The Tale of the Three Brothers
At 10:50 a. m., four little wizards stood by the lake in the biting wind.
"Wow, is this really something a wizard could do?" Hermione exclaimed in amazement as she looked at the scepter with its surging waves. Having received Muggle education, she knew exactly how far the Bermuda Triangle, located in the southeastern part of the Florida Peninsula in North America, was from Scotland. Harry was also dumbfounded.
"Hermione, do you remember what I told you?" Ryan asked, leaning on his cane.
"Magic is a miracle. The first step to learning magic is to believe that you are omnipotent. If you can't now, that's only now," Hermione said. Ryan nodded and patted Hermione's head. Harry could only pretend not to see it, while Kate pouted.
"Ryan, so, resurrection?" Harry suddenly thought of something, his face filled with excitement.
"Oh, speaking of resurrection, we must mention a story, a story from the Tales of Beedle the Bard that is well-known in the wizarding world. Shh— Harry, let me tell you about it first."
"The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of stories written for young wizards. For centuries, these stories have been beloved bedtime readings, so Harry, Hermione, you can ask any Hogwarts student later, and they will all know the stories inside, such as the Hopping Pot and the Fountain of Fair Fortune, just as Muggle children know Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty."
"Ah, shouldn't I get to the point quickly?" Ryan glanced at the anxious Harry and the doubtful Hermione.
"That story is the legend of Bleach and the Tale of the Three Brothers," Ryan said.
"Bleach? Are there really gods? I mean, how could there be? Only God —I mean, he could also be a wizard. Magic is constantly evolving, how could there be—" Hermione interrupted Ryan, stammering incoherently.
"Hermione, in my opinion, you are not lacking in intelligence, but unfortunately you are too narrow-minded, short-sighted, and closed-minded."
"Remember the Patronus? The invincible Andros the Invincible, the wizard of Ancient Greece, someone you might consider outdated, but he could summon Patronus the size of Giant; Nicolas Flamel, an Alchemy from over six hundred years ago, created the most powerful alchemical artifact ever made— the Philosopher's Stone. He could create Elixir of Life and turn other metals into gold. Even now, he and his wife Perenelle, are still alive and living in seclusion in France. To this day, many alchemical families there still yearn to obtain and recreate the Philosopher's Stone, which is why France Alchemy is the most powerful."
"They are all wizards in your eyes who are ancient and outdated in modern magic," Ryan said seriously.
"But, Nicolas Flamel —could it also be made up? How—could that be?" Hermione stammered.
"Dumbledore's well-known contributions include: defeating the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, discovering the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood, and his fruitful work in Alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel."
"Hermione, stop interrupting. That's what the Chocolate Frog says. Nicolas Flamel is indeed still alive," Harry said, displeased. "Ryan, can you continue?"
"Wait, could Nicolas Flamel just be the name given to the most outstanding wizard of each generation in the Lemei family?" Hermione still couldn't believe it and questioned.
"Enough, Hermione, don't make wild guesses about things you haven't even encountered!"
"Immortality is not a legend. Phoenix are an immortal magical species, and even in the Muggle World, an immortal creature has been discovered—the Turritopsis dohrnii. This jellyfish can achieve infinite lifespan through repeated normal reproduction and transdifferentiation, and it is not a Magical Creatures," Ryan emphasized.
"Alright, I'll continue the Tale of the Three Brothers. There were three brothers, all of whom were powerful wizards. They escaped the trap set by Bleach with their intelligence and powerful magic. Bleach appeared and told the three brothers that each of them could receive something as a reward."
"The eldest of the three brothers is warlike and proud of his magical skills. He asked for the most powerful wand, a wand that can always help its master win."
"The second brother is arrogant. He wants the ability to resurrect the dead so as to humiliate Bleach. But Bleach doesn't care. He just picks up a stone and gives it the power to bring the dead back to life. Harry, that's the part you're most interested in, but—shh, the story should be finished."
"The third brother was the most clever. He understood that Bleach was definitely up to no good. He only made one request: the ability to remain undetected by Bleach. Bleach had no choice but to reluctantly agree and take off his cloak of invisibility."
"In the end, the eldest brother was indeed invincible, but once he left the battlefield, he was just a mortal. And so, in an unnamed tavern, his wand was taken, and his own throat was slit. The second brother couldn't wait to resurrect his lover, but she was sorrowful and indifferent; there seemed to be a veil between them. Although she returned to the human world, she didn't truly belong here. In the end, in order to be truly with her, he committed suicide. The third brother, after living until he didn't want to live anymore, took off his Invisibility Cloak, said goodbye to his son, and walked towards death." Ryan concluded. Hermione and Harry listened quietly, almost holding their breath, while Kate, beside them, had already started playing Mind Games with Ryan in her mind.
"So, a wand can make someone invincible; the Resurrection Stone can indeed bring the dead back to life, but the resurrected dead only want to continue dying and are estranged from the world; the Invisibility Cloak can make someone invisible, and wearing it indefinitely seems to make them immortal, like drinking the Elixir of Life created by the Philosopher's Stone." Harry stroked his chin and concluded, only then realizing that the coldness around him had dissipated, as if a warm current was flowing through him.
Harry didn't pay any attention; it was most likely Ryan's doing.
"Is that all there is to this story? What other evidence is there?" Hermione asked anxiously, while Harry glared at her from the side.
"The Elder Wand is best known for its unique lineage; only by seizing the wand from its previous owner can one become its true master. The Egbert the Egregious obtained the wand after slaying the Emeric the Evil. Godelot died in his cellar after his son Hereward took the wand. The terrifying Loxias killed Barnabas de Vries and stole the wand. The Elder Wand's bloody legacy is stained throughout the A History of Magic."
"The Resurrection Stone passed down through the hands of Gaunt, a descendant of Slytherin, before disappearing without a trace."
"The Invisibility Cloak, Harry, you should be most familiar with it. It has always been in Potter's possession, but now it should be in Dumbledore's hands," Ryan said with a wicked grin.
"How could that be! If there is Invisibility Cloak —my mother, my father— Dumbledore wouldn't be saying the same thing as Rita Skeeter, but Nicolas Flamel is his friend, he wouldn't—" Harry suddenly paced back and forth and roared. Everything connected. Because of his old age and his falling out with his friend Nicholas, Dumbledore could only turn his attention to his family's Invisibility Cloak!
"Ryan, Dumbledore shouldn't be like that, right? He's so kind, so—" Hermione said eagerly. Hermione was quite a fan of Dumbledore, and in the original timeline, she had gone to Gryffindor because of him.
"Yes, as far as I know, Dumbledore just borrowed the Invisibility Cloak from your parents to study it."
"Besides, they were under the protection of the Fidelius Charm' at the time, so they were completely safe and didn't need the Invisibility Cloak." After indulging in his wicked humor, Ryan explained.
"The Fidelius Charm can hide a secret within another person's soul. As long as they don't reveal it, that secret or location cannot be known or reached by outsiders," Hermione said. Ryan looked at Hermione in surprise. It was truly remarkable. Although this spell was powerful, it was very obscure and difficult to cast. Hermione had actually heard of it. For a Muggle-born witch, she was far too knowledgeable.
In Ryan's opinion, the Fidelius Charm was probably only cast by Dumbledore. Otherwise, why wouldn't the Fidelius Charm be used to protect their respective bases when Harry was being moved after Dumbledore's death?