THE WINSORS ARE SEARCHING THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

Today, The Winsors and The Grandma have started an amazing adventure. They are going to help Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and the members of the Order of the Phoenix to find the seven horcruxes of Lord Voldemort to destroy them and help Hogwarts to live in peace forever.

 

The Deathly Hallows were three highly powerful magical objects supposedly created by Death and given to each of three brothers in the Peverell family. 

They consisted of the Elder Wand, an immensely powerful wand that was considered unbeatable; the Resurrection Stone, a stone which could summon the spirits of the dead, and the Cloak of Invisibility, which, as its name suggests, rendered the user completely invisible. According to the story, both Antioch Peverell (owner of the Wand) and Cadmus Peverell (owner of the Stone) came to bad ends. However, Ignotus Peverell's wisdom in requesting the Cloak was rewarded.

 

According to legend, he who possessed these three artefacts would become the Master of Death.

Before starting this dangerous adventure, the family has been preparing their Cambridge Exam studying some English vocabulary about Going Out and Shopping Around. They have also practised an A2 Cambridge Test.

Download Going Out Vocabulary

 More information: Going Out

 

Download Shopping Around Vocabulary

 

More information: Shopping Around

 

Download A2 Cambridge Test_01 (Reading & Listening)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series.

It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing, in the United States by Scholastic, and in Canada by Raincoast Books.

The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

Deathly Hallows shattered sales records upon release, surpassing marks set by previous titles of the Harry Potter series.

It holds the Guinness World Record for most novels sold within 24 hours of release, with 8.3 million sold in the US and 2.65 million in the UK.

Generally well received by critics, the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award, and the American Library Association named it the Best Book for Young Adults. A film adaptation of the novel was released in two parts: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 in November 2010 and Part 2 in July 2011.

The title of the book refers to three mythical objects featured in the story, collectively known as the Deathly Hallows -an unbeatable wand (the Elder Wand), a stone to bring the dead to life (the Resurrection Stone), and a cloak of invisibility.

When asked during a live chat about the other titles she had been considering, Rowling mentioned Harry Potter and the Elder Wand and Harry Potter and the Peverell Quest.

More information: Wizarding World I & II 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury, the publisher of all Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom, on 30 June 1997.

It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic -the American publisher of the books- as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, after Rowling had received US$105,000 for the American rights—an unprecedented amount for a children's book by a then-unknown author.

The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998, and in the US on 2 June 1999.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was then published a year later in the UK on 8 July 1999, and in the US on 8 September 1999.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8 July 2000 at the same time by Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series at 766 pages in the UK version and 870 pages in the US version. It was published worldwide in English on 21 June 2003.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published on 16 July 2005, and it sold 9 million copies in the first 24 hours of its worldwide release.

Shortly before releasing the title, J. K. Rowling announced that she had considered three titles for the book.

The final title was released to the public on 21 December 2006, via a special Christmas-themed hangman puzzle on Rowling's website, confirmed shortly afterwards by the book's publishers.

Rowling completed the book while staying at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh in January 2007, and left a signed statement on a marble bust of Hermes in her room which read: J. K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11 January 2007.

In a statement on her website, she said, I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric.

Academics and journalists have developed many other interpretations of themes in the books, some more complex than others, and some including political subtexts.

Themes such as normality, oppression, survival, and overcoming imposing odds have all been considered as prevalent throughout the series. Similarly, the theme of making one's way through adolescence and going over one's most harrowing ordeals -and thus coming to terms with them has also been considered.

More information: Screen Rant

J. K. Rowling has stated that the books comprise a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry and that also pass on a message to "question authority and ... not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth".

Some political commentators have seen J. K. Rowling's portrayal of the bureaucratised Ministry of Magic and the oppressive measures taken by the Ministry in the later books, like making attendance at Hogwarts School compulsory and the registration of Mudbloods with the Ministry, as an allegory of criticising the state.

Sales for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were record-setting.

