Day One

"This is so ridiculous it borders on lunacy."

Remus Lupin glanced over at his colleague, Severus Snape, with an extraordinary amount of patience. The prickly Potions master had been cursing the Headmaster, and proclaiming the general insanity and unfairness of the universe, for the better part of a week. Well before they actually left the school itself. Remus could see Snape's point. Neither were that qualified to lead an expedition into the Muggle world, which was exactly what they'd been cajoled and gently maneuvered into doing.

Seymore Liptenstein, the regular Muggle Studies Professor, had come down with an acute case of Hornby Toad spots. Rather serious considering it was possible to actually itch your skin off. The disease was highly contagious, and would make him at risk to infect the students for the better part of two entire weeks. Snape had been proclaiming him one lucky bastard, and also imparting his usual get well message, 'I hope he skins himself alive'.

While Snape was never exactly prone to well wishes before, this time he had a very good reason for his sudden hostility and nearly homicidal intent towards Professor Liptenstein. From Remus' understanding, the Muggle Studies Professor discovered his students were quite fascinated with Muggle films, young Malfoy in particular, who continually re-watched Pretty In Pink and The Breakfast Club.

Seeing even his Slytherin students take an interest in this Muggle Past time, Professor Liptenstein arranged for an unusual field trip for his top students who had taken the greatest interest. While soirees into London weren't uncommon for the seventh year students, taking them all the way to America to film a Muggle style documentary was, to say the least, extremely bizarre. However, with the Professor's sudden turn of health, the Headmaster decided that instead of canceling the trip he would send the only two Professors on staff who had even bothered to take their Muggle Studies NEWTS to oversee the students and their project.

Which was how Remus Lupin and Severus Snape now found themselves twenty minutes from the small town of Burkittsville Maryland- guiding a small, potentially volatile, group of their seventh year students around with film equipment on their backs.

It also explained why Snape was still muttering under his breath in the motel room the two Professors shared.

Remus sighed for the hundredth time, reading the small manual on operating the strange device called a DAT recorder. Most of it was in muggle techno babble, but thanks to a bit of testing he believed he now had the hang of turning it on and off. "Why don't you try figuring out the camera again, Severus. Take your mind off of things."

He could feel the smoldering holes Snape was burning into the back of his skull with those poisoned black eyes. "I am not touching that piece of rubbish. If the students wish to make this film," and he spat the word with so much venom that if it was placed on a dart it very well may have killed an elephant, "then they are responsible for this equipment and it's operation." Remus then heard the starch crinkle of Snape's jeans as he stood and began pacing. The shag brown carpet with several small round scorch marks would soon develop a worn trail. "I still don't understand why America, of all places, to film this bit of rubbish."

Remus turned to page one thirty eight of his manual before replying. "Because of the rumors, Severus. I thought Albus explained that part of it quite well."

"Yes, yes," Snape returned with the absent flapping of his hand. He then gave a rather good imitation of the Headmasters worn voice, complete with the periodic popping of the tongue when the ancient Wizard sucked around a bit of candy. " 'Strange phenomenon passed down orally through the generations about a witch cast out of the old Blair site for sucking the blood of children.'" Pop. " 'Seymore feels, and I agree, that understanding how Muggles view the darker aspects of witchcraft will better help the children understand why we've kept our worlds separate.'" Snape snorted rather derisively. "In other words, some mad old hag in the eighteenth century was driven into these blasted woods out of superstition, and now whenever anything bad happens the muggles blame it on her."

"You must admit it's fascinating." Remus pointed out, grinning still from Snape's caricature of Dumbledore. "Combining the witch hunts of History with Muggle Studies. It should be very educational."

"Only you would take an optimistic view of this ridiculous situation." Snape sneered. "I, for one, have no desire to go trouncing about in muggle clothes, listening to teenagers interviewing back country idiots about folktales." He spun on his shoes- hiking sneakers rather than his usual leather wingtips- and pointed an accusatory finger at the equipment. "Hiking through the woods like Hansel with that bulk of metal on our backs. I give them two hours before they begin their incessant whining to go back to Hogwarts and forget the whole bloody thing." He paused, placing his hands on his hips and tilting his head towards the ceiling. "This is the worst idea Albus has ever had. And that is really saying something."

