The previous night, while Hermione had kept watch and Ron was asleep in the boy's section of the tent, Harry and I laid in my bunk and talked. He had propped one of my pillows against the headboard and leaned against that, and I had my head on his chest. I used my index finger to lazily trace circles onto the fabric covering his stomach.
"What is the symbol again?" I asked.
"It's a triangle with a line bisecting it and a circle inscribed within the triangle," he said. "Before we thought it was Grindelwald's mark- that's what Viktor Krum told us. However, Hermione is right. It's been popping up everywhere. In the book Dumbledore gave Hermione, on a gravestone in Godric's Hollow, Grindelwald, and Mr. Lovegood. I'm not sure this is the best idea, to be honest."
"You seemed in favor of it earlier," I reminded him.
"I feel like... we're trying to convince ourselves that Dumbledore left us signs and clues, but... I think he would have told me. Why would he let us wander like this?"
"I don't know," I said, leaning in a little closer. "I didn't know him very well. Or at all, really."
"I know," he said, running a hand through my hair. "I know. Sometimes I wonder if we would be so much better off if you had been in the know from the beginning. There's so much I haven't told you about what's going on and it's not fair to you..."
"I'm listening," I said.
"Not right now," he said, yawning. "It's just that sometimes I feel like you're the only one working here. You feed us the best possible food you can. There's always something hot and filling. You have enough potions to cure any ailment we might have for the next year-"
"Good god, I hope we're not still out here in a year," I said, and I saw him smile.
"... and if we came up with something you couldn't cure, I have no doubt you couldn't just whip something up. You never complain."
"You're being unfair to them," I told him. "We wouldn't even be here without Hermione. And Ron saved your life. They know everything. I'm just doing what I can with what I've been given."
"And I can't thank you enough," he said. "Without you, we'd all have starved to death long ago."
~.~
We apparated to a small village. Harry whispered in my eat that it was called Ottery St. Catchpole. All three of them looked out to the west.
"It's weird, being this near, but not going to visit," Ron said. I gathered that they were looking towards where his family lived. I couldn't exactly make out a house, but I could see a lot of apple trees.
"Well it's not like you haven't just seen them," Hermione said coolly.
"I wasn't at the Burrow!" Ron said. "I was at Shell Cottage, Bill and Fleur's place. I'm sure Fred and George would have been great about what I'd done. Not to mention Ginny..."
"She would have probably skinned you alive," Harry said.
"Probably." Ron said. He spent another moment looking towards his family's house before turning his back completely. "Let's walk this way for a bit."
We spent an hour or so walking through the fields. They were rather dead, but there was no snow on the ground. I could not complain. After an hour or so, we came to a cluster of low, rolling hills. If it had been sunnier and had any life on it, it would have been as picturesque as a postcard. After we got on the other side of the hill, we spotted the strangest house I had ever seen. It was black and circular shaped.
"That's got to be it," Ron said. He took off towards it, his long legs moving him swiftly. We had to run to keep up with him, and by the time we reached the gate in front of the house, I was clutching the stitch in my side.
THE QUIBBLER. EDITOR: X. LOVEGOOD.
PICK YOUR OWN MISTLETOE.
KEEP OFF THE DIRIGIBLE PLUMS.
Three signs were stuck on the door of the gate. They were all hand painted and hard to read. What was a Dirigible plum?
Ron wasted no time in opening the gate and moving towards the house. He knocked on the door, using a knocker shaped like an eagle.
"Harry, come up here," Hermione said. "You're the one that Mr. Lovegood wants to help, not us."
The door was flung open, and a man stood there. He was tall, barefoot and wearing a dirty nightshirt. He had the same white blonde hair that Luna did, so I had to assume this was her father. "What?" he cried out. "Who is it? What is it? What do you want?"
"Hello, Mr. Lovegood," Harry said. "It's Harry. Harry Potter."
His eyes shot straight to Harry's forehead and to the scar. "I..."
"Would it be okay if we came in?" Harry asked. "There's something we need to talk to you about."
"I... I do not think that's the best idea..." Xenophilius whispered. He looked out around the front yard. "My word... I'm afraid I really don't think I ought..."
"It won't take long," Harry said, a certain element of pleading in his voice. I looked to Hermione's
"Ah-All right then. Come in quickly!"
I had barely made it over the threshold before he slammed the door shut. In front of us was the most peculiar kitchen I had ever seen. I could not remember ever being in a perfectly round room before. All of the appliances and furniture fit into the curve, and it was all very brightly colored. To my eyes, it was bright and confusing.
It was also loud. There was a clattering and banging going on above us that shook the floor a bit. I was a little afraid of what could be making that noise.
"Up," Mr. Lovegood said gruffly. I followed Harry up a metal spiral stair case in the center of the room. As we went up, the noise only got louder and louder. The room was also incredibly messy, with papers and diagrams and models of creatures I had never before seen.
