Unfortunately, Ginny had also stuck with the boys – not exactly saying anything and blushing every time Harry said something. Harry had no idea what he was supposed to do about Ginny. He appreciated that she might want to get to know him but surely that suggested that she actually talk to him. He'd tried to talk to her but a conversation needed two people. The other problem he'd noted was that he was certain Neville liked Ginny and Ginny had no problems talking with Neville which bizarrely had seemed to bother Ron more than her blushing and acting awkwardly around Harry. Luckily, Hermione had remembered her promise after an hour and rescued Harry by insisting on showing Ginny something, but speaking of bizarre; Hermione had reported quite smugly at the end of the night that her efforts of making friends with Susan and Hannah had gone very well as though it was a competition.
Girls, Harry thought morosely as he followed Sirius through the DOM, who could fathom them? He pushed it all to the back of his mind as Sirius ushered him into the Treasure Team's research room.
He hid a yawn as he looked around. The narrow room was wall to wall books and he couldn't help but think that Hermione would give her wand arm to read them all. The central bench was filled with stacks of parchment and more books. The smell of old parchment and ink was strong and underscored to Harry how much he didn't fit in there.
A pensieve had been placed at the end of the bench and Harry watched as Bill extracted his memory and placed it inside the bowl. The blonde woman next to him had been introduced as Caro and the shy old wizard next to her as Lawrence. Bertie and Amelia stood at the back of the room along with an Auror called Wood who was Oliver's cousin and who would be helping to keep watch on the mission. Sirius stood beside Harry with a grim expression and Remus was behind him, calm but no less serious. Everybody was in muggle clothes ready for the mission except Lawrence and Amelia who would once again be staying behind in the DOM.
"OK," Caro said briskly, "we're going to go into the memory and review it so everyone has a good idea what happened the last time. Then we'll plan what we're going to today."
Harry nodded, a little intimidated by Caro who was very beautiful, smart and who had been a spy. But planning sounded good. He'd never really had a plan before. Most of the time, he had just winged it. It had worked out but a plan couldn't hurt.
Bill gave him an encouraging smile and a moment later Harry was in the pensieve watching the memory. It was not so much terrifying (although the end bit in the house with the big black snakes had been terrifying) but creepy; very creepy. Harry shivered as he exited the pensieve and he felt Sirius's hand land warmly on his shoulder in response.
"So, we have been talking about a plan of attack for today." Lawrence said, whipping a cover off a blackboard and levitating it so everyone could see it.
The outside area was depicted on one side and the floor plan of the Gaunt house on the other; dotted lines in different colour chalks represented the wards and small wriggly lines in green were obviously meant to represent the snakes; an X was placed where Bill had found the box under the floorboard.
"First off, we will portkey to a spot about two hundred yards from the outer ward, here." Caro tapped the area with her wand.
"We can get through this outer ward with the neutralizer." Bill said. "We know that and we're confident that we can make it to the front door without setting off a snake attack."
"It's getting through the door that's the problem." Caro said dryly.
"We think it's a parseltongue password that will work." Lawrence said brightly.
"So what do you think?" asked Bill.
Harry glanced at Sirius who gave him an encouraging nod. "Well, I think we should talk to the snakes outside the house."
"Talk to the snakes!" Bertie exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Of course!"
Harry glanced over to the Head of the DOM who was dressed in a Barbour jacket, flat cap and sturdy brown brogues. He reminded him of a picture he'd once seen of the Royal family out hunting in Scotland.
"But the snakes outside the house are common adders!" Caro pointed out. "They're probably not the same ones that Riddle originally bound there."
"Maybe, maybe not." Bertie replied before Harry could. "But unless Harry talks to them we don't know that they don't know anything. If they have information we can use so much the better."
"What if they don't know anything?" asked Bill.
"I think Tom would probably pick something similar to the Chamber as a password." Harry said in a rush of Gryffindor courage.
"Of course," Lawrence nodded his head, his stringy grey hair flying everywhere, "the deeds use Salazar as a name and this is the abode of his direct ancestors."
"Makes sense." Bertie agreed.
"Plan C if we can't go through the front door?" Remus asked.
Bill sighed. "I guess we go through the window same as last time. We should direct one fully charged neutralizer in with wands so it doesn't hit the floor…"
"One of us needs to catch the broken window before it hits the floor too." Caro added.
"…and then Caro can fly in through the window in her animagus form to make an assessment." Bill added.
"After that we regroup and replan based on the findings." Caro said. "We'll take along the pensieve."
"We'll need to the assessment even if we get through the front door." Lawrence pointed out. "We can't just expect to walk in, remove the floorboard and get the box."
"He's right." Bill said. "So assessment either way and then we plan again?"
They all nodded.
Bertie clapped his hands. "Then I suggest we meet in the reception room in ten minutes to disembark? Excellent."
Harry let himself be ushered to the gents for a final toilet break. He was issued an emergency portkey by Lawrence but Sirius took it back and told him to use his Heir ring; it would take him straight to Black Manor.
Sirius caught his arm before they entered the reception room. "You still up for this, Harry?" He said softly. "It's OK if you're not."
"I want to try." Harry said. Nerves were crowding in on him but he had told Sirius the absolute truth: he wanted to try.
Sirius gave him a long considering look and nodded. "OK, then."
The portkey travel was uncomfortable and Harry was only prevented from landing on the ground by Sirius's firm grip on him. Remus shot him a sympathetic look. They made their way slowly to the Gaunt house.
Harry's first impression echoed Darren's in the memory; it really was a hovel. A small squat place that looked grimy and downtrodden. Slytherin must have rolled over in his grave at how low his descendants had fallen.
Bill extracted two neutralizers from his pack handing one to Caro. Sirius, Remus and Bertie all had their wands out as did Wood.
"I have the watch." Wood said briskly. "Good luck."
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