"Cheer up Severus," Remus suggested lightly in his quiet, rough voice. "Think of this as a relaxing vacation."

"Hiking through the woods trying to keep Potter and Malfoy from killing each other is not my idea of a relaxing vacation. I'd rather be on a nice sandy white beach with a multicolored cocktail in my grip. The ones with those little umbrellas," Snape returned before falling down onto his bed. "This can only end badly, Lupin. Mark my words."

Remus ignored Snape's pessimism and turned back to the DAT recorder. He chewed on the lining of his cheek as he pushed on the small switch that was marked 'eject'. He beamed in a manner reminiscent of Arthur Weasley as the tape deck popped up. He looked immediately over to Snape. "I've figured out how to put the tape in!"

"Fabulous," Snape growled acidly. "Have you mastered capturing sound?"

Remus sighed again, re-opened the manual, and began reading what may as well have been written in Chinese.

The students all yelped in pain as Remus slammed on the breaks to the minivan rental. Snape, lifting his head off the dashboard and blinking rapidly in what could have hinted at a concussion, turned to stare at Remus. "Could you possible stop trying to kill us all! I thought you said you knew how to operate one of these blasted things!"

"Well, I didn't think it would be that much different from a motorbike," he said apologetically while turning around to peer behind his shoulder. "Is everyone alright?"

"We're going to die," Malfoy muttered, arms curled around his torso as he stared straight ahead at the spit stained seat back. "Survive You-Know-Who to die in a car crash like a normal muggle."

"We're fine, Professor," Hermione told him, after punching Malfoy in the arm. The Slytherin glared angrily at her, rubbing his bicep, as she continued. "You don't need to push down so hard on the break, sir. Easy does it."

"Tell Weasley that, do you?" Malfoy drawled rather nastily.

"Shut up, ferret boy," Ron immediately snapped in return, although his ears were growing a shade of red that could contend with his hair.

"Draco, no one in this death trap wants to hear about Miss Granger's sex life, or lack there of, before meeting their maker," Snape said silkily while opening the glove compartment and pulling out the map. He consulted it for several moments, ignoring Hermione's gasp of outrage and Ron's strangled curse. His thin white lips pursed together as he peered down at the lines. "According to this, the general store should be that way." He pointed a long white finger out his window towards the street that intersected the road they were currently driving along.

"You're certain?" Remus asked, trying to peek over.

Snape sneered, lifting the corner of the map to hide it from view. "Of course I'm certain! Turn left, Lupin."

Remus lifted his foot gingerly off the pedal and began turning the steering wheel. Before he could manage it, Snape grabbed the dashboard and shouted. "STOP!"

Remus slammed his foot down on the breaks, once again causing everyone in the minivan to jolt forward. Luckily, they were caught by the safety belts before hitting their faces. "What?" Remus asked, looking around for some sign of oncoming traffic while studiously ignoring Malfoy's pitiful whimpers.

"Maps upside down," Snape mumbled quickly, flipping the large paper around. "Go right." He again pointed, his flannelled sleeve ending up in front of Remus' nose.

Remus gripped the steering wheel, looking at Snape out of the corner of his eyes. "Right? You're sure?"

"Yes. Right. Shut up and drive, Lupin," Snape bit back, busying himself by smoothing out the creases in the paper.

Remus closed his eyes briefly, mentally counting to ten, before opening them back up and easing into the street.

Hermione was pointing her hand held video camera around the general store as they wandered through the aisles. Remus was busy looking for what could be easily cooked, while Snape continually checked the labels on the back, muttering to himself about the preservatives. Harry was busy showing Ron some Muggle 'junk food', earning arguments from Ron about their Wizarding counterparts. Malfoy lumbered along, glaring at the other shoppers, presumably because he despised their existence. The lone Ravenclaw, Mary Xantra Evenia Sue, was following after him like a little lost puppy dog.

