A Tale of Three Brothers

Harry was eight years old now. this body, he reflected, was smoother than the last, flowing better with any and every movement he made. The face was pretty to, with the dark grey eyes and black hair that fell in an almost wave. Their uncle Alphard has once joked that that had it not been for the wave, he would have mistaken his face for a potter. Walburga hadn't been impressed with the implication there.

Though, like every body he had, it seemed like he was to remain forever short, having never grown more than five foot nine at best.

Currently it was eight o'clock, October 31st. Both Walburga and Orion had gone out to a party -a not so questionable activity for them- leaving the three of them in the tender care of Kreacher.

Both Sirius and Regulus were currently sprawled across his bed, seven and four respectfully. Sirius' birthday had passed in September, whilst Regulus' was fast approaching for January. Harry loved every moment of it.

Throughout all the lives he'd been reborn, not once had he been figured with any siblings. Now he had two, bit of whom he planned to protect and cherish above all others. With his magic he'd made Sirius a huge Padfoot shaped hat, which enchanted all of his senses when worn.

Walburga had commented once again i his impressive magic though thought the idea hideous, but Orion had laughed. He was working on a small fox head for Regulus, while he himself had that of Demiguise. His animagus form.

However, today Harry had made Sirius leave the hat i his room, which had led the middle child sprawled out across the bed and taking up as much room as possible. Regulus was sat with his legs curled up to his chest, not half hanging off the bed like Sirius.

Harry smiled again, snatching up a cone of card and fixing it around the light fittings. Instantly the lighting in room changed, leading it to look more like an artificial sunset was setting i the north. With a set of carefully placed books, Harry had a scene placed upon the southern wall of his room, Sirius sitting up in interest.

"What're doing 'Rais?"

Harry twisted around to look at Regulus, who was frowning at the sight before him, but paying just as much attention as his brother.

"I'm making a scene. Kreacher hasn't read you the tale of the three brothers, right?" Harry knew for a fact he'd not, for he himself had ordered that story to be stricken form the list up until he could really tell it to the boys, shoe and all. It was something he held close to his heart, the creation of the items that'd made him who was he was today.

"There's story about three brothers?" Sirius had scooted to the edge of the bed now, Regulus following after them.

Both still just as in awe of his magical talents as always. He'd overheard their parents discussing both Sirius and Regulus their accidental magic. He'd heard them bemoan how neither seemed to be showing the same power that he had. But they'd never said anything in front of the boys, and Harry had resolved to keep them away from that as long as possible.

Neither siblings were week, Sirius had managed to canids his entire cot as a toddler, wanting to run free and wild. Regulus has summoned every cat i. The neighbourhood last year when Walburga refused to let him pet one.

They are both goi got be strong wizards.

He'd just overshadowed them. Harry prayed neither would hat him for it.

"Once, there were three brothers, who were walking g along a long twining road at twilight," with an almost careless wave of his hand, Harry saw to it that a shadow of three brothers were stood upon o W of the shadow banks upon the wall, created by the books situated just before the light. "Now, they came to a river, which was far too dangerous to crops over. However since the three are wizards, they have a simple wave of their wands, and mad a bridge grow for. The side of the bank."

Sirius and Regulus made the appropriate awed noises at the shadows, which played out the story upon the wall effortlessly before their eyes. Harry smiled, slowly twisting the black cloth around his head and casting a small glamour upon his hands, till each and every finger were long and bone thin. Then, he swooped forwards, even his small figure looming overs the smaller shadows up one the wall.

"Yet, before they could cross, a hooded figure crossed their path. Death. And he felt cheated. But Death was cunning. He congratulated the three brothers upon their magic, and promised to gift the trio for having been clever enough to evade him . The eldest brother, Antioch Preverell, asked for a wand to beat all other wands. So, Death created one."

Harry summoned up the Elder Wand before pressing it back into the shadow world, wondering in resigned amusement how Dumbledore would react to the sudden disappearance of his wand.

"The second brother, Cadmus Preverell, worksheet to show he'd bested Death even more so than his elder brother, so asked for the power to recall loved ones who'd passed on." Once again, Harry summoned the stone, only the stone and leaving the ring horcrux in the shack it was housed, before he pressed that too into the shadow world upon his wall.

"Made from the stone wall plucked out of the depths of the river, Death handed the stone over before turning to the third brother. The youngest, Ignotus Peverell, asked do the power to leave their meeting, and to never be followed by death again. To which he was given a cloak, of death's own." And the cloak joined the last of the Hallows in the wall, held up by the trio of Peverell brothers.

The two younger Blacks were absorbed in the tale, eyes wide and sat right on the edge of his bed. Harry smiled, and then continued his tale.

"The elder brother went on to kill a man he had fought with, bragging of the wand he'd been gifted. He was slain that night, killed for the hallow. And so death claimed the life of the first brother."

Harry let the shadow of the oldest brother fade from the wall, leaving but the wand upon the wall, death still hovering over the other two. Regulus let out a little squeak, huddling closer to Sirius' side. Luckily enough, the older boy seemed to focused on the story to ridicule the youngest Black.

"The second brother returned home, summoning up the girl he'd wished to marry before her sudden death, and she appeared. Yet she grew sad, for she did not belong in the wizard of world. So if she were to not stay within his realm, he decided to journey to hers. And so death took the second brother."

There was only one figure on the wall now, and two black brothers on the bed, holding their breath

"As for the last brother. Well, death searched and searched, but he was hidden under the beings gift. It wasn't until he willingly shed the cloak, passing g it on to his son, that the third brother allowed deaf boy take him, greeting him as an old fried." Harry let the mural upon his wall return to its intended shape, the three brother stood with their hallows, death hanging over their heads. The same mural he'd painted for Teddy so many years ago.

At least he'd know the location of all his Hallows now.

Harry flickered his fingers at the cone around the light, letting it dissolve and the room brighten. Sirius and Regulus were looking at him wit wide eyes still fixed upon the mural.

"Which one would you have 'Rais?" Regulus asked, scrambling to his feet or get a better look at the Peverell brothers on the wall.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter, leaping to up and bouncing about on Turais' bed.

"I'd have the wand, but I wouldn't tell anyone that's why I'm winning. I'd just let them think I was awesome."

Regulus blinked, frowning before placing his hand over the cloak.

"Id want the cloak. The. You'd never be able to find me when we play hide and seek. And you can't have the wand, 'Rais is the oldest so he gets the wand."

Sirius scrolled, but Harry caught hold of him around the waist before he could throw himself at Regulus and prove that yes, he could very much have the wand if he wanted.

"Sirius can have the wand Regulus. If I had a chose, I'd pick the stone. Merlin forbid if anything happened to you two I'd give anything to still be able to talk to you."

Regulus frowned, as I'd the sheer idea of anything happening to them was incomprehensible.

"Though I could do without mother's screaming." As his two siblings giggled, Harry pulled Sirius over to the mural sitting them down as Kreacher arrived with a late night snack. Having Siblings was quite nice.

Maybe he wasn't so bad at this after all.