A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Mercury cleared his throat and began recounting the version of the story he knew.

It was still about the river, the three brothers, and Death, always cloaked and hooded.

"You have eluded death with your cleverness. Choose a reward," said Death.

The eldest brother, a master of potions, told Death he wanted a magical cauldron—one that would brew any potion without requiring effort from its owner.

Death walked to the riverbank, broke off a branch from an elder tree blooming with white flowers, and dug into the soil with it.

He shaped the earth into a peculiar-looking cauldron and handed it to the eldest brother.

The second brother, a wizard obsessed with knowledge, told Death he desired the same wisdom that Death himself possessed.

So, Death used the same elder branch to weave a crown and gave it to the second brother.

Death told him that wearing the crown would grant him knowledge equal to his own.

Finally, Death turned to the youngest brother and asked what he wanted.

The youngest brother, both humble and shrewd, distrusted Death. He requested something that would free him from the constraints of time.

Reluctantly, Death cut off the index finger of his right hand and handed the bone to the youngest brother.

With the power of the finger bone, the youngest could manipulate time itself.

After bestowing the gifts, Death stepped aside, allowing the brothers to continue on their way.

They walked, marveling at their extraordinary encounter and praising Death's gifts.

Eventually, the brothers parted ways, each heading toward his own destination.

The eldest brother traveled for over a week. One day, he spoke to the cauldron: "Cauldron, oh cauldron, I am old and frail. I need an elixir of immortality."

The cauldron promptly produced a red liquid.

The eldest brother drank it and instantly felt decades younger, brimming with vitality. He realized he had achieved immortality.

Later, he arrived in a remote village where a mysterious illness had afflicted the townsfolk. No one could cure them.

The eldest brother boasted about his cauldron, a gift from Death that could brew any potion. He offered to cure the villagers but demanded exorbitant sums of gold.

The wealthy villagers paid him and recovered after drinking his potions.

But the poor, unable to pay, were left to suffer.

Every night, the eldest brother drank a potion from the cauldron that gave him pleasant dreams, ensuring he slept soundly.

One night, a poor villager snuck into his room, stole the cauldron, slit his throat, and took his gold.

And thus, Death claimed the eldest brother.

Meanwhile, the second brother returned home to his newborn child and beautiful wife.

But the wisdom granted by the crown brought him no joy. His newfound knowledge revealed the vastness of the universe and the boundlessness of time and space.

Humanity seemed insignificant, and familial bonds even more so—mere ants and dust in the grand scheme.

Soon, the second brother discovered one thing he didn't know: death.

Death could claim all life but could not take it directly.

Now possessing Death's wisdom, the second brother also lacked this experience.

Driven by curiosity, he murdered his wife and child.

One day, a strong wind blew the crown from his head, and with it, Death's wisdom.

His emotions returned, and he saw the bodies of his wife and child. Consumed by anguish, he ended his own life.

And thus, Death claimed the second brother.

Death searched for the youngest brother for years but never found him.

The youngest had taken the bone and fashioned it into a ring, which he wore on his right index finger.

Using the ring's power, the youngest brother lived perpetually on the day before his encounter with Death, ensuring the next day never came. This made him unreachable by Death.

Many years later, tired of his existence, the youngest brother decided he had lived enough. He used the ring to move time forward to the day he was meant to die of old age.

Finally, he removed the ring and allowed time to flow naturally.

When Death arrived, the youngest brother greeted him like an old friend and willingly departed the world.

…

Mercury concluded the tale.

Newt showed little surprise, as though he had heard this version before.

William, however, frowned deeply, his right hand instinctively clutching the ring hanging from his neck—the Ravenclaw bronze ring.

The Beedle the Bard version of the story had never affected William much. To him, it was just a fairy tale.

After all, he didn't have the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, or the Invisibility Cloak.

But he did possess a ring that allowed him to relive a day repeatedly without the drawbacks of a time-turner.

Sometimes, coincidences were more than just coincidences.

Did this mean the magical cauldron that brewed anything, and the crown that granted infinite wisdom, also existed?

In fact, the crown sounded suspiciously like Ravenclaw's diadem.

Could it be that Rowena Ravenclaw had collected two of the three objects?

William's mind raced. If these objects existed, did it also mean Death was real?

As Newt had said, the Siren was a guide to the underworld and Death's most loyal servant.

William struggled to make sense of it all.

"It's an interesting pair of stories about Death and the three brothers," Hermione suddenly said. "But I think they're just that—stories for entertainment.

"You heard it yourselves. There are already two versions of this story, and there could be a third or fourth.

"Anyone can create their own version of Death's three gifts."

Mercury smiled respectfully. "I don't know. It's just a tale my great-grandfather said he heard from his own great-grandfather."

After a brief silence, Newt glanced around. They were nearing Nicholas's estate.

He withdrew his gaze and said, "Let's leave it at that. Treat these stories as the ramblings of an old man."

In truth, Dumbledore had once told him the same thing, only for Newt to find himself running all over to help Dumbledore search for the Deathly Hallows.

At that moment, a dopey-looking Niffler poked its head out of Newt's pocket.

It cautiously glanced at Hermione and William before focusing on William.

Thanks to its innate ability, it instantly identified which of the two young wizards had more money.

Sneaking out, the Niffler climbed down the Thunderbird's feathers, inching toward William's pocket to steal some Galleons.

Its paw slipped into William's magically expanded pouch but grabbed a furry object instead.

The Niffler yanked out a ginger cat.

Boba Tea, who had been napping inside, was startled awake. The cat glared fiercely at the thief and swiped at it with a paw.

The Niffler let out a pained squeal as it fell.

William flicked his wand, levitating the Niffler back up, now bound by a Binding Charm.

Having dealt with Fred's Niffler before, William was well-versed in handling such creatures.

Newt chuckled reaching out and scratching the Niffler's belly.

A cascade of glittering objects spilled out of the creature's pouch.

"These are Nicholas's alchemical items," Newt sighed angrily. "Next time, you're staying home!"

William picked up a gold coin from the pile.

It was a Victoria's Secret commemorative coin.

His gaze toward Newt turned particularly peculiar.

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