As he stepped foot on the other side of the river, Ignotus felt a chill pass over him. Death was angry; Death was not a being you wanted to enrage. The shrouded being rose from the river and, instead of taking its vengeance as Ignotus expected, offered the "clever wizards" each a "gift" or prize for besting it. Ignotus regarded its slick demeanor warily; he knew Death would always reap its reward, often in unexpected ways.
Ignotus stood frozen in horror as Antioch, his eldest brother, asked Death for an unbeatable wand. "You fool," he thought to himself as Antioch caressed the Elder Wand. Yes, the wand was beautiful, and anyone could feel the power that it radiated. In the hands of a wizard as powerful and ambitious as Antioch, it would be a weapon feared by all who looked up on it. But that's all it would ever be – a weapon. Ignotus could only dream of the things a wand that powerful could create: permanent enchantments to rival goblin work, supercharged healing potions for thus-far incurable illnesses, wizardry to test the very laws of magic. But he knew that was a pipe dream. In the hands of Antioch and others like him, the Elder Wand was doomed to a life of war and death.
If Antioch, the cleverest and most calculating of the brothers, could request such a terrible gift, Ignotus was afraid to see what the passionate, emotional Cadmus would come up with.
Ignotus's heart sank when Cadmus asked for a way to bring back those who had passed on. He understood his brother's heartbreak; to lose your soulmate would never be considered easy. But it was something that every witch and wizard learned from a young age – those who had gone beyond were meant to stay beyond. Terrible fates befell those who meddled with the line between life and death. But all the same, Death pulled a smooth, round black stone from the river and passed it to Cadmus. Ignotus wondered just how well the stone would work. Would the souls be able to interact with the world, or would they be doomed to only watch life from the sidelines? In theory, the stone would be an incredible tool to communicate with those beyond. In the possession of a calmer, more logical man, the stone could be used to bring closure to those whose loved ones died tragically soon. But as long as the stone was with Cadmus, it would never be anything more than an anchor to a woman already dead.
Ignotus thought hard about his own gift. He had always been the pragmatic yet laid-back brother. He had no ambition to be unconquerable, and he had no great love to wrest from Death's grip. He simply wanted to live a very long, very happy life.
When he asked for a way to hide from Death, Ignotus swore he saw the being's shoulders sag. From an unseen hiding place, Death pulled its own cloak of invisibility and thrust it at the youngest brother. Antioch took one look at the shimmery cloth and scoffed. What was the point in hiding when you could be invincible? Cadmus considered the cloak in confusion. Why choose something with no power to actively bring you joy? Ignotus just shrugged off their disdain; he was pleased with his own gift, feeling in his heart that it was the best and most powerful of the three. Only time would tell.
Time proved Ignotus right. The Elder Wand became a thing of legend, and Antioch was killed for it shortly after its creation. Cadmus brought his true love's soul back from the beyond, but she couldn't truly live. He eventually threw himself into that same fateful river just to be with her again. And Ignotus? He grieved his brothers' foolishness and deaths. But he himself hid from Death, lived a long, happy life, and, when the time came, greeted Death as an old friend.
Written for The Houses Competition
Slytherin, Year 6- Additional
Prompt: 607-670 words, must be about a character from the Tales of Beedle the Bard
Word Count: 660