"Here's a typical Muggle grocery store in America. Muggles like to store their food into boxes and cans, or plastic bags so it doesn't go bad, since they can't perform anti-spoil charms," Hermione lectured, slowly panning the items on the shelves as she passed. "Of course, there is fresh produce, but that's in a different section."

"Granger, could you please stop doing that?" Malfoy asked as he picked up a sack of marshmallows, scowling down at them.

Hermione whirled with the handheld, pointing it towards him. "Camera shy, Malfoy?"

"No. I'm just sick of hearing your voice, Mudblood," he retorted smoothly, tossing the marshmallows into the wire cart Harry was pushing around.

"Don't call my girlfriend a Mudblood, ferret boy!" Ron had reached out, probably to grab Malfoy by the collar, but the blonde Slytherin easily ducked around him.

Harry picked up a bag of Doritos and casually tossed them into the basket. "You should apologize," he said as an after thought to Malfoy.

"I'm sorry Granger's a Mudblood. Happy?" At Harry's answering look, he quickly ducked behind Snape. "Professor, Potter's threatening me!"

"Stop it, Potter," Snape remarked off handedly, his eyes still fixed on the box of granolas. "This says all natural, but it's loaded with chemicals. How can they possibly eat this? Don't they consider the long-term effects? I can't even pronounce most of the names, except dye number six."

Remus glanced over, frowning. Every single moment of this trip Snape had complained about something. He had to wonder why Snape had even bothered going through seven years of Muggle Studies if he abhorred them so much. "I'm sure they're fine, Severus. Just put it in the cart."

Snape snorted before tossing the box aside into the cart. Remus thought it was the strangest sight he'd ever seen. Snape, dressed in a flannel shirt of horrid red and black checkers, with blue jeans and thick leather hunting boots. Still intimidating in a comical sort of way. Behind him, Draco Malfoy with his own green polo sweater pulled over stone washed jeans, and a fashionable pair of Doc Martins. They made a very odd pair, Snape with his midnight dark looks, and Malfoy with his lighted cold appearance. The Gryffindors seemed to move about much easier, with the exception of the baseball cap proclaiming #1 Boyfriend on Ron's head.

They somehow managed to agree on the food, after nearly two hours worth of arguments from all corners aside from Remus. Hermione continued taping everything, even though Snape had threatened to bash the camcorder if she stuck its lens in his face one more time. Apparently, she hoped to get some extra credit out of it.

The van once again came to a screeching halt in the grass just off the interstate in front of the welcome sign to Burkittsville, a few white two-story houses on their side, and a graveyard further off to the left. They hurried to get out, Malfoy edging uneasily away from the van while sneering over in Remus' direction, who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Hermione continued to record everything. "I think I'm getting the hang of it."

"You're driving is worse than your flying," Snape growled as he rubbed his forehead, where a permanent red mark attested to Remus' lack of ability. "Let's get this damn shot over with, the sooner the better."

"I'll get the sixteen," Harry offered, moving around to the back while Remus reached inside and popped the trunk for him. Harry pulled open the door, reaching in and shoving their packs around until he found the large camera with a lens the size of a man's fist and the reel case sticking out of the side. He pulled it out, resting it on his shoulder, before walking away.

Remus pushed the lid to the trunk back down. He shoved the keys to the van in his pocket before ambling his way over. "Hermione, are you still doing the voice over?"

The little red light on her camcorder went off and she pulled it away from her eye. "I think so."

"I thought I was going to do it!" Malfoy said petulantly, crossing his arms in a mirror manner to Snape's current stance. "We agreed I look best on film! Granger's hair is too bushy."

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harryadjusted the camera over his shoulder. "Hermione's hair looks fine."

Actually, Hermione's French braid had been loosened in all the sudden stops and starts, and little frizzy bits of brown hair stuck out all over like a spooked cat, but they all silently agreed not to say anything about it. "No one's even in this shot, Malfoy. We do the opening over in the graveyard."

