"There are too many wizards here!"
At the edge of the Llogara Forest, Dino Perkins, who had disguised himself, looked warily and nervously at the cheerful adventurers calling out to friends and rushing into the forest around him.
Barty Crouch Jr., who had now dyed his hair red, made himself shorter, and looked older, was just making final preparations before entering the forest.
They had also bought a wizard camping tent in Albania. Rumor had it the shop selling the tents had made a fortune during this period.
Besides that, all kinds of exploration tools were also selling extremely well.
Barty, of course, had all these prepared as well, except he hadn't contributed to the Albanian merchants' revenue… he had bought all these things in advance from Diagon Alley in Britain.
"Should we really be here at this time?" After receiving no response for a while, Perkins couldn't help but lower his voice again and ask Barty, "There are too many wizards gathered here. Once they discover us..."
"Weren't you the one constantly complaining to me before that we were wasting so much time and hadn't gained anything?" Barty said calmly. "Now, just when we're about to make a big discovery, you're getting scared again?"
"How can you be sure there will be a big discovery!" Perkins asked, wide-eyed, "We've failed so many times. Why should this time yield results?"
Hearing his question, Barty just temporarily put down what he was holding, looked at the crowd of wizards, something rarely seen outside a wizard village or street under normal circumstances, but easily visible here in this forest, and softly asked in return.
"Why are so many people gathered here?"
Perkins hated it when Barty acted like this, not saying things directly, but he didn't dare show his dislike. He just suppressed his impatience and said,
"We knew the reason when we first arrived in Albania! These wizards are from around Albania. They've heard the legend about the Fountain of Fair Fortune hidden in this forest since childhood. Recently, a Golden Unicorn has been sighted in the forest. They all say that by following that Golden Unicorn, you can eventually find the legendary Fountain of Fair Fortune!"
At this point, he couldn't help but add his own judgment.
"But such legends are pure nonsense! Nearly seventy or eighty years ago, there was a wave of enthusiasm for finding the Fountain of Fair Fortune here. Yet after all this time, no one has found even a shred of evidence for this legend. That Golden Unicorn most likely isn't real. Either it's a gimmick spread by some opportunists, or someone mistook a creature like a Graphorn for it."
"Regardless of whether the Golden Unicorn actually exists, or whether the legend of the Fountain of Fair Fortune is true or false," Barty said lightly, "A major event is happening here right now, correct?"
His sudden question caught Perkins off guard. He didn't react immediately, 'We were just talking about what was happening here, how did the topic suddenly shift to this?'
"Here... of course a major event is happening here, otherwise so many wizards wouldn't be gathered."
"Something is happening, that's the best evidence." A subtle curve lifted the corner of Barty's mouth, "Someone is making a move here."
"There are thousands upon thousands of wizards in the world! How can you be sure that what's happening here definitely has anything to do with Master?"
Barty just stared at the questioning Perkins. He shook his head, looking as if he had given up hope on this helper's brain.
"Master wouldn't give me those visions for no reason. He must have some arrangement here, just like the other places we looked before. It's just that we didn't discover what he was hiding before. But now, a large number of people have been mobilized here."
At this point, Barty's voice suddenly became playful.
"Perhaps after Severus Snape disappeared from France, he is also carrying out some unknown plan here..."
These words made the already very uneasy Perkins completely tense.
"If he is... if he is here, what should we do?"
Barty didn't answer his idiotic question. He just picked up the packed suitcase and strode forward into the forest.
…
At the same time, on the other side of the forest.
An elderly man wearing a short cloak and leaning on a hiking staff was leading a large black dog, also arriving near the Llogara National Forest Park.
An Albanian police officer nearby was watching the old man intently.
In the past couple of days, a large group of strangely dressed people had gathered near the forest, which had attracted the attention of the Albanian Muggle government.
They had tried to find these people in the forest but were completely unable to locate them.
They could only arrange for police to set up defenses around the forest park, hoping to search the strange individuals entering the forest.
This wasn't an overreaction by the Albanian Muggle police. In recent days, the wizards who had learned through various channels about the Golden Unicorn's appearance in the Llogara Forest had been far too conspicuous.
It was as if they were attending a grand event, entering the forest in groups, not concealing their uniqueness in the slightest.
Because of this, the International Confederation of Wizards had already sent two warnings to the Albanian Ministry of Magic, reminding them that they must restrain the wizards within their borders to prevent the Statute of Secrecy from being broken.
But those coming to Llogara to adventure and search for the Fountain of Fair Fortune were clearly not only local Albanian wizards… many were from surrounding countries, especially Bulgaria and Greece.
Even if the Albanian Ministry of Magic wanted to restrain them, with their main Auror manpower diverted to the Dragon Nature Reserve, it was difficult to have much impact on these people.
Thus, the Muggle police's actions naturally began.
They arranged police forces to set up defenses at some forest entrances, attempting to catch some of the troublemakers. However, from the start until now, they hadn't succeeded once.
The officer stationed here now had his eyes on Nicolas Flamel before him.
He thought this old man, dressed somewhat retro but quite normal compared to the other weirdos, was probably over a hundred years old.
Judging by his physical condition, he didn't seem like someone who would cause any trouble.
The only unusual thing was the black dog he was leading.
