Lucifer Morningstar was bored. Utterly mind-numbingly bored. Hell was Hell, but his first demons had been trained to excellence. Mazikeen of the Lilim had become one of the most recognised demons in the Underworld. She was the forerunner for Lucifer's right-hand demon, and he did not doubt that she would occupy the role very soon.
Lucifer hadn't left Hell in a very long time. Furthermore, battle weighed on his mind. He had trained the demons himself to fight with brutal efficiency. What still eluded him was weaponry. His siblings, should War be on the cards, carried staffs, swords, and daggers of unique construction. He should know; he had one once upon a time. Yet, his demons could not forge weapons that could meet his standards. He cleared his thoughts; that was for another day.
He cocked his head in thought. Perhaps it was time for him to sightsee a bit. So, that's exactly what he did. The problem was that Earth never remained the same. Well, that was its beauty, but where prospering civilization with the best of music and wines once stood, there was nothing.
Lucifer walked along what once was a bustling hive of activity until he came to a river. Its water swirled and rushed across the rocks forming its bank. His attention was drawn to three young men, casting and conjuring a makeshift bridge with sticks. Curiosity peaked; Lucifer gave a beat of his wings and landed upon their structure that spanned roughly half the river's width.
"Who are you, and what are you doing?" Lucifer asked with a tilt of his head.
"We are the Peverells and we are on a journey of discovery." The answer came from the shortest of the three.
"The river is calm. Why, then, do you build a walkway over it?" Lucifer wondered as he watched the water flow.
"The surface is not threatening, yet if we were to step foot in the water, we would surely die."
"You seem confident about that."
"We are not fools. We have studied from many, far and wide." The middle one pointed out
"But, who are you to interrupt our path with your musings?" The question was accusatory and came from the oldest of the three, as far Lucifer could tell.
"I have many names, but today, you can call me Lucifer,"
"Lucifer," the youngest tested out the unfamiliar word, "How did you reach our bridge from the other side?"
Lucifer grinned, "I have skills of my own."
"Perhaps, we could exchange some of our knowledge?" The second brother prepositioned as he stepped forward, "I am Cadmus."
"You wish to make a deal?"
"Yes. We do. What is it we shall exchange?"
"Tell me first, what is it you desire?" And their gazes locked, Lucifer's eyes shifting between the three as they tried and failed to resist the compulsion of divinity.
Cadmus broke, "I want to call back the dead."
"Why?"
"Illness took her from me." Lucifer didn't ask any more questions and dipped his head in an illusion of sympathy.
Antioch shivered and rubbed his arms with his palms, "I-I want a wand that cannot be beaten."
Lucifer nodded and turned to the last of the Peverells, "And what of you?"
Ignotus' eyes were still hazy, "I want to be hidden from you and your kind."
Lucifer laughed. The three brothers furiously discussed their supposed exchange. Lucifer intervened, "In return, what shall you give me?"
The brothers turned towards him, and Ignotus led their discussion and offered, "You seek answers to a quandary of yours. We can offer you a solution."
"What am I searching for?"
"You search for weapons, do you not?"
"How is it that you know?"
Ignotus merely looked at the Lord of Hell without blinking. Lucifer regarded the humans with tentative wonder before he cleared his throat, "I accept your deal."
And so, Lucifer journeyed with Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell. The brothers led him through mountaintops, caves, and forests until they reached a tunnel's opening.
"This is the home of the goblins. They will help you with what you seek. Be warned. They are not to be trifled with nor trusted." It was Antioch who issued the warning. Cadmus agreed, "We shall wait here for you. If you are satisfied, we will conclude our business."
Lucifer nodded and entered the tunnel. Perhaps, the three meant to trick him into dying? Well, they'd be sorely disappointed in that case. If they were truthful, then how would he fulfill their desires? His word was binding to him. A wand was a conduit of some kind, he guessed. Perhaps it would outweigh all others like it on Earth if it held a sliver of divinity?
His dealings were wildly profitable. His new knowledge of the forge and metals would ensure he could arm his army. When he exited, he found the three brothers awaiting his arrival.
"I shall fulfill my bargain," Lucifer announced.
The four left the area and retraced their steps until they were again at the bank of the deceptive river after nightfall.
From a tree along the river's bank, Lucifer snapped a branch. He broke and reshaped the wood as best he could. He removed a glowing feather from his wing and allowed the two to fuse. With a flourish, he handed the wand to Antioch, "A wand that no mortal shall match."
He walked along the path until he found a loose pebble. He picked it up and dipped it into the river, washing away the dirt. He rubbed at it furiously and then pressed it tightly between his palms. There was a brief glow, and the pebble had darkened in colour and changed shape. Lucifer handed it to Cadmus, "The power to call forth souls is now in your hand."
Lastly, he faced Ignotus, and with a sigh, he unclipped the cloak that was always draped over his shoulders. His cape, like all Kings wore, was made of materials unknown with the power to conceal anyone from anything.
"Safety from any gaze," Ignotus took the offered cloak with a bow, and then the Devil bid them farewell.
The three brothers took their prizes and soon went their separate ways, so the three Hallows they held never came together again.
The eldest brother traveled to a village where a wizard with whom he had quarreled lived. He sought a duel and fought the wizard using the wand, instantly killing the latter. Leaving his enemy dead on the floor, the eldest brother walked to an inn not far from the dueling site and spent the night there. Taken by his conscience and lust for the Elder Wand's power, the eldest brother boasted of this wand and his invincibility. That night, a murderous wizard crept to the inn as the eldest brother slept, drunk from wine. The wizard slit the oldest brother's throat for good measure and stole the wand. And so, Lucifer met Antioch again in Hell, forever trapped by his regret.
The second brother returned to his home, where he lived alone. Turning the stone thrice in his hand, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry appeared. Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him 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, committed suicide by hanging from his house's balcony to join her. And so, Lucifer found Cadmus again trapped by his past in a cell in Hell.
Lucifer kept watch for Ignotus' soul but doubted that the third brother would ever meet him again. He was wrong. Ignotus passed the cloak onto his son and briefly stepped into Lucifer's domain, greeting him as if he were a long-lost friend before moving on.
Divinity in the hands of mortals was irresistible. The wand, the most divine of the three, left bodies in its wake as it passed from owner to owner. The stone corrupted differently, driving its owners to madness. Eventually, its history was forgotten. The cloak remained with the family of Ignotus, passing through generations without ever fading.
Until one day, Harry James Potter walked toward his death. Cadmus's stone was clutched in his fist, Ignotus's cloak draped over his body, and the allegiance of Antioch's wand marking his magic.