A two-part film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is directed by David Yates, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman, David Barron and J. K. Rowling. Part 1 was released on 19 November 2010, and Part 2 on 15 July 2011.

Filming began in February 2009, and ended on 12 June 2010. However, the cast confirmed they would reshoot the epilogue scene as they only had two days to shoot the original. Reshoots officially ended around December 2010. Part 1 ended at Chapter 24 of the book, when Lord Voldemort regained the Elder Wand.

On 4 December 2008, J.K. Rowling released The Tales of Beedle the Bard both in the UK and US. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a spin-off of Deathly Hallows and contains fairy tales that are told to children in the Wizarding World.

The book includes five short stories, including The Tale of the Three Brothers which is the story of the Deathly Hallows.

Download Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Download The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling

 

 

I think it more likely that

the Peverell brothers were simply gifted, dangerous wizards

who succeeded in creating those powerful objects.

Albus Dumbledore

BEASTS (IV) - DRAGONS, FIRE-BREATHING REPTILIANS

Today, The Fosters and The Grandma have met the Dragons in Hogwarts. The Grandma wants to offer two beautiful books to The Fosters to enjoy reading the wonderful world created by J.K. Rowling. 

Download Fantastic-Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

 

Dragons are giant winged, fire-breathing reptilian beasts. Widely regarded as terrifying yet awe-inspiring, they can be found all over the world and are frequently referred to in Asian and medieval European folklore.

Able to fly and breathe fire through their nostrils and mouths, they are one of the most dangerous and hardest to conceal creatures in the wizarding world. The British Ministry of Magic classifies them as XXXXX, known wizard killers that are impossible to train or domesticate. Despite how dangerous they are, there are people who are trained to work with them, called dragon keepers, or dragonologists. A wizard or witch who trades and sells dragon eggs, which is an illegal activity,  is referred to as a dragon dealer.

Dragon mothers breathe fire on their eggs to keep them warm. They do not keep their eggs in nests. Newly born dragons are referred to as chicks. The dragon's first fire breaths, usually accompanied by thick grey smoke, appear when the dragon is around six months old. However, the ability to fly is normally developed later, at around twelve months, and the dragon will not be fully mature until it is two years old and ready to live on its own.

Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit states that you are to feed a baby dragon a bucket of brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. This apparently serves a replacement for dragon milk.

Not much is known about dragon behaviour, however it seems that, at least with the Chinese Fireball, females are generally larger and dominant over males.

More information: Wizarding World I & II

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them states that sometimes females oust males from their territories, at least with the Antipodean Opaleye.

Fantastic Beasts also states that Fireballs are unusual in that they are willing to share territory with one another, although no more than three dragons will share the same territory. This indicates that dragons are highly territorial.

Dragons are generally highly aggressive towards anything, even wizards, and will sometimes attack humans without provocation, such as in the case of the Ilfracombe Incident.

The Great Fire of London in 1666 was probably started by a young Welsh Green Dragon kept in the basement of the house in Puddling Lane.

Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709.

A rogue Welsh Green dragon descends on a beach full of Muggle holidaymakers in 1932. Tilly Toke and her family happen to be there, and her family casts the largest Mass Memory Charm of this century on all the Muggles of Ilfracombe. She is later awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class for her quick action to avoid breaking the International Statute of Secrecy.

The Muggles later remember nothing of the incident, with the exception of an old fellow known as Dodgy Dirk, who still claims that a dirty great flying lizard attacked him on the beach. People think he’s crazy, of course.

In 1799 a Ukranian Ironbelly dragon carried off a Muggle sailing ship, fortunately there was no one aboard the ship at the time.

In 1802 according to an unsubstantiated report off the coast of Norway A Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, supposedly, carries off a whale calf.

Newt Scamander, for a time, worked in the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau at the Ministry of Magic. He also spent World War I working with Ukrainian Ironbelly dragons on the Eastern Front.

More information: Wizarding World I & II

In the 1970s a rogue Antipodean Opaleye dragon killed several kangaroos in Australia. It was a male, believed to have come to Australia in search of a place to live after being ousted from its territory in New Zealand by a female.

