[Between 2014 and 2018, Historian L. Jordan conducted extensive on-the-ground interviews with residents of the town of Theth in Shköder County, Albania. Interested in the events surrounding the so-called ‘Albanian Conspiracy’, Jordan specifically intended to uncover links between alleged DoM presence and the occult Shtrigë circle. The following are interviews with local muggles, recorded in late 2017.]
Interview with an elderly man, Theth town centre.
JORDAN: I can speak Albanian.
SUBJECT 1: What?
JORDAN: [In Albanian] <<I can speak Albanian.>>
SUBJECT 1: What you want talk about?
JORDAN: <<I – do you know Greengrass?>>
SUBJECT 1: What? English!
JORDAN: <<I>> – oh, bugger. Do you know Greengrass?
SUBJECT 1: Who?
JORDAN: Greengrass!
SUBJECT 1: Gringotts?
JORDAN: Greengrass!
SUBJECT 1: Greengrass – Greengrass, yes. No Gringotts – Greengrass?
JORDAN: Greengrass, yes.
SUBJECT 1: Yes, yes, Greengrass. Know Greengrass.
JORDAN: Yes or no?
SUBJECT 1: Yes! Know – we know. We know Greengrass.
JORDAN: Ah. What do you remember? About Greengrass. Gareth Greengrass?
SUBJECT 1: Garett Greengrass. Ah – nice boy, nice boy. Very fine boy.
JORDAN: Did you – how did you interact with him? Did you speak with him?
SUBJECT 1: Greengrass – Greengrass, not so much. No talking, Greengrass. The other – the French.
JORDAN: Gage?
SUBJECT 1: Yes, yes, Gage. Not so nice, Gage.
JORDAN: Not nice?
SUBJECT 1: No. Not nice. Bad man – Gage is – bad man.
JORDAN: What – why do you say Gage is a bad man?
SUBJECT 1: A thief, Gage. A – what is word? Scounder.
JORDAN: Scoundrel?
SUBJECT 1: Scounderel.
JORDAN: Can you say more? About Gage?
SUBJECT 1: Gage – with the, the alcohol. The liquor.
JORDAN: He was a drunk?
SUBJECT 1: No no. The price of the liquor. Gage took money. My brother’s money. A scounder.
JORDAN: Scoundral.
SUBJECT 1: Scounderel.
JORDAN: Yes. Okay. Gage set unfair prices? On liquor imports.
SUBJECT 1: Imports. Yes. Imports. Imports man. Fancy suit.
JORDAN: I – okay, thank you.
Interview with daughter of Subject 1, Theth town centre.
SUBJECT 2: My father’s English, is not so good.
JORDAN: No. Do you – do you have some time to answer a few questions?
SUBJECT 2: Questions? About what?
JORDAN: Do you know a person named Greengrass?
SUBJECT 2: Gringotts – the bank? Like in Harry Potter?
JORDAN: No, no. Greengrass.
SUBJECT 2: Ah! Greengrass. Like green grass. Yes. I know Greengrass.
JORDAN: What can you tell me about him?
SUBJECT 2: Greengrass – Greengrass stayed above my cousin’s house. In town. He was – not talk much. Eh –
JORDAN: Quiet?
SUBJECT 2: Yes. Sorry, my English –
JORDAN: We can speak Albanian if you’d like –
SUBJECT 2: I – no, no, we will speak English. Greengrass, he stay above my brother, my cousin’s house – he – he talk very little, he is quiet.
JORDAN: Do you remember anything about him?
SUBJECT 2: No, no.
JORDAN: What about Alexis Gage? Do you know that name?
SUBJECT 2: Hmm. Yes, my uncle – he is complaining about Gage. I do not know why.
JORDAN: What does your uncle do?
SUBJECT 2: My uncle? He sells the alcohol. Gage is – Gage is business man, yes?
JORDAN: Yes, I suppose you could call him that.
SUBJECT 2: Yes, he says that Gage is bad business. I do not know why.
JORDAN: Your uncle?
SUBJECT 2: Yes. Gage asks too much. And takes too much cut. Yes, that is – Gage takes a cut, too much cut. He – is complicated, I do not –
JORDAN: Was Gage or Greengrass involved in anything in town? Other than liquor sales?
SUBJECT 2: I, eh, is complicated. I do not –
JORDAN: We can speak Albanian. <<My Albanian is quite good.>>
SUBJECT 2: [Laughs.] <<No no, not today mister. Enjoy your holiday.>>
JORDAN: I – wait. Did you see Greengrass ever? With Gage?
SUBJECT 2: <<Enjoy your holiday, mister.>>
Interview with Subject 3, Theth town market. Interview held entirely in Albanian.
JORDAN: Do you have time to answer a few questions?
SUBJECT 3: No, I do not have time. [Laughs.]
JORDAN: Alright then. Do you know a person named Greengrass?
SUBJECT 3: Greengrass. Yes. Greengrass. 10, 20 years ago, yes. You know him?
JORDAN: I do not, no. What do you remember about Greengrass?
SUBJECT 3: Greengrass – hmm. He was with the Frenchman, yes?
JORDAN: Gage? Alexis Gage?
SUBJECT 3: Maybe that was his name, maybe not. I do not remember.
JORDAN: But you do remember Greengrass?
SUBJECT 3: Yes. Greengrass – he lived above [name unknown]’s house. For a time. Then he went – somewhere else. He was – hmm.
JORDAN: Quiet?
SUBJECT 3: Quiet? No, no. He – he was like you. Asked too many questions. [Laughs.]
JORDAN: Questions? Questions about what?
SUBJECT 3: Questions we didn’t answer. [Laughs.]
JORDAN: Can you tell me more about his relationship with Gage?
SUBJECT 3: I cannot. He moved eventually – out to where Gage lives. Gage was a rich man, yes? I did not know him. I did not like him. Something – something not right about him. People spoke about him when he wasn’t there.
JORDAN: Can you tell me more about that? What they were saying?
SUBJECT 3: I did not listen. I do not listen to these things. Greengrass – he listened too much. I did not like Greengrass. I did not like Gage. Gage was doing, and Greengrass was asking. I do not answer about these things, you see. Good people do not answer.
JORDAN: Were they asking about Shtrigë?
SUBJECT 3: Why do you say that name? How do you know Shtrigë? What are you saying about Shtrigë?
JORDAN: Shtrigë is a resident of this town, yes?
SUBJECT 3: The Shtrigë’s are residence of this town for many years, yes. An old family of this town. There is only honour among the Shtrigë’s.
JORDAN: That’s not what I’ve always heard.
SUBJECT 3: You are asking and people are telling. This is the business of this town. This is not the business of question-askers.
JORDAN: I see. And Greengrass – Greengrass was a question-asker?
SUBJECT 3: Yes.
JORDAN: Did you see him ever with Shtrigë?
SUBJECT 3: I do not discuss the dead. I do not discuss – that dead man.
JORDAN: Can I ask you one more question?
SUBJECT 3: You can ask it.
JORDAN: Do you know the term ‘kukudh’?
SUBJECT 3: You have a nice holiday, sir.
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