees fit to ease the birthing pains." The servant did a small nod and turned to head for the stairs. Deidre touched her husband's hand for a moment and then slipped in without another word.

"Come join us while we wait for the women?" Antioch asked, leading the man into the other room.

Deidre paused outside the room to thank the servant, who slipped away again to go about her other tasks. Her hand rested on the door for a moment before she turned sharply. She stared at the cloaked figure who the servant passed without acknowledgment. A faint smiled crossed her lips as he approached.

"Since when do you greet the dead personally?" the figure asked softly, stepping a little closer.

"I am not here to take the baby or her mother, Thanatos. I am here on a social call. Besides, I do not like to see a woman in pain," she said dismissively.

"You are much gentler than your predecessor. He did not to get involved in the day to day matters," Thanatos said, coming to stand beside her now, glancing at the door. "You know it is almost time and this one I cannot change..."

"I know," she cut him off. "Just be quick about it. Take her soul, and please don't let her suffer any longer than she must… I will make sure the baby is cared for."

With that, she slipped into the room, leaving Death in the hall. The woman would perceive him when he entered, as the client and her loved ones tended to do. Deidre was the exception to the rule because she was another incarnation. Certain key aspects of the world, such as death, war, and nature, had mortal incarnations that assisted in keeping the order. Thanatos, though that was not his mortal name, held the office of Death and came to assist those souls that were in near balance to transition from this life. Deidre… Deidre had been chosen unanimously by the other incarnations to be Goodness, or what many of the mortals mistook as God, when the previous position holder had neglected his duties and abandoned the people in his care to the whims of wizards who wanted to play God during the ancient times. Now, their stories were mere myths, though their names were still known. Zeus, Hades, Minerva… But they were long gone now, and he could tell by the gems on his wrist the time was close to do his job…

Cadmus paced for a moment before excusing himself outside. The stranger who had been sitting with them, they had learned his name was Quinn, rose for a moment and muttered something about moving their horses to the pasture if that was acceptable to the hosts. He slipped outside and spotted Cadmus standing near the fence as he led two stallions with onyx coats through the gates. One turned to him and snorted, causing Quinn to smile. They did not need to feed here, but he needed to catch Cadmus alone…

"You do not remember me, do you?" Quinn asked, his finger absent-mindedly toying with the ring on his left hand. "Fine, I will remind you. We made a deal, you and I. One year ago, I made way for you to be in a position to marry your beautiful bride. It is time you paid me back, dear Cadmus."

A sudden flash of understanding crossed the other man's face and his voice grew low and dangerous, "It is low to come to me for payment on the day my child is born, demon! Is your temptress upstairs going to harm my wife if I say no? Is that what is happening?"

Quinn waved dismissively, "Deidre is my wife, not a demoness or temptress. She does not reside in Hell with me and you had best leave it at that. I do not take kindly to those who insult my family."

"Lucifer has a family," Cadmus scoffed.

"He does, and you had best remember that he is very protective of them," he said stepping closer, a reddish glint crossing his eyes. Cadmus faltered a little, stepping away. Yet he did not yell, nor did he return to the house. He had made the deal when all he could think of was how badly he wanted to be with Miriam…

A third voice broke through the silence causing Quinn to stiffen slightly. He had waited too long he realized as a male servant hurriedly tried to explain that something had gone terribly wrong. The midwife had done everything she could, but Miriam did not survive the birth of their daughter.

Cadmus felt his legs give beneath him. He grabbed a nearby rock and threw it towards the servant in anger, shouting at him to get out. He rounded on Quinn, convinced he had something to do with this, "Get out. You and your whore get out of here! Our deal is off! If I ever see your face again I will kill you!"

Though Quinn saw him reach for his wand, the Incarnation was quicker. He disarmed the distraught man when he saw Deidre approaching. His want was still drawn, though he noted that she now wore the white protective cloak. She held a bundle close to her chest which he quickly recognized as a baby…

"Your daughter," Deidre said softly.

"Probably damaged by your black magic! I have no use for a girl!" he said bitterly. He turned one last time to Quinn. "There, I got nothing from our deal, and so you get nothing."

With that, he stormed back into the house.