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger arrived just in time to see a baby Norwegian Ridgeback emerge from its egg. The baby dragon sneezed some sparks and almost bites Rubeus Hagrid, who is delighted.

The first signs of hatching must have begun by breakfast time, since it was then that Harry, Ron, and Hermione received a note from Hagrid informing them of it. They go to his hut right after their morning Herbology class.

Dragons were used in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament, in which the champions had to retrieve a golden egg from a nesting mother. The varieties used were: the Hungarian Horntail, the Chinese Fireball, the Swedish Short-Snout, and a Welsh Green. Ron's brother Charlie Weasley worked with dragons in Romania at the time, and helped transport the dragons used in the Tournament. Dragons are also used to guard certain vaults at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and one was used by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to escape the bank following their break-in.

Though they cannot be domesticated, there is one known instance of a dragon being used as a mount. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger rode on the back of a dragon, though they had trouble maintaining a grip on their steed, and could not control its flight.

Before playing in the Quidditch final against Slytherin, Harry dreamed that the Slytherin team were flying on dragons instead of broomsticks. When he awoke he realised that they would not be allowed to ride dragons.

The dragon model, like the model in the First Task of Triwizard Tournament, was used in a roast chestnuts sale, near Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, in Diagon Alley to hold the chestnut in place.

Dragon milk can be used to create dragon milk cheese, as noted in the revised edition of Charm Your Own Cheese.

More information: Hobby Lark

One of the big problems of living under a state of alarm is the possibility of suffer abuses managed by the power. Hogwarts has suffered this kind of situation. Dolores Umbridge, witch and British Ministry of Magic bureaucrat was installed as Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Headmistress.

The Fosters and The Grandma has known the story of Dolores Umbridge, her iron hand and her lack of empathy with Hogwarts students and professors.

Madam Dolores Jane Umbridge is a British half-blood witch and British Ministry of Magic bureaucrat who served as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic under Ministers Cornelius Fudge, Rufus Scrimgeour, and Pius Thicknesse.

By order of the Ministry, she was installed as Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and then later Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, after Professor Albus Dumbledore had been fired.

In all three of these positions at Hogwarts she had enormous power over the students, teachers, and the curriculum, which she wielded despotically.

Her time at Hogwarts was characterised by cruelty and abusive punishments against students, and because of her interfering and condescending ways, she was widely despised by most students and teachers alike.

After her suspension from these additional posts and the fall of the Ministry of Magic, Umbridge ran the Muggle-Born Registration Commission and sadistically prosecuted many innocent people. After the Second Wizarding War, she was sentenced to Azkaban for her crimes against Muggle-borns, where she would remain for the rest of her life.

Dolores Umbridge was the first child of a wizard named Orford Umbridge and a Muggle named Ellen Cracknell. Her younger brother was a Squib, but Dolores was born a witch. Under her father's influence, she despised her Muggle mother and her Squib brother, considering them inferior to her and her father, and Dolores and her father denounced them. Before Dolores reached 15 years old, Ellen and her son returned to the Muggle world, never to be heard of again.

At some point, she obtained her wand, made from birch and dragon heartstring with an unusually short length of only eight inches. According to Garrick Ollivander, abnormally short wands usually selected those whose moral character was stunted, rather than because they were physically short.

More information: Wizarding World I & II

Umbridge attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she was Sorted into Slytherin and her head of house was Horace Slughorn.  

She never got along well with Slughorn, who considered her to be an idiotic woman and never liked her.  She was also never given any position of power during her studies, which made her feel deprived, and she never truly enjoyed her time as a student at Hogwarts.

After leaving Hogwarts, Umbridge quickly rose to influential positions in the British Ministry of Magic. At the age of 17, just after leaving Hogwarts, she started her political career as an intern in the Improper Use of Magic Office. 