The source of the noise was an old, enchanted printing press that was printing copies of The Quibbler. Mr. Lovegood summoned a tablecloth and threw that over the press, but it did little to reduce the noise.
"Why are you here?"
"We need some help," Harry said.
"That's an Erumpant horn," Hermione said, pointing to a horn on the wall. At first glance I thought it was a unicorn horn.
"No, it's the horn of a Crumple Horned Snorkack," Xenophilius said, not missing a beat. "I bought it two weeks ago from a delightful young wizard who know of my interest in exquisite animals."
"Mr. Lovegood," Hermione said, panic on her face. "That's a Class B Tradeable Material and it's terribly dangerous to have in a house! It can explode at the slightest touch!"
"It is a horn from a Crumple Horned Snorkack," Mr. Lovegood said. "You say you need help, Mr. Potter? Help. Hmm. You see... helping Harry Potter... it's a rather dangerous gig."
"Wait," Ron said. "Aren't you the one who keeps telling everyone that their first priority should be helping Harry? Isn't that what you say in that magazine of yours?"
"I..." Xenophilius looked behind him at the printing press. "Well, yes, I suppose. however-"
"Oh, I get it," Ron said. "That's for everyone but you to do, eh?"
Guilt crossed the old man's face and he nodded. "Very well. I shall try to help you."
He went downstairs for just a moment, but I moved closer to Harry. I was very apprehensive about everything. Being in this creepy house with what was basically a bomb did not help settle my stomach.
"For heaven's sake, Ron, stay away from that horn," Hermione said.
I placed my hand on Harry's arm and we waited for Lovegood to return. He came upstairs, bearing a steaming tea pot and an assortment of tea cups. The scent wafting out of the pot stung my nose. I tried to breathe out of my mouth instead.
"May I offer you all and infusion of Gurdyroots? We make it ourselves." There was no way to say no, so I just nodded. After we were all settled in, Lovegood sat down as well.
"Now," he said. "How may I help you, Mr. Potter?"
"Well, it's about that symbol that you wore around your neck at Bill and Fleur's wedding. We were wondering what it meant."
"Do you mean the sign of the Deathly Hallows?" he asked.
"The Deathly Hallows?" I asked.
"Indeed. You haven't heard of them? I'm not surprised. Very few wizards believe in them. There is nothing Dark about them, as is usually associated with it. One simply uses the symbol to reveal oneself to others who believe."
"i'm not sure I understand," Harry said. He took a sip from the steaming mug and I watched him grimace. If I could help it I would not take a sip of the drink.
"Well you see, believer seek the Deathly Hallows," he explained.
"Which are... what, exactly?" Hermione asked.
"I assume that you are all familar with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?"
Everyone but Harry said yes.
"Well, Mr. Potter, the whole thing begins with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'... I have a copy around here somewhere," he looked around the room, as if somewhere among the papers and junk the book would just pop out.
"I have a copy right here, Mr. Lovegood." Hermione said.
"Well then why don't you read it aloud? Much better way to make sure we all understand."
"Er... all right," Hermione said. She opened the book and began to read."There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight-"
"Mum always said it was midnight," Ron said, from his sprawl on the armchair next to me. Hermione shot him an annoyed look but he continued. "I just think ut's a bit spookier if it's midnight!"
"Because we really need more fear in our lives," Harry said, shutting the two of them up. Lovegood did not seem to be paying us any attention. "Go on Hermione."
"In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were haldway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them-"
"Death spoke to them?" Harry interjected, confused.
"It's a fairy tale!" I reminded him. He nodded.
"And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually downed 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 conquireed 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 oldest brother. When the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humilate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a 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."
"Death has an Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked, interrupting again.
"Yeah!" Ron said. "Sometimes he gets tired of running after them, shrieking and flapping his arms- sorry Hermione."
"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 traveled on for a week or more, reached a distant village, sought out a fellow with whom he had a quarrel and defeated him with the Elder Wand. That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, drunk, upon his bed. The thief took his wand and slit his throat for good measure. And so Death took the first brother for his own.
"Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, turned it thrice in his hand, and to his delight the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him. Yes she was sad and cold, seperated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself as to truly join her. 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 attained 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 as equals, they departed this life."
We were all quiet for a moment or too before Lovegood seemed to realize we had stopped. "Well, there you are. Those are the Deathly Hallows."
He picked up a piece of parchment and a quill and drew it. "The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility" he drew a straight vertical line, a circle on the top of the line, and a triangle that encircled them both. "Together, The Deathly Hallows."
Author's Note: If I still have any readers left, here is a new chapter for you :) Please let me know what you think. I do not have a beta right now, so any mistakes are my own. Thank you all so much for your support.