When students entered the room on Wednesday, they'd find it looking exactly like a normal, ordinary classroom -- rows of desks facing the front, and two men standing at the front. Both were in their mid-thirties (though perhaps a bit weathered), and wearing shabby-looking long robes. However, if students looked up, they'd notice that the room's ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky outside. It was a touch of Hogwarts for their own comfort as well as students' amusement (though Remus had had to talk Sirius out of making the sky cloudy.)
Sirius's eyes never stayed still--focusing first on the students as they arrived, mentally appraising how threatening they might be, or if they betrayed any sign of recognizing his face, which had been plastered all over the wizard world for the better part of a year--but then they flickered to the window of the classroom, or the door, preparing for attack. If it seemed a little paranoid, well. He took a headcount, then nodded to Remus to begin.
Remus, who'd been smiling at the students as they entered and attempting to provide a counter to Sirius' fairly imperious figure, clapped his hands together lightly. "Good afternoon. I'm Remus Lupin, and this is Sirius Black." No one had seemed to recognize Sirius, and they couldn't very well keep his identity a secret for the entire school year. "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts for Muggles. Now, that name may be a bit confusing to you. Allow me to explain -- Professor Black and I are both wizards, and in our culture, non-magical folk are called Muggles. We've been given to understand that while the student body here boasts a wide array of abilities and proclivities, not all of you are familiar with the use of magic. So, this class will be focusing on using whatever talents you do have -- and I don't want to hear that you don't have a defensive talent, because everyone has something -- against the evils that plague our collective world."
"Because they're out there," Sirius said firmly. "Today we'll start out simply: your name, and what you would consider a dark art." He scowled. "And no comments about dark art being sketches made with charcoal. Unlike other courses, what you learn here could very easily save your life."
He pointed to a student at random. "You. Begin."
"Oh," Remus added, holding up a hand to pause. "And would Griffin O'Connor and Merlin please see one or both of us after class? Thank you."
[co-written with
lycanthromoony!]