- "The oldest asked for a wand more powerful than any in existance, so Death fashioned him one from an elder tree that stood nearby."
- —Hermione Granger talking about the tale of the three brothers
Antioch Peverell (fl. 1214) was the oldest of the Peverell brothers. Antioch, like his brothers, was skilled in the magical arts, but personally was described as being a "combative man". Antioch and his brothers were the inspiration for the The Tale of the Three Brothers and thus the original masters of the Deathly Hallows. Antioch was said to have possessed the Elder Wand, though the exact circumstances of this are unknown.
Biography[]
Meeting Death[]
Antioch with his old wand.
In the The Tale of the Three Brothers, the Peverell brothers are described as having received the Hallows from Death himself, after using their magical talents to cross a treacherous river that would have assuredly killed them otherwise, and Antioch, for his prize, asked for "a wand more powerful than any other in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!" and so Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, made a wand from a branch, and gave it to Antioch.
Ownership of the Elder Wand and Death[]
Later, the three brothers separated. Antioch travelled towards a distant village, and met a wizard with whom he had a quarrel. With the Elder Wand as his weapon, Antioch easily won the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead, Antioch lodged in an inn to celebrate, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched "from Death himself", and of how it made him invincible. That night, as Antioch slept, another wizard crept upon him, stole the wand, and slit his throat.
Post-mortem[]
Antioch was a distant relative of both Tom Marvolo Riddle and Harry Potter, as each was descended from one of his brothers, Cadmus Peverell and Ignotus Peverell respectively.
Personality and traits[]
Antioch brags of his ownership of the Elder Wand
Antioch was a man who desired beyond everything to be an all powerful wizard. Although he was already very powerful, he was not satisfied and immediately took his chance to gain a wand from Death that would make him unbeatable. His desire for such power made him blind to Death's true intentions however and he later proved to be very self-indulgent and weak willed when he boasted about how powerful his new wand was to the public. Antioch was very irresponsible and unwise in this manner, consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol then leaving his wand and himself unprotected on the night of his murder. Antioch's recklessness and egotism caused him to be the first of the Peverell brothers to fall into Death's cunning hands.
Magical abilities and skills[]
- Transfiguration: Antioch and his brothers were capable of using Conjuration, a highly advanced form of magic to create a bridge stable enough to walk across.
- Martial magic: Antioch was capable of killing an opponent in a duel and coming out of the battle unscathed, though this was mostly due to his wielding of the Elder Wand.
- Owner of the Elder Wand: Antioch was the first wizard to own and tame the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand ever made. However, his nature was not that of a person worthy of possessing such a wand. Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter were qualified to own the Elder Wand because they would never use it for boasting or murder. Antioch had done both.
- Magical manufacturer (possibly): No one knows for certain how Antioch came to posses the Elder Wand. Although The Tales of Beedle the Bard claim that the wand was given to Antioch by Death, others, such as Albus Dumbledore, theorized that Antioch created the wand himself.
Etymology[]
His name may be a reference to the city of Antioch, a chief centre of early Christianity.
Behind the scenes[]
Concept art of Antioch.
- Albus Dumbledore believed it was more likely that the Deathly Hallows were invented by the Peverell brothers themselves, which would make Antioch the creator of the Elder Wand. Whether the account of his death from The Tales of Beedle the Bard is accurate is unknown. However, it is likely that it is just fictionalised by Beedle.
- In the novel and film his killer slits his throat, but in the consoles versions of the video game, the thief kills him with the Killing Curse. In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 however, he was snatched by Death along with his brothers.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First mentioned)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (First appearance) (Appears in flashback(s))
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Appears in flashback(s))
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Notes and references[]
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