<h4>Chapter 158: Pears in bloom</h4>
In theory, there really was no reason for Voldemort to necessarily travel to Albania to hibernate again.
The Ravenw''s crown had long ago been taken from one of the hollow trees in the middle of this forest by a young Tom Riddle, whoter made it into an Horcrux, and it sat in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts for the next few decades.
So he didn''te to Albania in search of his Horcrux.
Also, ording to Nagini''s memories, as Voldemort''s only friend during his hibernation, it''s also true that she didn''t meet Voldemort until after he perished in Godric''s Hollow, in this forest.
Which means that Voldemort was also unaware of Nagini''s existence beforehand.
Nor did Voldemorte to Albania in search of his Viperpanion.
In that case, there was probably something in the forests of Albania that would have attracted Voldemort, that would have made hime all the way here, dragging along a remnant of his soul that was less than a ghost and more fragile than a wandering spirit.
What could that something be?
Drac frowned and remained silent for a long time.
Indeed, he could not think of anything else to be concerned about in this mediocre forest ...
"Pickett, don''t mess with other people''s things!"
Newt''s voice rang out indistinctly, interrupting Drac''s thoughts.
Drac lowered his head and saw an animal with two small brown eyes and only the size of a hand standing where his cuffs were, fiddling with a delicate button.
The small animal had a wood twig coloring all over its body and seemed to be made up of bark, leaves, and twigs, so it would probably be hard to spot if it was lying on its back in a tree.
Hearing Newt''s voice, the Tree Protector Robot Pickett immediately retracted its two long, thin, tentacle-like ws and stood honestly on Drac''s folded arms, looking at Newt with an innocent face.
"Pickett seems to like you quite a bit, Professor Drac." Newt smiled at Drac.
He reached forward and received Pickett on his index finger and raised his hand to his eyes, looking at him favorably.
"Does this tree guardian robo-pot actually have a name?" Drac asked with some surprise as he temporarily shook off the doubts in his mind about the Albanian forest.
He turned his head to look at this Tree Protector Tree he had his back against.
The Patronus Tree was very simr to themon sorrel tree in the Muggle world, with many of what looked like bark, leaves, and twigs of the Patronus Robe lying on its slender branches, curiously surveying Drac below, and some of them bouncing affectionately off the tree to greet Newt.
Drac looked back and forth a few times between the tree protectors and the Picts standing on Newt''s index finger, but couldn''t quite tell what the difference was between the little things.
I don''t know how Newt could tell the difference, but he was able to tell at a nce that the tree-guarding rookery that was just fiddling with the buttons was the Picts he was talking about.
"It''s not possible that every Tree Protector Rokpot here has a name, is it?" Drac suddenly thought of a possibility and looked at Newt in shock.
"It''s not that much of a stretch ...," Newt looked over to the Tree Protector Rokkot on his index finger, "but I did think of doing that when I was younger, giving each of the magical creatures a name unique to them. "
"But then I got older and my memory isn''t what it used to be, and there''s no way to memorize every single magical animal''s name. Also, naming was never easy, so in the end it just went away."
"But Pickett was different, he was one of the first animals to apany me. Together with Teddy, Pickett did me a lot of favors during the Global Wizarding War decades ago. Especially the time they rescued Theseus from the Erkstag prison in Germany ..."
A nostalgic tinge unknowingly came back into Newt''s eyes.
"Ah, excuse me, Professor Drac." Newt suddenly reacted and smiled apologetically at Drac, "That''s how people are when they get old, they always like to reminisce about the past."
"That''s okay, I''m also quite interested in the Global Wizard War period." Drac gently shook his head.
Drac had already discovered that the hundred years he had spent in slumber could probably be called the most turbulent hundred years in the magic world.
The global wizard war triggered by Gellert Grindelwald, the wizard war in the British magicalmunity set off by Voldemort, and the emergence of three great wizards one after another within a hundred years ...
Drac missed all of these at once.
Nowadays, he is extremely curious about the stories of his sleeping period, but he can only go through other people''s oral narratives as a way to keep adding to his knowledge of all kinds of big events that happened in the world during this period.
Newt, as a personal witness of the Global Sorcerer War, could even be considered one of the most important characters, what he recounted was naturally of quite high value.
It was also because of this reason that Drac had the whim to invite Newt to his castle as a guest.
While the two were talking, several curious Tree Protector Robots quietly jumped down from the Tree of Protections andnded on Drac''s shoulders, each finding a seat and sizing up Newt on the opposite side.
"Professor Drac, it does seem that you are quite beloved by the Tree Protector Robot." Newt watched the scene with some surprise, "I just thought Pickett was just an example ..."
"What, shouldn''t I be loved by them?" Drac nced over his shoulder at the small creatures, and remained safely slumped against the trunk of the Protector Tree, giving them a safe environment.
"How do I put it ...," Newt scratched his chin, "Tree Protector Robots are gentle and shy by nature, and usually don''t get too close to people."
"Pickett, on the other hand, can seem clingy because he was injured as a child and was brought up under my care. But it''s still fairly rare for him to be like that."