Malfoy's face fell, and he glanced over to Snape. The Potions master simply lifted his brow, as if to say, 'are you going to take that?' The tall Slytherin's shoulders squared as he turned back to Hermione. "I'm doing the presentation. You sound too nasal."

Ron snorted beside Remus, who was watching the exchange with avid interest. "That's rich from someone whose nose is so far up Snape's a-"

"If you finish that statement, Mr. Weasley, you will be in detention until your fiftieth birthday," Snape warned in a very soft voice.

Ron promptly shut his mouth with an audible click.

"Fine, Malfoy- you do the voice over then, but you have to use Hermione's script. Deal?" Harry asked, looking directly at his former nemesis turned unexpected ally.

Malfoy rolled his gray eyes. "Fine. Whatever Potter."

There was a moment of activity as Hermione dug out her script and handed it off to Malfoy. He snorted derisively as he read it, but kept his lips firmly pressed together. Harry moved around, looking for the best angle. The sun was bright, shining above them in a cloudless blue sky. The air was somewhat crisp, but their muggle jackets afforded some comfort- although Snape doubtlessly would have contested that point, comparing the jackets to his heavy black robes.

Snape and Mary Sue were leaning against the hood of the van, Snape looking supremely unconcerned and Mary eyeing up all the Malfoy candy she could. Ron was working with Harry, both conversing softly, until they decided on a good angle. Harry nodded to Ron, before looking over to Hermione. "Ready."

"Alright, first slate then," she stated in a brisk,business-like tone.

No one moved.

Hermione shut her eyes, holding one gloved hand over them for a moment, her camcorder blinking at the ground in her other. "No one set up the slate?"

"I'll do it, luv," Ron said quickly, jogging back over to the van. He pulled out the slate, sitting down onto the grass with one of those muggle markers. He wrote the scene on it, as well as all the student's names. Finished he lifted it up. "Done," he proclaimed triumphantly to Hermione's camera.

"Least Weasel is good for something," Malfoy muttered off to the side, still reading the script.

Ron glared in his direction, before handing the slate to Hermione. She turned off the camcorder and walked over in front of Harry. "Alright, are you rolling?"

Harry paused for a moment, reaching over to the side of the camera, before nodding. "Got it."

Hermione held the slate up in front of the lens, opening the white clip, "Opening shot, take one," she said, clicking it shut with a snap.

Lining up the camera, Harry adjusting the lens before nodding again. He rolled for a few minutes on the sign, before lowering the camera with a smile. "Cut?"

"Cut," Hermione said happily, her face nearly giddy with excitement from behind her camcorder. "We've got our first shot!"

"Hoorah," Snape muttered sarcastically. Hermione turned her camcorder towards him, just as he was staring out over at the graveyard. "We can walk, I believe," he said pointedly over to Remus. "No use in risking our lives when we could just cross the road."

"Your faith in me is touching, Severus," Remus replied already moving around the back of the van to get the DAT and microphone. After a few minutes of searching, he pulled the small metal box and long pole with the elongated furry device out, before shutting the trunk again. He handed the pole to Ron, while he stuck the DAT (and the manual) under his own arm. "Lets go. Remember to check both sides of the street before crossing."

The students all groaned, but did as he advised. Remus took the opportunity to examine the normal looking houses on the other side, covering his eyes as he peered through the afternoon sunlight. "When are we interviewing the muggles?" he asked, turning and crossing the street with Hermione.

She shrugged, her own brown eyes lost in examining the graveyard, camcorder still glued before her face. "We'll go further into town, see if we can find anyone out and about." She looked up. "Nice day for it."

"Mm," Remus agreed lightly. "I suppose after that well stay at another motel. Head off into Black Woods tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." Hermioneturnedher camcorder'slens towards him. Remus smiled and gave a little wave before they made their way into the old graveyard.

Harry and Ron were examining the headstones, pointing out ones that looked the most interesting to shoot from a cinematic standpoint. Snape was busy reading the epitaphs, trying to locate the sight where the children who had been murdered in the nineteen forties were buried. Malfoy was still engrossed with his script, softly speaking the words to himself as he readied, with Mary Sue staring longingly as she watched his every move. Remus rather thought hearts would appear sooner or later in her eyes at the rate she was mooning over him.

