Chapter 499: A Small Village on the Edge of the Albanian Forest (Edited)

Albania is a country located in southeastern Europe, in the southwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The ancestors of the Albanians, the Illyrians, are one of the ancient peoples of the Balkan Peninsula, although they didn't flourish like other ancient civilizations: this land was successively occupied by the Roman Republic, the Byzantine Empire, the Kingdom of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of Serbia, the Republic of Venice, and the Ottoman Empire, until a stable country was finally born after World War II.

Initially, this country belonged to the Soviet bloc, but in 1968, Albania withdrew from the Warsaw Pact and completely severed ties with the Soviet Union. Long-standing conflicts and hostility towards world superpowers left this country with no sense of security: it is known as the "Kingdom of Bunkers." It is a country with a population of 3 million people, but it is densely populated with hundreds of thousands of bunkers; on average, there's one bunker for every three people. This clearly isn't a manifestation of openness and security.

Indeed, due to its geography and politics, this country finds itself in an extremely isolated state.

In Albania's 28,000 square kilometers of land, there are 7,800 square kilometers of forests, meaning approximately one-fourth of this small Eastern European country is covered in forests. Mountains and hills make up three-quarters of the national territory...

The isolation and mountains mean this place is a good choice for hiding. This is what Voldemort thought.

After being struck by his own Killing Curse, Voldemort became a wandering spirit, drifting aimlessly, with nothing to hold onto. Due to the loss of most of his magic and his inability to use a wand, Voldemort only had one remaining ability: possession. He could possess animals or people. However, most of the time, he possessed animals, and even when possessing a human, he didn't dare to approach crowded places, as he felt there were always aurors tracking him.

His chosen hiding place was deep in the forests of Albania.

Once, he seduced a young wizard here and clung to his body to return to Hogwarts and steal the Philosopher's Stone for his resurrection. But his plan failed; two young wizards defeated him and forced him to flee to Albania in a pitiful state.

After that failure, Voldemort fell into despair. He didn't believe he would be lucky enough to find another wizard and fall into their clutches again, inadvertently entering this forest and deluding himself. Only after leaving did he realize that his loyal followers had no intention of seeking him out either. His most loyal Death Eaters died in the war or were sent to Azkaban, and those who remained were people afraid of death.

Voldemort was at the lowest point of his life, and these days had lasted for two years already. During this time, Albania has experienced many significant events, and the local situation has become even more chaotic and tumultuous.

For Voldemort, this was a good thing.

Chaos and turmoil were the ideal conditions for him to hide...

"There are so many bunkers here... Damn it, Peter."

"I've heard the story of this country before, Barty. It's said to have hundreds of thousands of bunkers, built with high-quality materials, making them extremely difficult to demolish..."

Two men walked through a wasteland dotted with abandoned bunkers, making their way with difficulty as they conversed. The subject of their conversation was the land they were treading on.

Of these two men, one has light, disheveled blond hair, and his pale skin has a few freckles, while the other is short and chubby, with a bald patch on his head, resembling an old rat.

The two men, one named Barty Crouch Jr. and the other Peter Pettigrew, had traveled to Albania, not to sell their specialty – weapons – but to find a man who had haunted the magical world for decades.

Their mission was to bring that man back.

They trekked through nature until they reached a small village. The village was situated on the edge of a forest, peaceful and quiet.

"Are you really sure 'It' is here? This tourist brochure I have says that a quarter of the country is covered in forests..." Barty Crouch Jr. hesitated.

Peter shrugged. "I've talked to hundreds of stray dogs, and they're sure that deep in this forest, there's a 'forbidden place' where any small animal that approaches is possessed by a black shadow and then dies. It wasn't easy to get this information; every time I talk to the dogs, I have to convince them..."

Barty fell silent.

"Well, but we can talk to the locals. My Lord has been here for a long time; there must be some strange legends left," he said.

They both entered a small tavern by the side of the street, as there was no better place than a tavern to gather information.

They walked straight up to the bar and ordered two beers. They began talking about a variety of topics as they drank. After a few rounds, they quickly established a good rapport with the bartender.

"Hey, my friend, are there any mysteries or legends around here?" Peter asked casually, shaking his beer glass.

The official language of Albania is Albanian, but as a bartender, he had certain business skills.

The bartender started stammering and told them the legends of the village with great effort. Peter and Barty had to strain to understand, but they learned that deep in that forest, there was a forbidden area, a kind of death zone.

With his limited English, the bartender did his best to describe the horror and the supernatural nature of the place. In the end, he also revealed his true intention.

"Friends, if you need... um... help, I can... uh... guide you," he said with difficulty.

Peter and Barty's accented English was their best introduction. In their pockets, they had pounds sterling or US dollars, and even if they dropped a couple of bills, it could amount to a month's salary for the locals.

Making a little money for a few drinks? Taking them on an expedition in the forest would bring in much more profit: equipment, guide fees, insurance... the bartender believed this opportunity could earn him three years' worth of salary.

Peter and Barty were considering how to decline the offer when a person approached the bar and, in a British accent, said, "A glass of wine, please."

Then, she noticed the presence of the two men beside her.

With surprise, she opened her eyes wide in astonishment, and Peter and Barty were equally shocked to see her.

The person who had arrived at the tavern was named Bertha Jorkins; she was an employee of the Ministry of Magic in England and happened to know Barty and Peter.

"Peter... and Barty Crouch Jr.," exclaimed Bertha Jorkins, confused by seeing these two individuals. She couldn't understand how Barty Crouch Jr., who was already dead, and Peter, who was on the run, could be there.

Barty Crouch Jr., Peter: ...