Before reaching age 30, she became the Head of the Office, evidence of her ruthless tactics under her sweet attitude, which also involved taking credit for other people's work.

This set up the beginning of her dubious career as a Ministry employee, one who tyrannised her subordinates while flattering her equals and her superiors.

Dolores, being very opportunistic and power-hungry, was ashamed of her father, who was a low-level worker in the Department of Magical Maintenance, while she was seeking a professional career. Under her pressure, he retired early and she promised him a small monthly allowance in exchange for quietly leaving the public sight.

From that point on she lied about her family, claiming that she was a pure-blood rather than a half-blood. She eventually became Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and had a place in the Wizengamot.

Umbridge's hatred towards half-breeds led her to draft a piece of anti-werewolf legislation in 1993, which made it nearly impossible for werewolves, such as Remus Lupin, to find work. This act also made it easier for Lord Voldemort to recruit werewolves to his cause, preying on their treatment by the Ministry. 

She also campaigned that the merpeople be rounded up and tagged, though this idea was scrapped due to it being too ludicrous to be put into effect.

More information: Screen Rant I, II & III

As Senior Under-Secretary to the Minister for Magic, Umbridge managed to claw her way up to power using Cornelius Fudge's increasing paranoia and insecurities to her advantage.

She also used her authority to intimidate Harry Potter during an interrogation before the Wizengamot. She was very outspoken against him and tried to discredit his claim that the only reason he cast a Patronus Charm was because of the presence of Dementors.

She said that the Dementors were under the control of the Ministry, and that it was preposterous that they would just happen to wander into a Muggle suburb and chance upon a wizard. She believed Harry Potter should be punished for inadvertently violating the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery.

Owing to the fairness of Madam Amelia Bones and a majority ruling of the court, Harry Potter was found innocent. Only Fudge, Umbridge, and roughly a half-dozen of the court voted for conviction. Harry Potter was cleared of all charges, much to Umbridge's disappointment.

Umbridge was placed at Hogwarts as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, by order of the Ministry of Magic, under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Two, without Albus Dumbledore's consent. Her placement was to limit the learning of martial magic and allow the Ministry to monitor the activities at Hogwarts.

The Minister did this because of an unfounded fear that Albus Dumbledore was trying to upturn his position as the Minister and was also afraid that Albus Dumbledore was using the students as a means of overthrowing the Ministry.

She taught according to a politically restricted Ministry-approved curriculum. This curriculum entailed learning strictly the theory of Defence Against the Dark Arts, with no practical applications. Umbridge taught exclusively from a simplistic book: Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard, which seemed, based on the chapter headings, to concern itself with negotiation and appeasement of, rather than actual defence against, the Dark Arts.

After working at Hogwarts for a short while and having a discussion with the Minister, Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three increased Umbridge's power and influence in Hogwarts.

She was appointed the first-ever Hogwarts High Inquisitor and used this position to evaluate, harass, and fire any teachers at Hogwarts.

More information: Screen Rant I & II

Dolores Umbridge was described to be a short squat woman resembling a large pale toad. She had a broad, flabby face, a wide, slack mouth, and little neck. Her eyes were bulging and pouchy, and in her mousy brown hair she often wore a black velvet bow, which reminded Harry of a fly perched dangerously above a toad, furthering Umbridge's toad-like characteristics.

She spoke with a simpering high-pitched voice that was girlish and breathless, contrary to her appearance, Harry expected a croak, and decorated her office with kittens and other cute pink paraphernalia. Her wide toad-like smile and tendency to speak in a sugary voice that was often described as poisoned honey was a physical exemplification of her cruelty that was barely hidden by her seemingly harmless dress-style.

Umbridge's thick stubby fingers were adorned with several gaudy old rings. She also was said to have a big chest, as noted by Harry Potter when he saw Slytherin's locket lying there.

Dolores Umbridge was an evil woman, being nothing short of a sociopath, who represented the very worst of political power. She was extremely ruthless, cruel, brutal, corrupt, sadistic, arrogant, intolerant, and devoid of any kind of moral or ethical centre.

