Chapter 29 The Three Brothers Tale
Albus POV
I walked out of the floo into the ministry, quickly followed by Mother. Abeforth had to stay behind to take care of Ariana, and Mother did not want to miss this. It is going to be quite boring, I would very much prefer to stay at home and work on my homework or write to my friends. But this is important, and I simply cannot miss it.
"Albus? Albus Dumbledore?" An old lady who looked surprisingly familiar, almost like I have met her before, walked up to me.
I put on a polite smile and offered my hand. "A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss…?"
"Bagshot. Bathilda Bagshot. I read your article in Transfiguration Today. Quite a talented young man, I must say. Are you here for the Transfiguration Today Most Promising Newcomer Award?" She asked.
"Thank you. But no, I am here for the Barnabus Finkley Prize." I replied, my smile becoming fixed. I should have gotten the Transfiguration Today Award. Afterall, who can possibly be more promising than me in transfiguration? I have to master transfiguration to even get started on Alchemy! They are probably going to give the prize to an undeserving, first year brat who managed to transfigure a pot into an animal.
"...a pleasure meeting your acquaintance." A familiar voice drifted past.
My eyes snapped up towards the source. During this time, Miss Bagshot has been babbling on Transfiguration and history, and we were joined by Mother. My eyes landed on a shot of done up black hair gleaming blue as it caught the light. I have only seen that particular hair colour on one person before, and I would recognise her anywhere. But what was Seraphina doing here?
"I'm sorry, if you will excuse me, ma'am." I excused myself from their conversation. "Seraphina?" I asked as I walked up towards her.
Sure enough, she turned around and I was met with a pair of familiar golden eyes. "Quite a pleasant morning, don't you think, Albus?" She said in a way of greeting, her eyes sparking with amusement.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, a bit incredulous. She never told me she was getting a prize today.
"Why, the same reason you are here." She replied. "Anyway, let me introduce you to this lovely gentleman I was just talking to. Minister Faris Spavin, this is my dear friend Albus, Albus, Minister Faris Spavin."
"Yes, yes. It is quite a pleasure to meet you, a friend of the talented Miss Astrum. I assume you are here to support her for winning the Most Promising Newcomer in Transfiguration Award? Such a dedicated friend…"
"I am sorry gentlemen, if you will please excuse me, I would like to get some refreshments, all this talking has made me quite parched, you see." Seraphina interrupted and left.
"Certainly, Miss Astrum, now where was I? Oh yes, you must be quite talented yourself…" The Minister babbled on.
Internally, I groaned. Seraphina ditched me with the most long-winded person in the entire Britain! I looked towards Seraphina, sure enough, she was making rounds around the hall, a flute of non-alcoholic elderflower wine in hand and winked back at me. She did this on purpose! Now I need to find a way to ditch this babbling mess! Sighing, I resigned myself to a lecture.
I finally got out of the conversation with the Minister five minutes before the start of the ceremony. I found Seraphina taking a break at the refreshments table.
"Welcome back, Albus, how was your conversation with the minister?" She smirked.
"It was positively horrible. You should have told me you would be coming." I replied, taking a drink of butterbeer.
She smiled, then pouted with false hurt and disappointment. "But how will I get to see your reactions if I do that?"
I sighed. "Congratulations on winning the Transfiguration Award." At least it is not given to an undeserving idiot.
"Congratulations on getting the Barnabus Finkley Award, again. And your article to Transfiguration Today."
I was about to reply when a loud voice filled the Ministry Atrium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please be seated. The ceremony will begin shortly."
"Well, see you soon, Albus." She waved and went to sit down.
I waved back.
"Albus, there you are. I have been looking for you. Come, let's grab a seat." My mother ushered. "Let's sit next to Bathilda. She and I have been talking for the time you were gone. Did you know she is our neighbour and a famed historian?"
After seven hours of a long winded speech that put everyone to sleep, the Minister finally moved on to the actual prize giving.
"Now to our fourth prize, we are presenting the Barnabus Finkley Award for Exceptional Spell-Casting to Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore has also received the Gold Medal for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo which we will be presenting to him as well today!"
I walked on stage to receive my prize.
"Now just a few more words, I would like to applaud Mr Dumbledore's tenacity and talent…"
Oh no.
