Caro had changed into a similar outfit; jeans, shirt and jacket with sensible boots and a back-pack. Her blonde hair was tied back into a plait. They looked like a couple on a hiking trip and that was going to be their cover if they ran into muggles.
They met up with Lawrence in the research room they had been using.
Lawrence smiled at them. "Communication mirrors; one is tuned to me, the other to Brooks, the other to Wood. If you run into problems, call." He picked up two silver rings. "Your emergency portkeys; you'll end up in the DOM employee reception. You'd best be going. Good hunting."
Bill nodded. He and Caro headed across to the DMLE and met up with the Rat Squad. They'd all changed into non-distinct muggle clothing too although he could see badges on the waistband of their jeans that designated them law enforcement and probably acted as their portkeys.
"Ready?" asked Bones crisply. "Then, good luck."
Brooks held up a walking stick and they all grasped it. "Tally-ho." He said with a grin, his dark eyes flashing.
The world spun away from them and Bill focused on the whirlwind of portkey travel so he could bend his legs at the right moment and land on his feet. When the world righted, they were in a deserted piece of forestry, and Cambridge was on the ground.
Chambers, a cheerful dark-haired Hufflepuff if Bill remembered rightly, reached down and helped him to his feet. "Up you come, Darren."
"Bugger." Cambridge grimaced and brushed off his clothes. "I hate portkeys." He adjusted his glasses and peered out with pale blue eyes at the countryside. "We're just outside the Manor?"
"Yep," Wood said, the faint hint of a Scots accent tinging the word, "according to our co-ordinates, Manor is about a mile up ahead to the left at the top of the hill and the Gaunt cottage is a good mile away to the right."
"How do you Treasure guys want to do this?" Brooks asked bluntly. "One of you comes with each Rat team or are you sticking together?"
Caro and Bill exchanged a look.
"Sticking together." Caro said crisply.
"We'll do the cottage first." Bill said. "It'll be quickest to search and if it's not there then we'll tackle the Manor."
"Fair enough." Brooks said. "Ambrey, Chambers; with me. Malcolm…stay in touch."
"Likewise, Keith." Wood replied.
Each group went their separate way. The walk provided them with an opportunity to get to know each other better. Wood was mostly very proud of his cousin Oliver who had ended up in the Puddlemere team and admitted he'd thought of Quidditch himself as a career before he'd applied for the Aurors. Cambridge reminded Bill of Charlie; easy-going – he'd told everyone to call him Darren within minutes –but very sharp. He hadn't gone to Hogwarts but the school in Birmingham which led them into an interesting discussion of the differences between the Ministry sponsored schools and Hogwarts.
Wood's communication mirror buzzed and they stopped to take the call. Bill cast a notice-me-not charm around them while Caro took care of the muggle repellent.
"Brooks, here." The Auror's pale face filled the screen. "We're at the Manor and have performed a passive perimeter charm. We've got one muggle on the premises. Any ideas?"
"It's probably the gardener-caretaker, Frances Archibald Bryce." Caro informed them. "His name was mentioned in the muggle records we managed to get hold of."
"He was employed by the Riddles originally, accused of their murder by the muggle authorities but let go for lack of evidence. The new owner kept him on." Bill added.
"We'll keep watch here for the rat and the snake." Brooks said. "Brooks, out."
They set off again and through the trees a small ramshackle building finally appeared.
"Merlin, it's a hovel." Darren said disgusted.
Bill was already casting and placed a hand on Darren's arm when he went to move forward. "Easy. There's a ward here."
Wood also had his wand out and he frowned as he performed the perimeter scan. "There's a nest of snakes near to the house; common adders. But, no rat and no Riddle." He nodded at Bill and Caro. "Darren and I will keep watch. You do your thing." He took out his communication mirror and briefly updated Brooks.
"The ward is a standard proximity trigger." Bill said crisply. "We walk through it, we'll trigger something – probably none lethal but scary enough to keep the muggles out."
"Makes sense," Caro said, "anyone stupid enough to want to look at the place gets scared away." She frowned. "Probably the snakes will attack."
Bill nodded. Snakes were a good choice; muggles tended to fear the hell out of them and they had bad connotations in the wizarding world.
"Options?" Bill asked, already sorting through his back-pack for a tool that would neutralize the ward.
"Well, we don't want to dismantle it or Riddle will know we've been. Under or through with the temporary neutralizer?" Caro muttered. "Through would be quicker."
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