Dolores is a common Spanish name, although it also occurs as an English name. In Spanish and Latin, dolores is also the plural form of dolor, which means pain. In English, the similar sounding word Dolorous means causing or expressing grief and suffering. Dolor is the Danish name of the Cruciatus Curse.
 
Umbridge is a pun on the English umbrage meaning offence or insult, indicates that Dolores Umbridge is destined to do only harm and cause only unhappiness. It also symbolises how she is offended by any challenge to her limited world-view and her secretive nature.

Umbrage, which came from the Middle French ombrage and ultimately from the Latin umbra is a word whose meaning has evolved over time. Originally, Umbrag meant shadow or shade, then it evolved to refer to that which provides shadow or shade, then took on the meaning semblance or suspicion, and eventually to the suspicion that one has been slighted and its present meaning.

More information: The Guardian

You will be pleased to know, however,
that these problems are now to be rectified.
We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centred,
Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year.
Copy down the following, please.

Dolores Umbridge

THE FOSTERS KNOW AND SEARCH THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

Today, The Fosters and The Grandma have started an amazing adventure. They are going to help Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and the members of the Order of the Phoenix to find the seven horcruxes of Lord Voldemort to destroy them and help Hogwarts to live in peace forever.

 

Before, they have practised Future (Be Going To), some Have Expressions, and they have checked their vocabulary exercises.

 

More information: Future (Be Going To)

 

Download Elementary Language Practice Vocabulary (Solutions)

More information: Have Expressions

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series.

It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing, in the United States by Scholastic, and in Canada by Raincoast Books.

The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

Deathly Hallows shattered sales records upon release, surpassing marks set by previous titles of the Harry Potter series.

It holds the Guinness World Record for most novels sold within 24 hours of release, with 8.3 million sold in the US and 2.65 million in the UK.

Generally well received by critics, the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award, and the American Library Association named it the Best Book for Young Adults. A film adaptation of the novel was released in two parts: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 in November 2010 and Part 2 in July 2011.

The title of the book refers to three mythical objects featured in the story, collectively known as the Deathly Hallows -an unbeatable wand (the Elder Wand), a stone to bring the dead to life (the Resurrection Stone), and a cloak of invisibility.

When asked during a live chat about the other titles she had been considering, Rowling mentioned Harry Potter and the Elder Wand and Harry Potter and the Peverell Quest.

More information: Wizarding World I & II 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury, the publisher of all Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom, on 30 June 1997.

It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic -the American publisher of the books- as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, after Rowling had received US$105,000 for the American rights—an unprecedented amount for a children's book by a then-unknown author.

The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998, and in the US on 2 June 1999.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was then published a year later in the UK on 8 July 1999, and in the US on 8 September 1999.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8 July 2000 at the same time by Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series at 766 pages in the UK version and 870 pages in the US version. It was published worldwide in English on 21 June 2003.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published on 16 July 2005, and it sold 9 million copies in the first 24 hours of its worldwide release.

Shortly before releasing the title, J. K. Rowling announced that she had considered three titles for the book.

The final title was released to the public on 21 December 2006, via a special Christmas-themed hangman puzzle on Rowling's website, confirmed shortly afterwards by the book's publishers.

Rowling completed the book while staying at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh in January 2007, and left a signed statement on a marble bust of Hermes in her room which read: J. K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11 January 2007.

In a statement on her website, she said, I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric.

Academics and journalists have developed many other interpretations of themes in the books, some more complex than others, and some including political subtexts.

Themes such as normality, oppression, survival, and overcoming imposing odds have all been considered as prevalent throughout the series. Similarly, the theme of making one's way through adolescence and going over one's most harrowing ordeals -and thus coming to terms with them has also been considered.

More information: Screen Rant

J. K. Rowling has stated that the books comprise a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry and that also pass on a message to "question authority and ... not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth".

