Snape, the Sunshine of Hogwarts.

Chapter 166 The Forests of Albania
Albania.

After a brand new day began, Severus and his group of four set off for Logara National Park.

This place is protected by the Muggle government, but that can't stop the wizards with magic.

They selected a gap in the fence, large enough for Harry and Draco to squeeze through, and then Lupin and Severus used Apparition to enter the woods.

Given the vast and complex landscape, Severus clearly did not expect to achieve any significant results in a short period of time in his search for a remnant soul hidden within an animal.

Even with a Voldemort "sensor" like Harry, it's the same.

According to the original book, after the night he was killed by his own killing curse, Voldemort cautiously hid in the forests of Albania.

The forest here has its own unique properties, which can shield it from almost all magical detection and probing. It was because of this that Ravenclaw's daughter fled here long ago after stealing her mother's crown.

The reason Voldemort knew about this place and used it as a "safe house" was probably because he discovered the special nature of the forests in Albania after he tricked Lady Grey into revealing the location of the tiara.

Finally, when he was extremely weak, he hid there and never dared to go out until Quirinus Quirrell, the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts, came to Albania and met him. Quirrell then bewitched him and became Voldemort's puppet.

It was Quirrell's experience that convinced Severus that Voldemort's remnant soul was hiding there, extremely weak, and posed no danger.

The Dark Lord, who was afraid of death and longed for immortality, could not accept his current state. He had been waiting for his most loyal followers to come and find him.

In the original story, he never got to see her and could only leave with Quirrell's help.

And now Severus has arrived.

As the one who personally told Voldemort the prophecy of the savior, Severus was clearly Voldemort's staunchest follower.

Otherwise, when he went to kill the Potters, he wouldn't have considered his promise to Severus to spare Lily's life. It was only after he told Lily to get out of his way, but Lily insisted on standing in front of young Harry, that Voldemort finally killed her.

If Severus can indeed find Voldemort in his weakened state in Albania, he will certainly be more trusted than Quirrell, who has not yet left Hogwarts to travel here.

Not to mention, Severus didn't even come on his own.

He had Harry with him!

That's right.

The decision to bring Harry along wasn't just about letting him experience Voldemort's location and find him as quickly as possible.

Another significant role is that, after finding Voldemort, Harry is used to bewitch Voldemort, thereby making Severus demonstrate his loyalty!
Not only had his most loyal subordinate come looking for him, but he had also tricked his master into bringing his mortal enemy with him. Voldemort was overjoyed and placed great trust in him. Severus couldn't think of anything else he could doubt or be dissatisfied with.

Then I'll just show him that teacup, and his good master will willingly go in.
This was the plan Severus devised after obtaining these items from Nicolas Lemenza.

Of course, Severus didn't expect things to actually go as he planned, but one thing was certain anyway.

Voldemort is currently at his weakest point since becoming a wizard.

If we don't take this opportunity to gamble in Albania, and instead let him leave with Quirrell according to the original timeline, things will become even more complicated and difficult than in the original story.

However, Albania's forests are so vast and numerous that Severus was prepared for a long search.

If this trip yields no results, then he'll have no choice but to secretly follow Quiro when he prepares to travel to Albania.

The four of them entered the forest, and Harry and Draco became visibly excited.

Neither the Malfoys nor the Dursleys had ever been to a real primeval forest!
The two were curious about everything around them. In addition, Severus and Lupin had made preparations before leaving France, preparing insect repellent that was more durable and effective than that produced by Muggles, so the most difficult problem of exploring the dense forest was no longer a concern.

"what is that?"

Harry pointed to an animal perched on a branch, with a head like a mouse, a body as slender as a dachshund, a long tail, and gray fur, watching them warily.

A book floated beside Severus; it was "The Wizard's Journey - Albania," purchased from England. It not only included most of the country's topography but also contained an encyclopedia of all the common and magical animals that inhabited the land.

As Harry asked the question, the book flying in mid-air began to turn its pages on its own. Soon, a vivid image, enhanced with a developing agent, appeared, exactly like the animal on the branch.

