hat very moment。
〃Exactly；〃 said Xenophilius； as if he had defeated them all in reasoned argument。 〃None of you have ever seen such a thing。 The possessor would be immeasurably rich； would he not？〃
He glanced out of the window again。 The sky was now tinged with the faintest trace of pink。
〃All right；〃 said Hermione； disconcerted。 〃Say the Cloak existed。 。 。 what about that stone； Mr。 Lovegood？ The thing you call the Resurrection Stone？〃
〃What of it？〃
〃Well； how can that be real？〃
〃Prove that is not；〃 said Xenophilius。
Hermione looked outraged。
〃But that's … I'm sorry； but that's pletely ridiculous！ How can I ipossiblyi prove it doesn't exist？ Do you expect me to get hold of … of all the pebbles in the world and test them？ I mean； you could claim that ianything'si real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's iprovedi it doesn't exist！〃
〃Yes； you could；〃 said Xenophilius。 〃I am glad to see that you are opening your mind a little。〃
〃So the Elder Wand；〃 said Harry quickly； before Hermione could retort； 〃you think that exists too？〃
〃Oh； well； in that case there is endless evidence；〃 said Xenophilius。 〃The Elder Wand is the Hallow that is most easily traced； because of the way in which it passes from hand to hand。〃
〃Which is what？〃 asked Harry。
〃Which is that the possessor of the wand must capture it from its previous owner； if he is to be truly master of it；〃 said Xenophilius。 〃Surely you have heard of the way the wand came to Egbert the Egregious； after his slaughter of Emeric the Evil？ Of how Godelot died in his own cellar after his son； Hereward； took the wand from him？ Of the dreadful Loxias； who took the wand from Baraabas Deverill； whom he had killed？ The bloody trail of the Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of Wizarding history。〃
Harry glanced at Hermione。 She was frowning at Xenophilius； but she did not contradict him。
〃So where do you think the Elder Wand is now？〃 asked Ron。
〃Alas； who knows？〃 said Xenophilius； as he gazed out of the window。 〃Who knows where the Elder Wand lies hidden？ The trail goes cold with Arcus and Livius。 Who can say which of them really defeated Loxias； and which took the wand？ And who can say who may have defeated them？ History； alas； does not tell us。〃
There was a pause。 Finally Hermione asked stiffly； 〃Mr。 Lovegood； does the Peverell family have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows？〃
Xenophilius looked taken aback as something shifted in Harry's memory； but he could not locate it。 Peverell。 。 。 he had heard that name before。 。 。
〃But you have been misleading me； young woman！〃 said Xenophilius； now sitting up much straighter in his chair and goggling at Hermione。 〃I thought you were new to the Hallows Quest！ Many of us Questers believe that the Peverells have everything … ieverything！i … to do with the Hallows！〃
〃Who are the Peverells？〃 asked Ron。
〃That was the name on the grave with the mark on it； in Godric's Hollow；〃 said Hermione； still watching Xenophilius。 〃Ignotus Peverell。〃
〃Exactly！〃 said Xenophilius； his forefinger raised pedantically。 〃The sign of the Death Hallows on Ignotus's grave is conclusive proof！〃
〃Of what？〃 asked Ron。
〃Why； that the three brothers in the story were actually the three Peverell brothers； Antioch； Cadmus and Ignotus！ That they were the original owners of the Hallows！〃
With another glance at the window he got to his feet； picked up the tray； and headed for the spiral staircase。
〃You will stay for dinner？〃 he called； as he vanished downstairs again。 〃Everybody always requests our recipe for Freshwater Plimply soup。〃
〃Probably to show the Poisoning Department at St。 Mungo's；〃 said Ron under his breath。
Harry waited until they could hear Xenophilius moving about in the kitchen downstairs before speaking。
〃What do you think？〃 he asked Hermione。
〃Oh； Harry；〃 she said wearily； 〃it's a pile of utter rubbish。 This can't be what the sign really means。 This must just be his weird take on it。 What a waste of time。〃
〃I s'pose this iisi the man who brought us Crumple…Horned Snorkacks；〃 said Ron。
〃You didn't believe it either？〃 Harry asked him。
〃Nah； that story's just one of those things you tell kids to teach them lessons； isn't it？ 'Don't go looking for trouble； don't go pick fights； don't go messing around with stuff that's best left alone！ Just keep your head down； mind your own business； and you'll be okay。 e to think of it；〃 Ron added； 〃maybe that story's why elder wands are supposed to be unlucky。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃
〃One of those superstitions； isn't it？ 'May…born witches will marry Muggles。' 'Jinx by twilight； undone by midnight。' 'Wand of cider； never prosper。' You must have heard them。 My mum's full of them。〃
〃Harry and I were raised by Muggles；〃 Hermione reminded him。 〃We were taught different superstitions。〃 She sighed deeply as a rather pungent smell drifted up from the kitchen。 The one good thing about her exasperation with Xenophilius was that it seemed to have made her forget that she was annoyed at Ron。 〃I think you're right；〃 she told him。 〃It's just a morality tale； it's obvious which gift is best； which one you'd choose …〃
The three of them spoke at the same time： Hermione said； 〃the Cloak；〃 Ron said； 〃the wand；〃 and Harry said； 〃the stone。〃
They looked at each other； half surprised； half amused。
〃You're isupposedi to say the Cloak；〃 Ron told Hermione； 〃but you wouldn't need to be invisible if you had the wand。 An iunbeatable wandi； Hermione； e on！〃
〃We've already got an Invisibility Cloak；〃 said Harry； 〃And it's helped us rather a lot； in case you hadn't noticed！〃 said Hermione。 〃Whereas the wand would be bound to attract troublea150a150〃 〃Only if you shouted about it；〃 argued Ron。 〃Only if you were prat enough to go dancing around waving it over your head； and singing； 'I've got an unbeatable want； e and have a go if you think you're hard enough。' As long as you kept your trap shut a150a150〃 …Yes； but could you keep your trap shut？〃 said Hermione； looking skeptical。 〃You know the only true thing he said to us was that there have been stories about extra…powerful wands for hundreds of years。〃 〃There have？〃 asked Harry。 Hermione looked exasperated： The expression was so endearingly familiar that Harry and Ron grinned at each other。 〃The Deathstick； the Wand of Destiny； they crop up under different names through the centuries； usually in the possession of some Dark wizard who's boasting about them。 Professor Binns mentioned some of them； but a150a150 oh it's all nonsense。 Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them。 Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people's〃
〃But how do you know；〃 said Harry； 〃that those wants a150a150 the Deathstick； and the Wand of Destiny a150a150 aren't the same want； surfacing over the centuries under different names？〃 〃What if they're all really the Elder Wand； made by Death？〃 said Ron。 Harry laughed： The strange idea that had occurred to him was after all； ridiculous。 His wand； he reminded himself； had been of holly； not elder； and it had been made by Ollivander； whatever it had done that night Voldemort had pursued him across the skies and if it had been unbeatable； how could it have