Some political commentators have seen J. K. Rowling's portrayal of the bureaucratised Ministry of Magic and the oppressive measures taken by the Ministry in the later books, like making attendance at Hogwarts School compulsory and the registration of Mudbloods with the Ministry, as an allegory of criticising the state.

Sales for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were record-setting.

A two-part film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is directed by David Yates, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman, David Barron and J. K. Rowling. Part 1 was released on 19 November 2010, and Part 2 on 15 July 2011.

Filming began in February 2009, and ended on 12 June 2010. However, the cast confirmed they would reshoot the epilogue scene as they only had two days to shoot the original. Reshoots officially ended around December 2010. Part 1 ended at Chapter 24 of the book, when Lord Voldemort regained the Elder Wand.

On 4 December 2008, J.K. Rowling released The Tales of Beedle the Bard both in the UK and US. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a spin-off of Deathly Hallows and contains fairy tales that are told to children in the Wizarding World.

The book includes five short stories, including The Tale of the Three Brothers which is the story of the Deathly Hallows.

Download Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Download The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling

 

 

 I think it more likely that

the Peverell brothers were simply gifted, 

dangerous wizards

who succeeded in creating those powerful objects.

Albus Dumbledore

DEATHLY HALLOWS & 'THE TALE OF THE THREE BROTHERS'

Today, The Weasleys and The Grandma have listened to The Tale of the Three Brothers, a wonderful story explained by Xenophilius Lovegood.

This tale is included in The Tales of Beedle the Bard, an amazing book that the family recommends. The Tale of the Three Brothers talks about three brothers and The Deathly Hallows, the magical objects searched by Harry Potter and his friends.

Before listening to this exciting tale, The Grandma has offered her family a new Cambridge Key English Test A2 Example.

   

Download Cambridge KET Exam Model-Listening (21)

  

Download Cambridge KET Audio-Listening (21)
   

Download Cambridge KET Results Sheet-Listening (21)

The Deathly Hallows are three highly powerful magical objects supposedly created by Death and given to each of three brothers in the Peverell family. 

They consisted of the Elder Wand, an immensely powerful wand that was considered unbeatable; the Resurrection Stone, a stone which could summon the spirits of the dead, and the Cloak of Invisibility, which, as its name suggests, renders the user completely invisible.

According to the story, both Antioch Peverell (owner of the Wand) and Cadmus Peverell (owner of the Stone) came to bad ends. However, Ignotus Peverell's wisdom in requesting the Cloak was rewarded.

According to legend, he who possesses these three artefacts would become the Master of Death. Albus Dumbledore told Harry Potter that he and another wizard, Gellert Grindelwald took this to mean that the uniter of the Deathly Hallows would be invincible.

The story of the Deathly Hallows was originally told by Beedle the Bard and subsequently passed from family to family as a wizard fairytale. 

Few wizards ever realised that the Deathly Hallows were genuine items.

Most people thought that there were things that Beedle had made up to entertain young wizards and witches.

No one but Harry Potter has been known to have been in command of all three at the same time, though he was never in possession of them all at once, he dropped the stone in the Forbidden Forest just before gaining the wand that he had won the alliance of in a previous scuffle at Malfoy Manor.

Albus Dumbledore had also possessed all three, but not all at once, much like Harry Potter, as he was never the true owner of the Cloak.

In The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the author presented his own version of the origin of the Hallows. Hundreds of years ago, the three Peverell brothers were travelling at twilight, and reached a river too dangerous to cross.

The three brothers, being trained in the magical arts, simply waved their wands and created a bridge across the river. They were then stopped by Death himself, who felt cheated that they had gotten across the river, as most travellers drowned in it.

More information: Wizarding World

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of stories written for young wizards and witches by Beedle the Bard. It was published by Chelf Press and had original illustrations by Luxo Karuzos.

They were popular bedtime stories for centuries, with the result being that The Wizard and the Hopping Pot and The Fountain of Fair Fortune were as familiar to many of the students at Hogwarts, as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are to various Muggle children.