It was nearly fifteen minutes before Snape finally called out to them. Remus and the others climbed between the headstones, weaving their way, before meeting up with him at the top of a hill. There, several rounded headstones, short because they had sunk into the ground, lay in a row, seven in all. The names and dates had been smoothed away, but Remus felt sure this must have been the site.

"They look old enough," Snape commented, standing. He tilted his head towards a large white monument, his hair waving across his face as he did so. "That one's dated nineteen thirty nine, and the one's further up are all in the forties, or what I can read of them. And will you please get that damned muggle device out of my face, Miss Granger?"

Hermione focused instead on the headstones as Snape continued to scowl in her direction. "You're sure, Professor?"

"Relatively, Miss Granger. Unless you know a spell to make the erosion vanish, I'm afraid it's as good as we are going to get," he replied, walking back towards the large monument and leaning against it. Remus could tell he was beginning to grow irate.

Remus bent down, examining the headstones himself, before nodding. "I think Professor Snape is right, Hermione."

She nodded, chewing her lower lip in the fashion she always did when considering something, before straightening up. "Harry, stand near Professor Snape, but make sure you get a wide shot. Pan across first before set up, then we'll do the intro with Malfoy."

"Who put you in charge?" Malfoy demanded, shoving the script into his jacket before taking it off. He made a show of smoothing his hair and adjusting his sweater before wandering over.

"Someone has to co-ordinate all this." Hermione retorted Shegrabbed Malfoy by the arm and moved him, roughly, just to the side of the last headstone once Harry had finished with his pan. Malfoy jerked his arm away, sneering in her face, before once again smoothing back his hair.

"Alright then, Potter. Let's do this," he stated, jerking his chin out to Harry.

"Ready for your close up, Mr. Malfoy?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Har bloody har har." He then cleared his throat, staring straight into the camera.

Ron jogged over, snapped the slate when Harry nodded, before stepping out of the shot.

"Burkittsville, built where the village of Blair once stood. It's a small muggle town. Much like a small muggle town anywhere. Twenty families laid their roots here, nearly two hundred years ago. Many remain, either on this hill, or in the town below." Malfoy turned towards the headstones in a single fluid motion to gaze at them. "There are an unusually high number of children laid to rest here, most of whom passed in the nineteen forties. Yet, no one in this town seems to recall anything strange about this time, to us anyway. Yet their legends tell a different story. One whose evidence is all around us." He turned back to the camera. "Etched in stone."

"Cut," Hermione said, sounding pleasantly surprised. "That was very good, Malfoy."

Malfoy nearly looked ready to preen at her comment. "Of course it was, Granger. I was born for the silver screen." He tilted his chin up and walked away.

"Pompous git." Ron muttered, glaring after the blonde and his simpering fan who was proclaiming his greatness in flowery words. "You shouldn't compliment him, 'Mione, his head is likely to float away as it is."

Shrugged,she tooka few more pans with her camcorder. "Well, he did do well."

"Malfoy was bred to be presentable," Harry remarked, lowering the large camera. "It's just about all he's good at."

"Better at Potions than you, Potter," Snape murmured silkily, also looking quite proud of his charge. He pushed off the memorial and gazed down at Remus, who was packing the DAT into his hip pouch. "Are we quite finished here?"

"If Hermione thinks so," Remus replied, zipping it shut. "It's the student's project, Severus."

Snape rolled his eyes before looking to Hermione with a raised brow. She pulled the camcorder away from her face; it's light again shutting off, before nodding. "I think we've got everything here. Ron and Harry already took the other shots."

"Good. Let's take another ride on this highway to hell, get it over with." Snape said as Remus stood up, and the two Professors led the way back to the van. Remus paused, mid way down the hill, and turned for one last look at the headstones, a light frown curving his lips.

