Chapter 34: Ignotus Peverell
From the outside, the travel agency appeared rather ordinary—perhaps designed by the same architect as Ollivanders, though it wasn't as run-down. Golden letters on the door clearly spelled out the name: Horror Journey.
Upon entering, Alexander Smith saw a receptionist to the right, seated on a high stool behind a marble-topped counter. Behind him were enchanted photos displaying eerie destinations: a lightning-lit castle beneath the moon, graves with rotting arms stretching out of the ground, the stormy seas of the Bermuda Triangle, and more.
Seeing Alexander walk in, the receptionist stood up, came around the counter, and handed him what looked like a magical brochure along with a quill.
"Sir! Welcome to Horror Journey! It's been a while since a customer came in person—we usually get owl reservations these days!"
He gestured toward the list. "Take a look. If there's anything you're unsure about, just let me know."
Alexander, feigning seriousness, replied flatly, "You haven't considered I might just be here to browse?"
The receptionist blushed. "O-oh... I see."
"But you're in luck," Alexander cut in politely. "I am here to travel."
He walked to a small, round, dark-red table and examined the menu.
"Hm, quite detailed. Departure point? Multiple options."
"Time, travel route, method of transportation…?"
"Portkeys, enchanted buses, even old-fashioned carriages..."
"Number of people? Two... And the cuisine? I want to try Transylvanian dishes... Romania, huh?" Alexander muttered to himself while reading the dazzling list. "But a simple trip will take nearly a week—that's so long."
He filled out the form. "From July 1st to 7th, departing from Godric's Hollow."
"Got it. Two people?" the receptionist confirmed. "That'll be 100 Galleons total, including dining. Pay 60 Galleons now as a deposit, and settle the rest upon return."
"Then I can arrive by 7 p.m. on July 1st, right?" Alexander asked, taking out the gold from his magically extended pouch.
"Yes. You'll also need this. Since Muggles live in Godric's Hollow, we disguise ourselves as a Muggle travel agency. When you see this small flag, we'll know to pick you up." The receptionist retrieved two tiny flags adorned with skulls.
"The birthplace of the Boy Who Lived is there," he added. "The old Potter residence, too. Only wizards can see it."
"That's exactly why I chose it," Alexander said with a nod. "Besides, taking the bus from Godric's Hollow means Kate and I can travel alone—no need to be crammed with other tourists. A private experience... though pricier."
Godric's Hollow—named after Godric Gryffindor, one of the Hogwarts founders—was also believed to be the final resting place of at least one member of the Peverell family.
Alexander suspected it might even be the ancestral home of the Smith family.
After the International Statute of Secrecy was signed in 1689, Godric's Hollow became one of the few magical villages in Britain, housing many notable wizarding families, including the Dumbledores and Bathilda Bagshot.
The Dumbledores moved there after Percival Dumbledore was imprisoned; Bathilda was their neighbor.
The graveyard held many famous surnames, and Alexander intended to visit. He sent a letter to Kate, along with one of the tiny skull-marked flags, arranging to meet at Godric's Hollow at 11 a.m. the next day.
The following morning, after finishing his routine training in the Forbidden Forest, Alexander returned to Hogwarts to wash up. He put on a wizard robe embroidered with magical, bottomless pockets—filled with essentials and Muggle currency that Jack had prepared.
He Apparated to Godric's Hollow, appearing near a war memorial at the village center.
Being unplottable, the village was protected from Muggles. They would only see a simple monument.
Alexander approached the memorial, and it transformed—no longer just an obelisk with names, but a statue: a man with glasses and wild hair, a kind-looking woman with long hair, and a baby boy in her arms.
Harry Potter's family.
Following the same path Harry and Hermione had once taken, Alexander made his way to the church, and behind it, the graveyard.
The tombstones bore many familiar names.
The outermost grave had the name Abbott—perhaps related to Hannah Abbott.
The Dumbledore family's graves weren't explicitly mentioned in the original books, but Alexander carefully inspected the older stones.
He eventually found what he was looking for.
On a moss-covered slab, the inscription read:
Kendra Dumbledore
Below that: Ariana Dumbledore
And a motto:
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
No flowers or tributes. Wizards rarely visited graves, perhaps because magical portraits allowed them to stay with loved ones in a different way.
Aberforth Dumbledore spent his days talking to Ariana's portrait. Why return to a place filled with pain?
Alexander had half-hoped to see a living wizard there—maybe even Albus himself. But the graveyard was silent.
Then he found it.
On a cracked stone, nearly unreadable, was a faint triangle symbol.
"The Hallows," Alexander whispered. "This must be Ignotus Peverell's grave."
He activated his Phoenix Vision. Beneath the tombstone—nothing.
The coffin was empty.
No body. Only a few pieces of ancient silver.
Alexander reached out, and from the air, conjured a glittering necklace—an old magical relic. In the center was a photo of a young black-haired wizard with dark eyes.
So even Dumbledore and Grindelwald, in their youth, didn't uncover this secret?
Or perhaps... only the eyes of a phoenix can reveal it?
"This is the breath of death..." Alexander murmured. "So... this is what divinity feels like."
Carefully, he placed the silverware in his pocket. A strange magical fluctuation suddenly caught his attention.
Snapping back to awareness, Alexander quickly Apparated to the meeting point.
The Knight Bus had arrived.
Kate was here.
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