In the final installation of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling weaves what seems to be a simple fable into the larger narrative of Harry and his friends‘ struggle with their nemesis, Voldemort. In fact, many around Harry dismiss this story as a mere children’s tale.
The story goes something like this:
Three brothers came to a river that had no bridge, and was for the most part uncrossable. After these brothers constructed a bridge with magic, Death appeared to them half-way across the bridge. He was frustrated that the brothers had evaded him. But Death was subtle. He offered them each a gift of their choosing. The first brother asked for a wand that couldn’t be defeated. The second brother asked for a stone that could bring people back from Death’s clutches. The third brother asked for a cloak that would allow him to leave undetected.
A Body's Grace 