"Let me out of this thing right now!" Malfoy demanded. Once again, he washolding onto the seat in front of him, his hands shaking with fear.

Remus' eyes were fixed on the car behind as he tried to ease his way into the parking spot. The post office was to the side of the street, and there was one open space in front of it, between an SUV and a Volkswagen Beatle. He narrowed his eyes in concentration as he attempted to Parallel Park, the corner of the bumper of the car behind him lining with the middle of the van. "Just another minute."

Screech. Everyone was again jolted back in his or her seat.

"For Merlin's sake, Lupin, find another spot," Snape hissed out between his crooked yellow teeth, clenched as he struggled to keep from leaping out the door himself.

Remus ignored them, looking ahead again as he shifted into drive. He let the van roll forward a bit, before hitting the breaks, which again screeched in protest. Snape had his hand out in front of him, ready in case his forehead went for the dashboard. Remus shifted again into reverse, turning his torso to watch the car behind come closer as he slowly rocked the van into the spot.

Finally, feeling satisfied, he hit the breaks and threw the van into park. "There," he said with a smile, "that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

Everyone scrambled out of the van as quickly as they could, settling for glares rather than risk speaking. Wiggling his way between the van and the parked SUV, Remus followed at a more sedate paceto the curb.

"You've left enough space to land a dragon, Lupin," Snape said snidely, pointing to the good two feet between the van and the curb.

Pulling the sliding side door open and climbing towards the back of the van, Remus shrugged. "No one's perfect Severus," he replied brightly, reaching over the back to grab at the equipment. He took out the camera and the DAT. He handed the camera off to Harry, while he strapped the DAT on. Hermione was talking about the town itself to her camera, while Malfoy watched the muggles passing by around him with an obvious unease. Ron and Mary were already off trying to find people to interview. Severus mentioned something about a liquor store.

Remus secured the DAT in the pouch that hung off the front of his waist and started after Harry, who held the camera. Hermione trailed at first, but quickly took the lead as they wandered down the sidewalk between the brick stores with large windows displaying their muggle goods. He peered inside one, an arts and craft shop of some kind, when Snape caught up with him.

He held a brown paper bag in one hand while he curled his long pale fingers of the other into Lupin's leather clad shoulder. "Cashier at the liquor store knows about that Rustin Parr. Students may like to speak with him."

Remus turned, arching a brow and Snape. "The liquor store," He echoed in a completely deadpan tone.

Snape's lips curled into that familiar sneer, his crooked yellow teeth sticking slightly to his bottom lip. "That's right, the liquor store. You're the one who told me to relax, Lupin. Well," he lifted the paper bag and shook it, letting Remus hear the splash of liquid in a bottle, "I'm going to need this then- aren't I?"

"Severus," Lupin sighed, but at Snape's challenging raised brow, he simply shook his head in disgust and went to tell Hermione about the clerk. The students, with the exception of Malfoy who lingered with Snape, all raced excitedly over.

Lifting her camera, Hermione was the first to enter. The cashier automatically went to tell them minors weren't allowed--Remus could see it on the tip of his tongue--when Hermione spoke. "We're doing a documentary about the Blair Witch."

The cashier's eyes widened fractionally, before he gave a slight smile. "Oh?"

"Mhm. Do you know anything about her?" Hermione then asked, focusing the camera on his older face. He was slightly stooped, the beginning of bearing the weight of age. His face was lined, but reasonably kind. He nodded to her.

"I do. Stories, like I told him." He motioned over towards Snape, who was examining the selection of tequila.

"Would you mind telling us on camera?"

The man shook his head. "Nope. Wouldn't mind."

Hermione beamed happily at him, and gave the man a moment to put on his coat before coming outside the store with them. The corner overlooked the square, the wind had picked up a bit but wasn't terribly bothersome. Ron held up the microphone while Harry took care of the camera. Remus flipped the switch on the DAT and nodded to Hermione.

"So, what do you know about the Blair Witch?" she asked, her own camcorder pointing towards the street since the sixteen-millimeter was on.