"This is a stone marten, which is widely distributed across Eurasia. It is not an animal unique to this land, but it is not common either."

Severus looked at the descriptive text next to the image and explained it to Harry.

As a nature reserve, this place is a paradise for wildlife. In addition to some small animals, they also encountered large animals such as brown bears as they ventured deeper into the forest.

But for wizards, these ordinary predators in nature are nothing to worry about. With Severus and Lupin around, there will be no danger.

After they entered the forest, they headed due west, following the note Angelo had left for Severus.

His adventurer cousin Andrews was in this forest, in a valley called Oliveira.

The valley, located deep within the forest, is a haven for magical creatures. It has been protected by the Albanian Ministry of Magic using a Muggle exorcism charm. There, one finds a rich variety of magical animals and plants, as well as a race of trolls.

According to Angelo, this valley was his cousin's last stop in Albania. He would stay there for two years before leaving Europe for Egypt to explore the region.

Severus and his companions walked and stopped in the forest, not trying to rush, and spent the whole day in the woods.

Several times they almost went the wrong way, and in the end they were able to get back on track by using Harry's flying skateboard, a trophy he had seized from the goblins, to take off and observe the location of the mountain from a distance.

Those goblin skateboards were clearly specially designed with weight limits, so adults like Severus and Lupin couldn't use them; only children of Harry's size could ride on them.

But there is a big difference between riding a skateboard and riding a flying broom. Right now, Harry only dares to rise slightly above the trees and doesn't dare to move around, let alone fly as smoothly as those three goblins.

However, his talent was undeniable. After only three attempts at flying, he gradually mastered the knack and was no longer as shaky and fearful as he had been at the beginning. Instead, he experienced a different kind of exhilarating feeling compared to flying with a broomstick.

Draco was clearly envious of Harry's spoils, but he was too embarrassed to ask Harry for some to play with.

Harry noticed Draco's awkwardness, of course. He deliberately showed off in front of the young master all day, which infuriated Draco until the last takeoff to confirm the location near dusk.

He pretended that his legs were numb from walking all day and he couldn't stand steadily on the skateboard, and then asked Draco for help in a very polite manner, which finally convinced the young master.

"I only tried it because you begged me, otherwise who would care!"

Even so, Draco emphasized it again and again in a serious manner, not only to Harry, but also to Lupin and Severus, saying it together.

"Yes, please, Master Malfoy, help me!" Harry nodded vigorously, his face full of sincerity, but Draco had barely turned his head when he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Draco was thrilled to finally have the chance to ride on a skateboard.

He took a deep breath and said, pretending to be nonchalant.

"I could ride a toy flying broom when I was three years old. It's just a flying skateboard. Look how scared you were when you first went up on it today!"

Lupin kindly offered a reminder from the side.

"Be careful to keep your balance and don't fall."

Draco was instantly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Do you think I'm inferior to Dursley?

Lupin shrugged; of course, he wouldn't stoop to the level of a child.

"When Dali first used it, I said the same thing to him, didn't I?"

Severus didn't speak; he simply pulled his wand from his sleeve, as if he had a premonition of something.

Soon, Draco excitedly followed Harry's initial method of using the skateboard, stepping one foot onto the skateboard and gently pushing off the ground with the other.

The next second, the skateboard lifted him up.

Draco was thrilled by this completely different experience from flying on a broomstick, but he couldn't control his body well. He couldn't stand still for a long time, swaying left and right, and had to lower his body to maintain his balance.

“Are we going the right way?” Harry shouted at him.

Draco, however, was already awestruck by the vast green ocean he could see.

The orange sun painted the clouds with a fiery color, and the forest under the setting sun rose and fell in the wind like real ocean waves!
Every now and then, a flock of unidentified birds would take flight from the forest.

However, just as Draco was immersed in this moment, the skateboard beneath his feet suddenly began to shake violently, causing him to scream in terror!

(End of this chapter)