"Also, there''s something else I''m not sure if I should say ...," Newt nced at Drac, some hesitation in his words.
"Tell me, there''s nothing you can''t say." Drac said to Newt as he sped his hands to his chest with interest, "It''s not like these little guys can still turn on me, right?"
Newt gave Drac another look, focusing on Drac''s back where he was clinging to the trunk of the Tree Protector.
"The Tree Protector''s Cauldron won''t turn against you, but the Protector''s Tree does have the potential to ..." he said, "As you may know if you''ve read Herbology''s Thousand Miraculous Herbs and Mushrooms --"
"The Patronus Tree is a magical tree that protects those who touch its trunk from dark creatures."
Newt nced at Drac again, and said with deliberation, "But as far as I know, a vampire is supposed to be a dark creature, right?"
"So that''s what you''re worried about." Drac smiled pleasantly, "Mr. Scamander, removing the vampire traits, do I look like a dark creature to you?"
Newt looked hesitantly around Drac for a moment before he slowly shook his head.
"It is true that I would not be able to recognize any of the characteristics of a dark creature in you if I did not already know that you are a vampire." He said nkly, "Is it possible that a vampire could not be categorized as a dark creature?"
Drac slowly hooked the corners of his mouth in a softly rted smile.
"Not so, Mr. Scamander. I have always ascribed to the darkness, that has never changed." Heughed, "But you know what? When I becamepletely a part of the darkness, then the darkness could no longer passively affect me."
"Instead, I can control the darkness like a charm, like this-"
In Newt''s eyes, it was as if Drac had suddenly changed his appearance.
Although this vampire Count Lord was still leaning against the trunk of the tree, not moving a muscle, and his expression was still a kind smile that hooked the corners of his mouth.
But his entire person was shrouded by an evil, dark aura in an instant.
The ck and red cloak was windless behind his back, and there was a hidden blood light appearing in the burgundy colored eye child ...
In the next instant, a fierce wind was blowing!
The tree protector Luo pots that stepped on Drac''s shoulder jumped up in fear, one by one jumped down from the shoulder, and climbed up to the tree of the protector of thew as if they were escaping, and there was a look of uncertainty and shock among their small brown eyes.
Protecting thew tree in the gusts of wind shaking madly, a slender branch on the buds emerge, full of mountain pear flowers bloom almost at the same time!
Clusters of white pear blossoms swayed with the wind, and the entire tree was like a heavy snowfall in the dead of winter.
In Newt''s eyes, the suitcase environment that had just been a colorful summer day seemed to have changed colors in an instant, filled with bright white. The wind blew over the snow-winning flowers as if it had blown down pieces of glowing crystal.
Each flower was literally enveloped in bright white light!
These white lights squeezed and rolled towards Drac, wanting to push this being full of darkness away from his own spotless ground.
Yet Drac still justughed, his body unmoving.
"See, Mr. Scamander." He said softly, "If I don''t want to, there will be no one to find out that Ie from the darkness ... not even the Guardian Tree."
Yet at that moment Newt barely heard Drac''s voice, all his eyes were focused on the blossom-filled Guardian Tree.
This was the first time Newt had seen this magic tree, which resembled a sorrel tree, able to blossom!
"It''s so beautiful!" Newt murmured, "So the blossoms blooming from the Protector Tree are really the same as the Yamanashi Tree."
The blossoms of the Protector Tree were still in full bloom, and the white light became more and more dazzling, as if it was going to envelop this isted ind that was specially built for the Tree Protector Luo Pot.
Just then, Newt''s boy hole suddenly contracted.
He saw that as the light shone, the flowers on the Tree Protector but began to gradually wither away.
"Professor Drac, stop it!" Newt shouted in a hurry, "The magic power of the Protector Tree is limited, there''s no way for it to withstand the impact of such a strong dark aura!"
Drac looked back with some surprise.
Sure enough, the branches and leaves of this Protector Tree had gradually be wilted, and the slender branches all over the tree were dry and drooping.
Countless Tree Protector Robots panicked and jumped down from the tree, carrying many, many earthworms and other small insects as food, moving towards the next door Tree Protector.
Drac straightened himself up and left the grounds of that Patronus Tree.
"It seems the herbology textbooks at Hogwarts are still exaggerated." He looked back at the Patronus Tree, whose light was slowly falling back, and shrugged helplessly, "What happened to the promise that just touching the trunk of such a tree would protect you from dark creatures?"
"But you are no ordinary dark creature, Professor Drac." Newt cried andughed, "I''ve seen the scene of the Protector Tree expelling dark creatures quite a few times, but this is really the first time I''ve seen such a spectacr sight as a tree full of blossoms."
"Just in those two minutes just now, the magic power released from this Protector Tree might have been able to whisk away a pack of werewolves, yet it seems to have had no effect on you ..."
Newt sighed emotionally and walked over to the Protector Tree carrying his wand and began to heal the tree with nt Growth Recovery magic.
Drac also withdrew the dark aura around himself and approached the magical tree once again.