The man scratched the back of his neck, and Remus thought he appeared just a bit nervous. He glanced over to see Malfoy watching with folded arms, and he looked like a predator sizing up the muggle prey. Remus pushed aside that thought, turning back to the man. "Well, there are ah, stories. Told round. From what I understand, she lived further back in the early settlement days. Back when this was Blair." He put his hands into his pockets, staring off into the street. "They chased her out for witchcraft, guess she liked to do funny things with the kid's blood. Took her in the middle of Black Woods and left her there to die that winter. Well, when half of the Blair settlement began dying the next winter, most were kids, they ah- packed up and left- most of 'em."

Hermione nodded, and prodded him further. "But that wasn't the end of her?"

"The witch? Nah. When the town was first founded, lot of odd things began happening. Girl died in a shallow creek. Children wandering off, coming back speaking nonsense, strange things like that. But when I was young, I remember that mess with Parr, a hermit who lived in the woods."

"What happened with him?"

"Well, it was 'round winter of nineteen forty. Parr comes down to town one day, sits down in the bar and orders a drink. Now, 'fore that, kids were disappearing. No one knew why. Couldn't connect it. Well, Parr comes in, sitting there, and suddenly says he's finished." The man told her, shaking his head slightly.

"Finished? What did he finish?"

The man pursed his lips. "No one was sure at first. Till the police went up there, and they found those seven kids. Dead. Tore the community apart." He shook his head again. "Parr said the witch who lived around the woods made him do it."

"And no one thought that maybe he was just blaming the legend for his own sickness?" Malfoy suddenly asked from the corner, his cold gray eyes narrowed in obvious anger.

The man looked taken aback for a moment, before shrugging. "Could have, I suppose. But, ah, strange things in those woods, haunted place, and no one with any ounce of sense goes to deep into them."

"Thank you," Hermione quickly interjected, throwing Malfoy a poisoned glare.

"Sure," The man answered with a nod. "Done then?"

"Yes, unless you can think of anything else?" When the man shook his head, she thanked him again, and he walked back into his store after a short goodbye.

Remus turned off the DAT while Harry lowered the camera. "It's odd, isn't it," Harry then stated with his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Do you think this woman-"

"Elly Kedward," Hermione supplied, holding her own camcorder up again- pointing it at Harry.

The Boy Who Lived Twice looked a bit ruffled for a second, but went on trying his best to ignore Hermione's new obsession. "Mm, Elly Kedward. Maybe she was a witch? Or a vampire?"

"Potter, if Elly Kedward was a dark witch, there's no way she would have let the muggles drive her out of the settlement in the first place," Snape said, pushing off the wall of the store. Remus was pleased to see he had thought to put the liquor away so that he was not carrying it around. "There was probably a disease that wiped most of Blair out, and after that, every tragedy is blamed on the Witch, just as Muggles have done for years."

"I just find it strange, sir," Harry muttered, shaking his head.

"You're too used to looking for dark wizards and witches everywhere, Potter. Now, this is a simple documentary from what I was lead to believe." Snape said something Remus couldn't make out under his breath- but he was sure he caught the words Dumbledore and barmy. "Present this as a muggle would," he stated smoothly as soon as he lifted his head again, apparently done with his quiet rant. "Learn how the muggles view these folklores about our kind. Try to keep it simple, Potter."

"Yes Professor, Harry answered, although Remus could tell he wasn't quite convinced.

"I think they're all ignorant, Professor," Malfoy contributed.

"Good lad." Snape said with approval, nodding his head. Hermione bit her lip, her eyes flashing, while Remus began massaging his temples.

It was going to be one of those days.

They found several more muggles who had heard of the Blair Witch. Hermione and Harry both filmed their interviews. One young man told them more about what Parr had done to the children. Making one stand in the corner while he killed the other. Couldn't stand his eyes on him, he'd said. It was definitely unsettling to Remus, but Snape the Ex Death Eater had remained unimpressed.

Another woman with a child in her arms had talked about two hunters who had disappeared mysteriously off the face of the earth. All their clothes, equipment, even their kills partially cleaned where still at their campsite. Just the men had disappeared.

