Chapter 499: 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: ...
Chapter 500: Chapter 500: Two Snakes (Edited)
Barty Crouch Jr. and Peter's expressions turned uncomfortably serious.
Bertha Jorkins realized something; her hand moved toward her waist, but the two men in front of her were quicker. Just as Jorkins's arm moved, it was grabbed, and something hard pressed against her waist.
"Calm down, Bertha, let's step outside to talk," Barty Crouch Jr.'s expression was icy, but it was precisely that expression that made Jorkins shudder.
"Don't try any tricks," Peter also reacted, standing up from the bar and approaching Jorkins from behind, his hands pressing her shoulders, "We're two, and you're just one... trust me, we have a lot to explain."
The bartender sensed something out of the ordinary and was about to intervene, not because he had a strong sense of morals, but because this bar was his gang's territory, and he had an obligation to maintain order. But Peter quickly pulled out his wand and pointed it at him.
"Confundus."
The bartender's expression became confused, and he allowed Peter and Barty to take Jorkins out of the bar.
Outside the bar, there was a quiet street with no pedestrians. Peter and Barty easily took Jorkins' wand and led her to an abandoned bunker.
"So, Jorkins, what are you doing here?" Barty asked the question that concerned him the most. He really couldn't understand how this acquaintance of his from England had ended up in this remote and unfamiliar Balkan country.
Peter, of course, knew Bertha Jorkins well. She was two years ahead of them at Hogwarts, so you could say she was their senior schoolmate. In the magical world of England, if you had graduated from Hogwarts, you could relate to most Ministry of Magic employees. She was their big sister, the prefect who had been their superior when they were in school, they were all acquaintances.
"I'm here on vacation..." Jorkins replied, trembling; her intuition told her that her situation was not good.
Peter knew the nature of his former schoolmate well, which put him in a dilemma. Bertha was a gossipy and socially awkward person, notoriously scatterbrained and prone to thoughtless actions. After graduating, she worked at the Ministry of Magic. They moved her from one department to another, and she ended up in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. If they let her go, the entire British magical world would know that Peter and Barty Crouch Jr. were in Albania within half a month.
And with the legend that Voldemort was hiding in Albania... hey, there would be an endless siege by the Aurors.
Now Jorkins was in a panic, but soon her recklessness became evident.
Undoubtedly, Bertha Jorkins was a fearless person. Many times, she acted like a honey badger, without considering the gaping power difference between the parties, without even thinking about what she was doing.
In the original timeline, after discovering Bartemius Crouch's biggest secret in his house, instead of playing dumb and letting the matter pass, she chose to confront him on the spot.
That's just the worst possible choice!
That's Crouch's turf, not to mention the vast difference in skills between him and Jorkins. Even the house-elf of the house, Winky, would be enough to subdue Jorkins. It's hard to understand what she was thinking when making that decision.
Now, facing two adult wizards with her own wand confiscated, Jorkins showed surprisingly boldness.
"I wonder, how did you two end up here?" Barty asked, the question that puzzled him the most. What place is Albania? The supposed hiding place of the Dark Lord, how did you come up with the idea to vacation here?
It's better to go to Antarctica than Albania!
Going to Switzerland for skiing or visiting temples in Greece would be much better. Why choose the wilderness of Albania for fun?
Jorkins' choice of Albania as a vacation destination also had a reason, of course, it wasn't to search for Voldemort's whereabouts, she's not that grandiose. Rather, she felt that Albania had something in common with her: solitude.
This country, Albania, seemed to have been abandoned by the entire world. The Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union detested it, the Western countries on the other side of the Iron Curtain didn't accept it, and even the country on the other side of the Eurasian continent had offered a friendly hand, but Albania had rejected it. In a world with over two hundred countries and regions, Albania had fought with all of them. It was a case of widespread hatred.
Bertha Jorkins was similar to Albania. Since her school days, she had no friends, and once she joined the Ministry of Magic, she was kicked from one Department to another like a ball. Upon learning about the situation in Albania by chance, Jorkins felt a strange resonance with this mysterious country.
'This country is similar to my situation.'
So she decided to come here for a vacation. A lonely person going to a lonely country for a lonely vacation, very lonely, because no one had thought of looking for her since her disappearance.
After talking with Jorkins for a while, Peter and Barty Crouch Jr. actually believed that she was here on vacation.
After a deathly silence, Barty pointed his wand at Jorkins' forehead.
"Wait, Barty—" Jorkins finally realized that she was the captive. She instinctively tried to plead, but it was already too late.
"Obliviate."
Barty cast a Memory Charm at her.
Jorkins' expression became confused.
"Let's go!" Barty pulled Peter's sleeve, and both of them quickly disappeared into the darkness of the night.
A moment after they left, Jorkins' expression gradually returned to normal.
"Where am I? Wasn't I on vacation in Greece?" She looked around in confusion and then snapped her fingers, vanishing from there.
In the following months, no one at the Ministry of Magic saw Jorkins again. At first, her colleagues didn't pay much attention to her absence, as their work was much smoother without Jorkins. However, her absence extended for so long that even the usually kind-hearted Ludo Bagman, the Department Head, couldn't bear it any longer. He sent people to look for her in different places, and they finally found her on vacation on a beach in Greece.
She thought she was still on vacation!
Jorkins became famous overnight and left her mark on the history of the Ministry of Magic, a very fortunate mark indeed.
