The Hog's Head.
Dumbledore laid his wand flat across the tabletop. In the dim light the strangely shaped wand gave off a dull sheen; the knobby ridges along its length looked like the joints of some ancient vine.
"Lucien, have you ever read the story of Death and the three Peverell brothers in The Tales of Beedle the Bard?"
Lucien nodded. It was one of the most famous fables in the wizarding world.
Long ago, three brothers were traveling and came upon a wide river. Being wizards rather than Muggles, they simply conjured a bridge. But before they could reach the far bank, Death himself appeared and blocked their path.
Death was furious. He had just been robbed of three new victims—travelers usually drowned in that river. Yet Death was cunning. He pretended to praise the brothers for their clever magic and declared that, since they had outwitted him, each of them could claim a reward.
The eldest brother was a fighter. He asked for the most powerful wand in existence, a wand that would always help its master win a duel. Death walked over to an elder tree and fashioned a wand from a hanging branch, then handed it to the eldest brother.
The second brother was arrogant. He decided to humiliate Death further and asked for the power to bring the dead back to life. Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to him, saying the stone could raise the dead.
Finally Death asked the youngest brother what he wanted.
The third brother was the humblest and the wisest. He did not trust Death, so he asked for something that would allow him to leave that place without Death being able to follow. Reluctantly, Death handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.
The three brothers took their gifts and went their separate ways.
The eldest brother reached a small village, got into a quarrel with another wizard, and used the Elder Wand to win easily. That night he got roaring drunk in a tavern and boasted loudly about his new power. Before morning another wizard had stolen the wand and cut his throat.
The second brother returned home, turned the stone three times in his hand, and the girl he had once hoped to marry—dead far too young—appeared before him. But she was sad and cold, as if separated from him by a veil. She did not truly belong in the living world, and her presence tormented him. In the end the second brother went mad and killed himself so he could truly be with her.
The youngest brother lived to a great age. Only then did he take off the Cloak of Invisibility and hand it to his son. He greeted Death like an old friend and left the world of the living with him as an equal, gladly and without fear.
"The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility from that story," Dumbledore said, reaching out and lightly touching the surface of his wand, "are known as the Deathly Hallows."
"This is the Elder Wand. Some call it the Deathstick, or the Wand of Destiny." His tone was completely flat, as if he were describing nothing more special than an ordinary piece of wood. "It is the most disloyal of all wands. It will only serve a master who is powerful and warlike. I suspect the Elder Wand has never been particularly pleased with me as its owner. Ever since I took it, I have rarely used it to fight anyone."
Lucien's voice was quiet, but in the still air of the Hog's Head it carried clearly.
"Legend says that whoever gathers all three Deathly Hallows becomes Master of Death. Maybe… maybe that person could even truly bring the dead back to life?"
Behind the bar Aberforth looked up for a moment, glanced their way, then lowered his head again.
Dumbledore did not answer right away. His eyes rested on the Elder Wand. He was silent for a few seconds, then slowly let out a breath.
The sigh was soft, and full of self-mockery.
Yes. He really had clung to that tiny scrap of hope. What if? What if he could see his sister Ariana one more time? What if he could finally make up for the sins of his youth…
Perhaps that was one of the reasons he had found the Resurrection Stone so hard to resist earlier.