More people talked about the legend itself. Mentioned being told when they were children that the Witch would come and snatch them from their beds, or drain their blood. She was supposedly extremely ugly old hag, which would fit the stereotypical muggle image. Warned them against going to deep in the woods. Or venturing near the creek where the girl had been grabbed by a hand coming out of the water and drowning her in a few inches of water.

Then there was the tale of Coffin Rock itself. Hermione had the book with her, where the tale was recorded. Five men, searching for another set of missing children, found bound together. Disemboweled messily with strange symbols carved into their skin. When the second team that had found them came back, the bodies were gone and only vultures remained.

The kicker of the day was a woman who lived in one of those muggle trailer parks on the outskirts of the town. A woman who had supposedly had a run in with the witch herself as a girl, and even Remus had to admit she was one unstable muggle. Holding the bible, and appearing more disheveled than Trelawney. She had told them that when she was down by the river as a girl with her father, she had been looking up, and suddenly the Witch was standing over her. Covered in horse fur. Naked except for a shawl. She also believed herself to be a ballerina- among other things.

The students and the Professors had all packed back into the van, albeit reluctantly, and drove to another motel in the town. The continued discussing the obviously nutty muggle, all laughing except Remus and Snape- Remus, because he felt rather sorry for the woman, Snape because he never laughed at anything. Snape had made Remus stop at an archive to pick up a map of the woods, and reference a few more sites that Hermione had insisted upon. The students all talked excitedly about the footage they had shot, and as Snape went inside the office of the Motel for their rooms, looked forward to the trip through the woods tomorrow.

Soon, it was just Snape and Remus again, in a small room with nothing but the white walls and the brown carpet that seemed universal of these places. The tacky flowered bedspreads, thinner than the sheets, were made up on the two twin beds. Remus sat at the table, checking the batteries and the DAT recorder, while Snape laid spread out on the bed- drinking from his bottle of Scotch.

"We aren't actually going to hike, are we?" Snape suddenly asked, a pained expression on his face from the thought of it.

"What the packs and the tents are for, Severus," Remus replied lightly, twisting one of the many knobs while constantly consulting the manual. He believed he had a very good grasp of the machine now. "Hermione wants a shot of Coffin Rock, and that graveyard that one boy mentioned. Then we can head home."

Snape snorted, and Remus heard the sound of more bubbling as Snape tilted the entire bottle back and drank a good four shots down. "I don't see why we have to do this the muggle way once we're in the woods," he commented as soon as the bottle popped away from his lips. "Brooms would work just as well, or better yet, apparition."

"Because it's a muggle studies project, Severus. No brooms, no apparition, no cheating. We're lucky Albus allowed us our wands." Remuspulled the tape out of the DAC and marking it as day one- cemetery and interviews. He paused as soon as he was finished and glanced over. "You're not going to drink all that are you?"

"Why? Want some?" Snape asked, holding it out with a slightly amused twist of his lips.

"You're drinking too much," Remus stated, ignoring the offer. "You really should cut back."

Snape's black eyes rolled in annoyance before he pulled the bottle back. "Yes, yes. I don't tell you how to cope with your traumas. Don't tell me how to cope with mine."

"The Severus Snape I knew in school would never drown his sorrows in a bottle," Remus pressed gently, gazing with sympathy.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "The Severus Snape you knew in school died in that shack," he said softly, before taking another shot. "And a hundred times since."

A thump followed by a female squeal from next door broke the silence that had fallen. Remus frowned. "The girls should be in their own room."

"They should be at Hogwarts. But instead we're all about to tramp through the woods in search of an old hag who died over two hundred years ago," Snape remarked sarcastically. "They're of age, Remus. If you want to stop their little party, feel free." He sat the bottle down on the table between the beds. "I'm going to pretend I'm in my dungeons and not in the middle of mugglesville."

Remus gave Snape a look that he hoped conveyed his displeasure, before standing up and heading for the door to speak with the students. By the time he was back, Snape was already asleep, half empty bottle on the stand.