It was astonishingly large, and its behavior, movements, and even its eyes didn't look like those of a dog at all.
"Are you trying to enter the forest, sir!"
After hesitating for a moment, the officer decided to speak up and stop the old man.
He spoke in Albanian. Upon hearing him, Nicolas also replied fluently in Albanian in a gentle tone.
"Oh, certainly, my friend. The air in the city is far too polluted these days. Getting closer to nature is good for an old man like me, right?"
The officer had seen from the start that this old man didn't seem Albanian, so when he heard the fluent Albanian, his face clearly showed surprise.
"You... you're right, sir. But if you want to breathe some natural air, there are many other choices... This forest, although parts are open, still has many hidden dangers."
"Are you trying to persuade me to turn back?" Nicolas smiled. He lifted the leash in his hand, "Don't worry, even if I'm old and decrepit, I still have a bodyguard with me. It will keep me safe."
Hearing Nicolas's words, the officer followed his gesture and looked at the black dog.
For some reason, when he met the black dog's eyes, the officer couldn't help but shudder.
"No, no! For safety's sake, I cannot simply let you pass no matter what. Please wait a moment, I need to contact my superior. He will-"
Just as the officer stopped Nicolas and was about to contact his superior, Nicolas somehow produced a pocket watch.
He opened the cover and waved it in front of the officer. The next second, the officer suddenly seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead.
"What am I doing here! According to orders, it should be shift change time now! Damn it, why haven't those lazy bums come yet? Do I have to go find them now!"
Clearly affected by a Confundus Charm, the officer grumbled as he walked away, no longer blocking Nicolas's path.
After the officer left, Nicolas also put away the pocket watch and, leading the black dog, finally walked into the forest.
After taking just a few steps forward, the black dog miraculously began to emit a human voice!
"You should have used that thing from the start."
The voice clearly didn't belong to Sirius's own. It was more like an expressive radio announcer, and even the tone sounded like it was coming from a radio.
If someone were to carefully search for the source of the sound at this moment, they would find a miniature radio beneath the dog's collar.
It was precisely the alchemical device improved by Nicolas through alchemy, which could help an Animagus in animal form still produce human speech through consciousness!
He had even given this device a name… [Radio Three].
That was Nicolas's favorite wireless wizard radio station to listen to at home, and the male voice source was also that of the male announcer hosting that program.
Faced with Sirius's complaint, Nicolas just said patiently,
"We must cherish the role language plays for us. Sometimes, if we can achieve communication through speech, then try to use only that method, because it is the method that requires the least cost and is the most effortless way to reach a consensus with people."
"But you still used magic in the end!" The male announcer's voice sounded like it was reciting an opera.
Nicolas just shrugged at this.
"That's because verbal communication had already failed. In that case, of course, I had to switch to another, more efficient method."
Sirius quickly realized he was engaging in an extremely foolish behavior… arguing with an old man who had nearly infinite time.
If they continued arguing like this, no matter the outcome, it would be torture for Sirius.
So, he quickly chose to ask about some things he was more concerned about.
"Now there are so many wizards in this forest, all wanting to find that so-called legendary Fountain of Fair Fortune. How are we going to find that Snivellus!"
Radio Three's male announcer was clearly an opera enthusiast. His voice perfectly conveyed Sirius's words, yet sang out 'Snivellus' with great passion, as if it weren't an insult but a heroic title.
This tone made Sirius extremely uncomfortable, but he had to admit that the device Nicolas had given him was very useful for an Animagus.
Nicolas didn't answer Sirius's question. He just smiled, took out a piece of parchment from his pocket, and then said leisurely,
"Do you remember this letter I received two days ago, when we were preparing to depart?"
Black just stared at him without making a sound. This question clearly didn't require an answer from him.
"This letter was written to me by Severus. The current craze for finding the Fountain of Fair Fortune sweeping this forest was probably stirred up by them. He found an ancient wizard's relic somewhere underground in the forest, which contained a Basilisk at least nine hundred years old, and a secret garden."
"In the garden, he found an interesting alchemical item, but they couldn't figure it out themselves, so they wrote to me asking for help."
Hearing this, Black's eyes widened completely.
"So you knew where he and Harry were from the moment we set out!"
Nicolas didn't deny this.
"They gave me the corresponding coordinates and were considerate enough to say that if it was inconvenient for me to travel, Severus could return to Paris to bring the alchemical item over, but I declined in my reply."
At this moment, the look in Sirius's eyes suddenly became tense. He stared intently at Nicolas.
"You, you didn't tell him, tell him about me..."
"Of course not." Before he could finish, Nicolas was already shaking his head in denial, "I made a promise to you, said I would let you meet him face to face, and then confront him, didn't I? At the very least, you don't need to doubt the character of an old fellow like me."
Hearing his answer, Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, but then couldn't help but continue asking,
"So why aren't we going to find them right away?"
Faced with this question, Nicolas just shook his head again.
"Severus is asking for my help. That ancient alchemical antique, older than even me, isn't easy to study. I need to go take a look at the place where it was discovered."
"You can tell me where they are, and I'll go find them first!" Sirius said impatiently.
"No, that won't do. Without me, you won't be able to communicate properly with them," Nicolas refused, "Have a little patience. That's what you lack the most."