The reason why Hermione was so desperate to see Xenophilius was because of the symbol that kept on showing up. Krum had claimed that it was 'Grindelwald's mark' at Bill and Fleur's wedding but it seemed like there was much more to it than just that.

"He wore this mark to the wedding," Harry muttered, "he must know something about it..."

"It keeps appearing!" Hermione exclaimed. "It was in the book that Dumbledore gave me as well..."

When they finally arrived at the place of residence for the Lovegoods, they immediately recognised it at once. It didn't take a genius to notice how absurd the house looked. The three of them had to walk up a hill before they reached the entrance to where the Lovegoods resided.

The gate creaked as they opened it. The zigzagging path leading to the front door was overgrown with a variety of odd plants.

"You'd better take off the Invisibility Cloak, Harry," said Hermione, "it's you Mr Lovegood wants to help, not us."

Harry did what Hermione suggested and removed the Cloak, as Hermione knocked on the door, both Harry and Ron waited eagerly.

The door was flung open and the man who answered it was not the same man they had seen at the wedding. Xenophilius Lovegood looked startled and looked like he wasn't taking his physical appearance into much consideration.

"What? What is it? Who are you? What do you want?"

"Hello Mr Lovegood," Harry said politely, "I'm Harry, Harry Potter. Is it alright if we came in? There's something we would like to ask you."

"I'm not sure that's advisable..." Xenophilius whispered.

"It won't take long." Harry assured, slightly disappointed by the less-than-warm welcome.

"I...oh alright then." Mr Lovegood said quickly.

They had barely walked through the door when he slammed the door shut, the three of them looked around at this peculiar kitchen they were in. In the middle of the flor, was an iron spiral staircase that led to the upper levels of the house.

"You'd better come up." Xenophilius Lovegood said, looking extremely uncomfortable as he lead the way.

As they walked up, they noticed how disorganised the room was but decided not to think too much of it, purely because they came for only one thing and didn't want to overstay their welcome.

After Hermione's comment on the items that Xenophilius owned which seemed to have irritated the older Lovegood slightly, the man spoke again.

"So why have you come here?"

"We need some help." said Harry, before Hermione could start again.

"Ah..." Xenophilius said quietly, "the thing is...helping Harry Potter is rather dangerous..."

"Aren't you the one who keeps telling everyone it's their first duty to help Harry?" said Ron. "In that magazine of yours?"

Xenophilius tried to defend himself but none of them were going to have any of it.

"Where's Luna?" asked Hermione. "Let's see what she thinks."

Xenophilius gulped. "Luna is down at the stream, fishing for Freshwater Plimpies. She...she will like to see you. I'll go and call her and then-yes, very well. I shall try to help you."

After he disappeared and reappeared again, Harry decided to get straight to the point as he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"We want to talk to you about that symbol you wore to Bill and Fleur's wedding." he said plainly.

"Are you referring to the sign of the Deathly Hallows?"

Harry turned to look at Ron and Hermione. Neither of them seemed to have understood what Xenophilius had said either.

"The Deathly Hallows?" Harry asked.

"That's right," said Xenophilius. "You haven't heard of them? I'm not surprised. Very, very few wizards believe."

"But what are the Deathly Hallows?" asked Hermione.

Xenophilius looked at them. "I assume that you are familiar with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?"

"No." said Harry.

"Yes." said the others.

"Well," Xenophilius said, "the whole thing starts with 'The Tale of the Three Brothers', I believe I have a copy somewhere..."

"No need," Hermione interjected, "I have one."

She produced the book that Dumbledore had given her and Xenophilius asked her to read the story aloud, and so she did. However, as she read the story out loud she was interrupted several times, much to her annoyance, by Ron and Harry.

However, in the end, she managed to finish the story.

There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.

So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.

Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.

And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.

Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so talking with wonder of the adventure they had had and admiring Death's gifts.

In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.

The first brother traveled on for a week more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.

That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand and for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat.

And so Death took the first brother for his own.

Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.

Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as to truly join her.

And so Death took the second brother from his own.

But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and as equals, they departed this life.

"Well there you have it," Xenophilius said once Hermione had finished, "the Deathly Hallows."

He picked up a quill and pulled a torn piece of parchment.

"The Elder Wand." he said whilst drawing a straight vertical line upon the parchment.

"The Resurrection Stone." he said, adding a circle on top of the line.

"The Invisibility Cloak." he finished, enclosing the line and circle in a triangle to make the symbol that intrigued Hermione.

"Together they are the Deathly Hallows."

Hermione argued against Mr Lovegood, claiming that there was no mention of the Deathly Hallows in the story and Xenophilius countered by saying that those who understood recognised it as an ancient story that referred to the three objects which, if united, made the possessor the master of Death.

Hermione continued to argue against Xenophilius' logic and claimed that there was no such thing, their argument continued before there was a silence.

"Mr Lovegood...do the Peverell family have anything to do with the Deathly Hallows?"

Mr Lovegood looked shocked as he told Hermione how people who believed though that the Peverell family had everything to do with the Hallows and the three brothers in the story were actually the Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus.

As Mr Lovegood disappeared to get lunch, the three of them walked around the house discussing their views on the story. Both Hermione and Ron thought that it was utter nonsense but part of Harry thought that it was true.

He already had the Cloak...

As they walked, they walked past Luna's bedroom and Harry looked in, smiling at the thought of his friend. There was a large photograph beside the bed, the picture was dusty. This struck Harry as slightly odd. He stared around. Something was wrong. The pale blue carpet was also thick with dust. There were no clothes in the wardrobe, whose doors stood ajar. The bed had a cold, unfriendly look, as though it had not been slept in for weeks.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked as Harry descended the staircase, but before he could respond, Xenophilius reached the top of the stairs from the kitchen, now holding a tray laden with bowls.

"Mr. Lovegood," said Harry, "where's Luna?"

"Excuse me?"

"Where's Luna?"

Xenophilius halted on the top step. "I-I've already told you. She is down at the Brdge fishing for Plimpies."

"So why have you only laid that tray for four?"

Xenophilius tried to speak, but no sound came out.

"I don't think Luna's been here for weeks." said Harry. "Her clothes are gone, her bed hasn't been slept in. Where is she? And why do you keep looking out of the window?"

Xenophilius dropped the tray. The bowls bounced and smashed. Harry, Ron, and Hermione drew their wands. Xenophilius froze his hand about to enter his pocket. At that moment copies of the Quibbler erupted from the printer and Hermione quickly picked up a copy.

"Harry, look at this." Hermione said, showing him the front of the Quibbler. It was a photo of Harry captioned with the words 'Undesirable Number One' and the reward money.

"Quibbler's going for a new angle then?" Harry asked coldly.

"They took my Luna," he whispered, "because of what I've been writing. They took my Luna and I don't know where she is, what they've done to her. But they might give her back to me if I...if I-"

"Hand over Harry?" Hermione finished for him.

"No deal." said Ron flatly. "Get out of the way, we're leaving." 

As they tried to leave, Hermione let out a scream as hooded figures started circling the Lovegood's house, dangerously approaching the trio.

"HARRY LET'S GO!" Hermione screamed.

As Hermione grabbed Harry and Ron's arm, they all Disapparated, but not before one of the Death Eaters caught a glimpse of Harry.

Harry sighed, they had escaped capture, yet again.