Death, a cunning liar, then pretended to congratulate them on being clever enough to evade him, and offered each of them a powerful magical item. 

The first brother, Antioch Peverell, wished to have the most powerful wand out of his combative personality; Death broke a branch off a nearby elder tree and created for him the Elder Wand, a wand more powerful than any other in existence.

The second brother, Cadmus Peverell, out of arrogance, wanted to humiliate Death even further, and wished to have the power to bring loved ones from the grave; Death then took a stone from the riverbed and created for him the Resurrection Stone, a stone capable of bringing the dead back to the living world.

The third brother, Ignotus Peverell, who was a humble man, did not trust Death and asked to go on from the river without being followed by Death; Death then gave him his own Cloak of Invisibility, an invisibility cloak that never lost its power through curses or age. In time, the brothers went their separate ways.

The three legendary objects, (the cloak, the wand and the stone) together make up the Deathly Hallows.

More information: Wizarding World

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!"

Antioch Peverell receiving the Elder Wand

Antioch Peverell travelled to a wizarding village where he killed the man he once duelled with, he then boasted of the power of the Elder Wand, that it was unbeatable and in his possession, invoking envy amongst the many wanting to possess it for themselves. His throat was slit in his sleep by another wizard who stole the Elder Wand.

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. 

Cadmus Peverell receiving the Resurrection Stone

Cadmus Peverell travelled back home and used the Resurrection Stone to bring back the woman he loved, but was dismayed to find that it was only a pale imitation of her: the dead did not belong in the living world and could not truly be brought back.

He found that she was cold, lifeless, and miserable in the land of the living, nothing like she used to be. In the end Cadmus Peverell committed suicide by hanging himself so he could truly join her.

It was only when he had attained great age

that the youngest brother finally

took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son.

Ignotus Peverell passing on the cloak

Ignotus Peverell used the cloak to remain hidden from Death for a long time. When he was an old man, he passed the cloak onto his son, greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him to the next world.

The cloak continued to be passed down through the descendants of the Peverells, although the name became extinct in the male line. The wand passed from wizard to wizard, nearly always by the murder of its previous owner. The wand, during its passing from wizard to wizard, has been called The Death Stick and the Wand of Destiny.

More information: Wizarding World

On an interesting note, no witch is ever stated to have held possession of the wand. The stone was also passed down through the Peverells' descendants.

It eventually ended up in the possession of the House of Gaunt, and was later stolen by Tom Riddle, neither Tom nor Marvolo Gaunt were aware of the powers of the stone, nor that it was a Hallow.

Marvolo was solely concerned with the noble origins of the stone, made into a ring, and thought that the Hallows symbol on it was the family coat of arms.

Lord Voldemort could not have been aware of the stone's true origin either, as he transformed the stone into a Horcrux.

Overtime, the legend of the Deathly Hallows was dismissed by most as a mere fairy tale, and the few who desired to reunite all three misunderstood the title Master of Death is a form of immortality. The quest for these fabled items were considered a lure for fools, and many have died in their quest for them.

The Hallows played a particularly important role in the lives of Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, and Harry Potter.

Harry Potter is the only known Master of Death, having gathered and mastered all three Hallows and most importantly, accepted death, as the true master understands that death is inevitable and that there are worse things in life than dying. He did not unite all three of them physically at the same moment, as he possessed no more than two at the same time.

Albus Dumbledore had also gathered all three, though physically owning no more than two at the same time, and did not master the usage of the Cloak, but he could qualify for the title of the Master of Death as he fulfilled the most important criteria needed by accepting death. With the Stone lost, it is unlikely there will ever be another to hold the title.

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"The Elder Wand,"

he said, and he drew a straight vertical line on the parchment.

"The Resurrection Stone,"

he said, and he added a circle on top of the line.

"The Cloak of Invisibility,"

he finished, enclosing both line and circle in a triangle,

to make the symbol that so intrigued Hermione.

"Together," he said, "the Deathly Hallows".

