Faced with Oren’s words, Kael’s first thought was disbelief.
How could he believe it… Voldemort started his activities after Harry enrolled, but when Oren came to Hogwarts, Harry was still just an ordinary boy living in the cupboard under the stairs at his uncle and aunt’s house.
“What, don’t believe?” Oren seemed to read Kael’s mind and said indifferently, “Initially, I didn’t believe it either, but I saw him with my own eyes, weaker than even the most humble wraith, struggling to survive in the forests of Albania.”
“Albania!” Kael was stunned for a moment, feeling a bit shaken.
Because it was when Quirrell went to Albania that he encountered Voldemort.
“Why did you go there!”
“Did you forget what my profession was before I came to Hogwarts?” Oren chuckled softly.
“Profession… Wandering Minstrel, no, rather disguised as a member of a Fantastic Beasts smuggling team.”
“I was the leader,” Oren corrected, “Albania’s forests have the most Rune Pattern Snakes, these Fantastic Beasts are very valuable, we’ve visited many times.”
Kael furrowed his brows.
No way, still thinking of killing him.
Kael twirled the wand in his hand, but Oren immediately noticed.
“Save it, you know you can’t kill me,” he shifted position again, “and don’t forget, the Dark Lord is nearby.”
Kael raised his head and glanced into the distance.
Over there, the sky had been flickering with the green light of the Killing Curse since earlier, and the frequency was increasing, it was clear that the battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore had also reached a fever pitch.
If he acted, Oren would likely run over for help, then the battle would turn into two against two.
Voldemort might not care about Oren, but Dumbledore would certainly be distracted to care for him.
He’s not fully recovered yet, and Kael didn’t want to become a burden.
After pondering for a moment, Kael put away his wand.
“That’s better, staying here benefits both you and me,” Oren smiled, “Let’s continue, where were we?”
“Albania,” Kael replied, “How did you know that it was You-Know-Who’s?”
“It’s quite a coincidence,” Oren said, “at the time, we lost sight of our intended target, and a few hot-tempered guys were ready to take it out on a bunch of ordinary snakes, but I noticed one snake was different.”
“How was it different.”
“Its eyes,” Oren lifted his head slightly, as if recalling something, “Snakes don’t have emotions, but from its eyes, I saw anger and disdain.
“But it was just a snake, not even a Fantastic Beast, how could it dare to disdain a wizard.”
“So you suspected it was You-Know-Who?”
“Not at the time.”
Oren shook his head, “The Dark Lord was dead, everyone knew that, even if I noticed something was wrong with the snake, I didn’t think of that, just assumed someone was using them for magic experiments… if you’ve worked at the Ministry of Magic, you’ll know these things are common.”
“Until not long after, someone in the team went mad without reason.”
Oren said calmly, “At that time, I was alone, tracking the Rune Pattern Snake deep into the forest, I saw that snake again, and with it appeared the smuggler who was supposed to be on the other side of the forest… the very person who nearly killed it.”
Saying this, Oren suddenly looked at Kael, with an unusual tone he asked, “Do you know what someone with two faces looks like?”
Kael blinked.
He certainly knew, the face on Quirrell’s back of the head was his first encounter with Voldemort.
But Kael didn’t disclose this to Oren, standing silently, waiting for the continuation.
“I’ve seen it,” Oren murmured, “I’ll never forget it, that face appearing on the back of the head, ugly, sinister, but I recognized it, it was the face of the supposedly dead Dark Lord.
“What irony, isn’t it, the Dark Lord who once stormed the Magic Realm, still alive. Though he can only possess a snake, surviving in the most hideous manner, he indeed still lives.
“At that moment I knew, he would certainly return, and bring with him a war more terrifying than ten years ago.”
“Didn’t you tell anyone?” Kael looked at him.
“Why should I tell others,” Oren retorted, “and even if I did, do you think anyone would believe me?”
“They wouldn’t,” Oren wagged his finger, responding to himself, “They would only think I was crazy, a few years ago the Ministry of Magic’s behavior had already proven this well, even if Dumbledore shattered their delusional peace dreams, he would be labeled a crazy old man, losing his title as Chief Warlock of the International Confederation of Wizards, let alone a notorious smuggler.”
“It’s rare you have such an accurate evaluation of yourself,” Kael couldn’t help but say.
“Always have,” Oren showed no anger.
Kael looked into his eyes, attempting to find loopholes in his words.
First of all, why did he enter the forests of Albania alone, even he knew going solo into the forests was far more dangerous than going with a group, especially in such vast forests as Albania.
Having another person not only means an extra pair of eyes, but also if encountering Fantastic Beasts that are too tough to beat or escape from, they can help buy some time… after all, people like Oren never cherish their companions’ lives, they always prioritize Galleons.