It wasn''t known whether it was because he couldn''t feel the darkness in Drac''s body anymore or because he knew that there was no way to banish this being, this time, the Protector Tree didn''t have any reaction to Drac''s proximity.
"Professor Drac, I think you might have to be memorized by the Tree Protector Robot." Newt said suddenly.
He was working his magic on the Tree Protector while Pickett, the Tree Protector Robot who was still standing on his index finger, keptining to him.
"Pickett is upset with you, as are his kind." Newt ryed to Drac, "Pickett says you''re destroying their habitat, don''t evere near here again ..."
"Huh, these little things think they can stop me?" Drac looked at Pickett on Newt''s index finger with interest, "I just withdrew my dark power and they think they can again?"
"Come on, Professor Drac." Newt said helplessly, "The little ones were made to move after all, why don''t you apologize to them anyway?"
"Fine, for your sake." Dracughed lightly and shrugged, "But I''ve broken a whole tree, will my apology be forgiven by these little ones?"
"Could try to make up for it with a little gift?" Newt said uncertainly, "In fact, the Protectorate Tree serves as an excellent wand material and magic potion ingredient, and many wizards will want to break some branches or leaves off this tree ..."
"Normally, to take down leaves or wood from the trees guarded by the Tree Protector Robots, wizards need to give them some earthworms or fairy eggs. Tree Protector Robots like these two things the most as food."
"If you count on the fact that it takes two earthworms to break a branch ..."
Newt nced at the Tree Protector Tree whose branches were as shriveled as they could be and gulped, "Professor Drac, you might want to prepare thousands of earth turtle or fairy eggs."
Drac''s face stiffened.
"Do you really have to be that serious?" He asked with the corners of his mouth twitching.
"The Tree Protector Robot can be very vindictive." Newt nodded with a sympathetic face, "If it''s too much trouble for you, Professor Drac, I can go digging in the earth with you. I''m fairly experienced, I should be able to dig enough in three or four days."
Drac took a deep breath and curled two fingers slightly, supporting them on his chin.
"Actually,... it''s not that troublesome." A momentter, he suddenly spoke.
"Not troublesome?" Newt looked at Drac in shock, "First things first, Professor Drac, copy spells and morphing spells to turn out turds can never be given to the Tree Protector Roppongers, it''ll hurt their bodies."
"I''m not that inhumane to give them magical creations." Dracughed lightly and shook his head, "I really have a better way."
Saying that, Drac suddenly snapped his fingers.
A dark moon quietly floated around the two of them, and there was a vague scene of a dense forest in the dark moon.
In the next moment, thousands of bats fluttered their wings and appeared from behind Drac, surging into the dark moon like a ck torrent, and entering the forest in that dark moon as much as they could.
Newt was startled by thisrge group of bats, he subconsciously blocked in front of the Protector Tree beside him, thinking that Drac was going to use this group of bats to brutalize the Protector Tree Lobo ...
"What are you doing with that, Mr. Scamander?" Drac watched Newt''s actions with amusement and said to him, "This round moon is leading to the Albanian forest outside the box, I''m asking each bat to each help me catch a turd in the forest, won''t that solve the problem?"
"Ohhh, so that''s what you had in mind." Newt sighed in relief at this, and with an embarrassed look on his face, he gave up the guardian tree behind him.
Dracughed softly and shook his head, slowly closing his eyes.
As a matter of fact, Drac''s purpose of releasing these bats was not just to catch earthworms for the Tree Protecting Robots, he was not so bad as to do this for a group of tiny magical animals.
His most important purpose was to use the sight of the many bats to explore this seemingly ordinary forest. He wanted to find out what exactly was here that had attracted Voldemort''s attention toe from Godric''s Valley to hibernate in Albania even after traveling thousands of miles.
Time passed as bat after bat flew back from the midst of the dark moon.
Each bat grabbed an earth turtle in its ws and threw it in front of the guardian tree, then disappeared into trivial points of light.
The forest of Albania also gradually became slim in Drac''s eyes, and every suspicious ce was not spared.
Drac borrowed his bat sonar-like hearing and carefully explored every corner, even the most hidden caves and the most remote bushes were not ignored.
Yet he never found anything special in the forest.
That was until thest bat returned to the world of the suitcase, and the entire Albanian forest was in Drac''s sights.
He had to admit that it was indeed just a more ordinary forest ...
"Professor Drac ... Professor Drac!"
Just then, Newt''s voice interrupted Drac''s thoughts.
Drac opened his eyes to look at Newt and saw that he was standing next to arge group of earthlings, circling them with his magic, not allowing these insects destined to fall into food to have a chance to escape.
Beside Newt was arge group of Tree Protecting Robots, who were excitedly dancing around the earth turtle group, thankful for this sudden surprise.
"Pickett asked me to thank you on behalf of the Tree Protecting Robots'' colony, Professor Drac." Newt smiled at Drac, "He says that if you''d like to bestow this food upon them, even if it means taking that Tree Protector Tree with you!"
Drac froze for a moment, then shook his head out ofughter as well.
As expected, even the most loyal guardians of the Tree Protector Tree like the Tree Protector Luo Pot could not resist the temptation of bread at all!