Xenophilius Lovegood

THE WEASLEYS KNOW & SEARCH THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

Today, The Weasleys and The Grandma have started an amazing adventure.  

 

They are going to help Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and the members of the Order of the Phoenix to find the seven horcruxes of Lord Voldemort to destroy them and help Hogwarts to live in peace forever.

Before starting this dangerous adventure, The Grandma has offered them a new Cambridge Key English Test A2 Example.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series.

It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publishing, in the United States by Scholastic, and in Canada by Raincoast Books.

The novel chronicles the events directly following Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) and the final confrontation between the wizards Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort.

Deathly Hallows shattered sales records upon release, surpassing marks set by previous titles of the Harry Potter series.

It holds the Guinness World Record for most novels sold within 24 hours of release, with 8.3 million sold in the US and 2.65 million in the UK.

Generally well received by critics, the book won the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award, and the American Library Association named it the Best Book for Young Adults. A film adaptation of the novel was released in two parts: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 in November 2010 and Part 2 in July 2011.

The title of the book refers to three mythical objects featured in the story, collectively known as the Deathly Hallows -an unbeatable wand (the Elder Wand), a stone to bring the dead to life (the Resurrection Stone), and a cloak of invisibility.

When asked during a live chat about the other titles she had been considering, Rowling mentioned Harry Potter and the Elder Wand and Harry Potter and the Peverell Quest.

More information: Wizarding World I & II 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury, the publisher of all Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom, on 30 June 1997.

It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic -the American publisher of the books- as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, after Rowling had received US$105,000 for the American rights—an unprecedented amount for a children's book by a then-unknown author.

The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998, and in the US on 2 June 1999.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was then published a year later in the UK on 8 July 1999, and in the US on 8 September 1999.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8 July 2000 at the same time by Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series at 766 pages in the UK version and 870 pages in the US version. It was published worldwide in English on 21 June 2003.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was published on 16 July 2005, and it sold 9 million copies in the first 24 hours of its worldwide release.

Shortly before releasing the title, J. K. Rowling announced that she had considered three titles for the book.

The final title was released to the public on 21 December 2006, via a special Christmas-themed hangman puzzle on Rowling's website, confirmed shortly afterwards by the book's publishers.

Rowling completed the book while staying at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh in January 2007, and left a signed statement on a marble bust of Hermes in her room which read: J. K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11 January 2007.

In a statement on her website, she said, I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric.

Academics and journalists have developed many other interpretations of themes in the books, some more complex than others, and some including political subtexts.

Themes such as normality, oppression, survival, and overcoming imposing odds have all been considered as prevalent throughout the series. Similarly, the theme of making one's way through adolescence and going over one's most harrowing ordeals -and thus coming to terms with them has also been considered.

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J. K. Rowling has stated that the books comprise a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry and that also pass on a message to "question authority and ... not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth".

Some political commentators have seen J. K. Rowling's portrayal of the bureaucratised Ministry of Magic and the oppressive measures taken by the Ministry in the later books, like making attendance at Hogwarts School compulsory and the registration of Mudbloods with the Ministry, as an allegory of criticising the state.

Sales for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were record-setting.

A two-part film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is directed by David Yates, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman, David Barron and J. K. Rowling. Part 1 was released on 19 November 2010, and Part 2 on 15 July 2011.

Filming began in February 2009, and ended on 12 June 2010. However, the cast confirmed they would reshoot the epilogue scene as they only had two days to shoot the original. Reshoots officially ended around December 2010. Part 1 ended at Chapter 24 of the book, when Lord Voldemort regained the Elder Wand.

On 4 December 2008, J.K. Rowling released The Tales of Beedle the Bard both in the UK and US. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a spin-off of Deathly Hallows and contains fairy tales that are told to children in the Wizarding World.

The book includes five short stories, including The Tale of the Three Brothers which is the story of the Deathly Hallows.

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 I think it more likely that

the Peverell brothers were simply gifted, dangerous wizards

who succeeded in creating those powerful objects.

Albus Dumbledore