Seraphina POV
I watched bemused as Albus stood awkwardly on stage for forty-five minutes. The Minister is a very long winded old man, I am suddenly very glad that I did not receive any other prizes. But I still estimate that I will be sitting here for another few hours. I looked back down in the open book on my lap, Myths and Legends of the Wizarding World, very glad at how long it was. I flipped onto the next page and began reading.
Immortality
The Deathly Hallows
Tale of the three brothers
There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too deep to swim across. However, these brothers were learnt in the magical arts, so they simply waved their wand and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travellers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.
So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the eldest brother.
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. So Death picked up the stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.
And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility. Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.
The first brother travelled for a week or more, and reached a distant village, he sought out a fellow with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible. That very night, another wizard crept upon the eldest brother. The thief took the wand and used it to kill the first brother. And so Death took the first brother for his own.
Meanwhile, the second brother travelled to his own home, where he lived alone. Here, he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry before her untimely death, appeared before him once more. Yet she was silent and cold, separated from him as though by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally, the second brother's body gave up on him and he truly joined his love.
And so Death took the second brother for his own. But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had obtained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.
In many different legends around the western wizarding world, there exists a familiar tale. A mortal or a group of mortals impress Death, thus receiving a triad of gifts, a powerful wand, an invisibility cloak and a resurrection stone. Among them, the most famous tale would be the tale of the three brothers. Now, every child grew up hearing a variation of this story in the beloved children's book Tales by Beedle the Bard. But evidence suggests that there may be a hint of truth in the tale…
I read on, this was interesting, a triad of powerful magical artefacts gifted by Death himself. With apparent connections to famous Dark Lords throughout history. I mean, a wand that survives that long? Sounds a bit unusual, considering that the Olivanders wands were already famous because they tend to last around a person's lifetime and a little more, afterall, biological material tends to lose their magical ability over time, almost exponentially as well, almost like…what was it? It was something I had learnt in my past life, but can't for the life of me, remember, what's it called, it was a relatively recent discovery in the muggle world…radioactivity.
It should not have taken me that long to remember that. Am I losing my memory of my past? This is very concerning. I should probably be more aware-
What was I thinking about? I must have dozed off listening to Spavin's speech. I blinked, trying to shake the feeling of cobwebs in my mind. I rubbed a hand over my forehead, discretely casting a cooling charm. The sudden cold instantly shocked me awake. Much better. Now, where was I? Ah yes. The Deathly Hallows.
The speculations about what would happen if they were united sounds even wilder. Master of Death. How does one even gain Mastery over Death? Does Death appear and haul you as its master? Do you just keep living on and on and on? What if someone were to gain all three objects at once by accident? Will they still be the Master of Death? Or does that not count? If there was one thing I have been lacking in my education, it would be the chance to examine and experiment with magical artefacts. It fascinates me how rare they actually are. Not to mention how many legends there are around them. They are really disproportionate. But the Hallows, they sound so promising, with so many times they casually popped up throughout history, I am sure the tale of their origin is embellished, but the idea of three lost powerful magical artefacts is enough to make any curious person salivate at the thought of studying them. It is such a shame that I have no idea where to start hunting them…
"Now to present our last prize for today, please welcome on stage Miss Seraphina Astrum, who is the recipient of Transfiguration Today Most Promising Newcomer Award!"
I placed my book inside my bag and walked onto the stage confidently, pasting a carefree smile on my face. The last thing I would want the people in this hall to do is think that I am anything other than a bright teenager with a flare for transfiguration. The Department of Mysteries has already tried to invite me to join three times in this ceremony for goodness sake! I told them I will think about it when I graduate in two years. Honestly, I want nothing to do with a ministry with a babbling fool for a head, and sheep who hide from muggles and let muggleborns die. Honestly, being near the ministry already presents a certain set of risks, people in Britain are so peaceful that they are becoming restless, resulting in riots on little things like Quidditch Laws. With them being the only laws passed in recent years after the underage magic restriction. If there is a position I am after, it will be the Minister's, not a common researcher's.
"Allow me to congratulate this talented young woman one last time…" The Minister began.
Internally, I groaned. Looking across the hall, my eyes met Albus' and his shoulders were shaking, laughing at my expense.
Why on Earth did they choose the world's most long winded person to be minister?