After getting rid of Jorkins, Peter and Barty ventured directly into the dense forest behind the village.
They were inside for three days, and only the two of them understood the difficulties involved.
The dense trees completely covered the dark sky; here, they never saw daylight or the sun. It was as isolated as this country. Perhaps only when the leaves fall, a few rays of sunlight illuminate the ground. Unfortunately, it was now July.
After three days of arduous travel, the two ventured deep into the forest. The further they went, the more convinced they were that Voldemort was hiding in that dense forest.
Crunch!
Peter heard a crunch under his feet, which made him stop. He bent down and picked up a crushed skull from the ground.
"A snake's skull," said Barty, appearing behind him, panting.
"There are more and more animal remains... and it's too quiet here... Barty, I think we've arrived, stay focused."
The two continued walking a few dozen more steps and noticed that the trees around them were becoming less dense. In their field of vision appeared a collapsed stone house.
The stone house was completely in ruins, with the stones covered in moss and vines. Near the stone house was an old tree that appeared to be dying, with a deep hole in its trunk.
The change in tree density caught their attention, but before they could say anything, they heard a rustling behind them.
It was as if something were sliding over the withered leaves.
They turned around and saw a giant snake at least twelve feet long, which had appeared behind them and seemed about to attack.
At that moment, a sizzling and hissing sound came from the ruins of the stone house. The snake stopped and coiled in front of them.
"I believe it's necessary to introduce you to my new friend, Nagini," a sharp voice came from where the snores had originated. This voice was as cold as icy wind and made both Peter and Barty involuntarily shudder.
Soon, they saw where the voice was coming from. A snake with white stripes on a black background emerged from the rubble of the collapsed house.
"Wormtail... and Barty... it's been a long time," the snake stopped in front of them and flicked out a black tongue. Its snake eyes were intensely red, and surprisingly, the snake could speak.
Facing the snake, both Barty and Peter shivered involuntarily. Peter stammered, "I didn't expect the master to be really here, and I didn't expect that after so many years... the master could recognize me..."
This snake was Voldemort's "vessel." After becoming a fragment of his soul, he could choose to possess anything living, and reptiles had always been his first choice.
Voldemort showed a look of evident disdain: "I can smell that rat stench of yours from miles away."
After saying that, he ignored Peter and focused on Barty.
"A familiar face," he said softly, "I once had a brief period of freedom and returned to that place... Hogwarts. I spent a year there... a wonderful time. It seems stuck in the currents of time without any change, still... so putrid."
After talking about Hogwarts, Voldemort paused for a moment, as if needing to catch his breath.
"Hogwarts is becoming more rigid and rotten in the hands of that old stubborn man. The young wizards there, generation after generation, are worse than their predecessors. Even that stupid one I possessed can be a teacher, ha!" Voldemort clearly despised and had aversion toward Hogwarts under Dumbledore's leadership.
"During that time, I received some news about my loyal servants: Barty, I was saddened to hear about your death in Azkaban. You are one of the few Death Eaters with a brain, and I thought your death would be my greatest regret," his voice suddenly became sharp and cold, "So now you can tell me how you managed to escape from Azkaban."
Barty trembled slightly and began recounting the story that Barty Crouch Jr. had told Dumbledore. Voldemort lay in silence in front of them, listening attentively to Barty's account.
"The great maternal love," Voldemort said emotionlessly after listening, "Controlling your own son with the Imperius Curse for over a decade, something only Barty Crouch Sr. could achieve."
Both Peter and Barty hung their heads in silence.
"Do you have anything else to say, Barty?"
"My loyalty to you remains unbroken," Barty said softly, head bowed.
The snake possessed by Voldemort nodded at Barty and said, "The fact that you were able to break free from the Imperius Curse shows your loyalty."
Then, he looked at Peter and asked him to tell his own experience.
"So, it was Barty who attacked the caravan escorting you and rescued you?" In Peter's words, he decided to go into hiding and wait for the right moment after Voldemort lost power. However, his identity was discovered, leading to Sirius Black's pursuit. Finally, he was captured by a young wizard and turned over to the Ministry of Magic.
Barty, upon reading the news in the newspaper, carefully planned and managed to rescue Peter.
Both of them hid for a while, and then, when the danger passed, they ventured into Albania in search of Voldemort's trail.
Voldemort remained silent for a moment and finally uttered one word: "Good."
"You two are my most loyal servants. Every day and night, I've been hiding in this forest, waiting for the arrival of my Death Eaters, but they have all disappointed me. I suppose I've waited too long... The most loyal ones ended up in Azkaban, what's left are only cowards who fear for their lives. How could they come looking for me when they wish to distance themselves from the evil Dark Lord?"
Both lowered their heads, murmuring softly, "I am loyal to my master—"
"Barty, of course, you are loyal to me, but Peter, don't speak of loyalty. You're just a coward. If you had anywhere else to go, you would never come to me..."
Peter shivered, seemingly wanting to argue something but not knowing what to say.
"Of course, even the most cowardly of cowards is infinitely better than those traitors," Voldemort expressed his hatred when he mentioned the remaining Death Eaters. He knew that some of his followers had risen to prominent positions in the Ministry of Magic, others had managed to rebuild their lives, and some had even become headmasters of wizarding schools. Without exception, they were all traitors.
After venting his anger, Voldemort looked at both of them and said, "I have a mission that I need you to complete."
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