Breaktime Buddies

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie had enjoyed his first semester at school, and he was enjoying the time back. Onyx was out of the house today and his uncles were both working, so Jordie took the chance to go over to the park. He jogged over, curls bouncing, and plopped himself down in a swing. It was nice to be home, and he was certainly amused he could still see the castle. He hummed to himself, watching the sky as he swung softly.

 

[Benji Killian]

Benji had been spending more and more time at the park since he arrived in the area. He lived a few blocks away, and his dad, James, trusted him to walk on his own. Benji preferred to walk by himself, and he often enjoyed exploring the world around him, one block at a time. There was something almost peaceful about being on his own. It gave him time to think without James checking in on him all the time. He loved his stepdad, of course, but the man could be a pain sometimes. He always meant well, but Benji felt that he sometimes tried too hard when it was unnecessary.

With his hands in his pockets, he wandered over to the swings, where he noticed another kid swinging away. Sitting on the vacant seat next to the kid, he took a deep breath as he did a slower rock back and forth as he hugged the chains. He did this for a little while before looking over at the curly head guy next to them, and when they noticed each other, Benji thought it was only polite to at least acknowledge the other kid. "Hey, sup," He said with a slight nod of his head.

Benji did not have any friends of his own, having only been in New Zealand for a few weeks now. He had met a few people, but most of the kids had been away at school. So the plate was a ghost town. But now that everyone was home for the holidays, it was his chance to meet a few older kids and to glean some information about his new school before next year. He was apprehensive about going to Hogwarts so whatever he could gather could make that process easier for him to swallow.

@Jordan Harris

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie had been lost in thought, not paying attention, and he was a little startled when he saw someone sitting next to him. "Oh, hey," He greeted, pausing mid-swing and smiling happily as he came to a standstill. "I didn't see you come up," He laughed, holding out his hand. "Jordan. Call me Jordie," he introduced himself, laughing lightly. "What's your name?" he asked. He was always happy to make a friend, especially one so close to home. "Do you live around here?"

 

[Benji Killian]

"Benji," said the small boy as he reached over and shook Jordie's hand. "I live a few blocks away. Just moved here from France." Benji added as he began to swing slowly back and forth. He did not want to get too high that it was impossible to talk but he did not want to be the weird kid who just used the swing as a seat. "What about you? Do you live around here?" Benji asked as he looked over at Jordie.

Jordie seemed nice enough and being that Benji did not have any friends it seemed only polite to put in some effort. It was weird meeting people outside of school but being that he was not actually going to school he figured that this was his best chance to make a friend. Jordie had messy brown hair and warm brown eyes. He smiled big and seemed happy. Benji could have done far worse and encountered a bully so he counted his blessings in silent appreciation.

@Jordan Harris

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordan's smile grew impossibly wider when the boy said he was from France. He turned towards Benji eagerly. "Yes, my uncles and I live nearby, as well," he replied, his french smooth and flawless. "Where did you live in France? We go to Paris and Marsielle sometimes," he laughed lightly, glad for another chance to use his French.

 

[Benji Killian]

"We lived in Nice, but my grandparents stay in Paris. I have not been to Marseille before, but I know where it is given that it not too far from Nice." Benji said with a small nod as he listened to Jordie speak about trips to France. Paris was popular for tourism, but Nice was known best for its beaches and warmer climate.

"So, do you go to school yet?" Benji asked as he was careful not to say too much to someone he did not know. He assumed that most of the kids in the park were magical, but he could not know for sure. So he was vague at the least. If Jordie were magical, then he would likely say a school that Benji would know.

@Jordan Harris

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie smiled, nodding at Benji's question. "I do, yes, I go to hnz," he told the boy, swinging a little himself. "Are you going to school soon, too?" He asked, dragging his feet on the ground to still himself and starting to twirl a little in the swing instead.

 

[Benji Killian]

"I hope when the new school year begins, I will get my letter. My dad is sure I will get one from Beauxbaton, but I really need to get one from Hogwarts to stay close to home. " Benji said as he frowned slightly. He would love to go to Beaubaxton but his dad had always wanted him to go to Hogwarts. It was where he made lifelong friends and thought it would be good for Benji to have a fresh start with kids his own age. "How do you like going to Hogwarts? What house were you sorted into?" Benji said as he asked after the school and the house system that they had which was different from the French Magical school.

@Jordan Harris

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie swung his feet idly, dragging them over the ground beneath him. "It would be cool if you came to Hogwarts, we could hang out then," Jordie smiled. "It's been pretty fun so far, I'm liking my first year. I was sorted into Hufflepuff, though I really wanted to be in Slytherin," he pouted a little, but laughed. "Has your dad told you much about the school?" he asked, turning to look at Benji. "If you go to Beauxbatons, I can write to you. I'm already friends with a second year there, we write letters to each other all the time."

 

[Benji Killian]

"My dad told me a little about the houses, but I am not sure which one I would end up in. I think he was either a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. I think Hufflepuff is a good house. I imagine that I might up somewhere I least expect." Benji said as he sighed. He figured that he would either be a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. But he would be happy in any house he wound up in. They all had their qualities and famous witches and wizards.

"So, do you have any siblings? Oh, and what about a wand! Did you learn any cool special! I think I want to become a professional duelist when I grow up!" Benji asked before he became super excited about the thoughts of magic and wands. He would not get him until he was sent to school, but he had been allowed to hold his dad's wand. They even showed him a simple spell that makes the wand glow. Benji also would be given his Dad's wand if he wanted to use it over his own wand.

@Jordan Harris

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie chuckled. "I have two older twin siblings," he explained. "Though Onyx and Sapphire have pretty much moved out," he pouted. He smiled when Benji asked about his wand, pulling it from his sleeve. "Yeah, mine is a flexible 9 inch curly black walnut wand with a Hippogriff feather core," he told Benji with a smile. "It's pretty powerful, but of course, all wands are powerful, so you have to respect them."

 

[Benji Killian]

"Black walnut, a tree found more in North America," Benji said without even blinking. He knew it because his grandmother was an herbologist when she was younger and she had books upon books about plants and trees found all over the world. "I like flowering trees like Hawthorn. My dad's wand is made of Rosewood, while my other dads was made of Oak." He added as he wondered what his wand wood would be when he went to buy his wand.

"You have Ollivander here, where we had a different wandmaker in France. Ollivander though makes good wands. My dad Killian got his wand from Ollivanders and he has never had any problem with the wand since he bought it." Benji said as he thought about where he would get his wand now that he was in New Zealand.

@Jordan Harris

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie chuckled, nodding as Benji spoke. "I don't know what my dads wands are," he said, easily including Colin in that. "I'm pretty sure everyone in my family got their wands from Ollivander," he wasn't really sure of that, but he said it anyway. He knew the twins had. And he thought at least Uncle James had. He didn't know about Uncle Colin though. "If you were to guess, what do you think your wand would be?" he asked, turning to Benji with a wide smile.

 

[Benji Killian]

"Aspen for sure, or maybe even oak," Benji said as he thought about his own wand. He knew enough about magic to know that it was the wand that chose the wizard and not the other way around. Which meant that no one could ever really know what wand they would end up with and nothing said that the wand you started with was the one that you would end up with forever. Wands, like everything else, could be broken or destroyed. It was how family wands were sometimes passed down from one witch to another.

"Maybe we will end up in the same house when I get to Hogwarts, at the very least I will know someone there, maybe we can hang out again tomorrow. it is getting kind of late and I should be heading home." Benji said as he jumped off the swing and stood nearby with his hands in his pockets. He had found talking to Jordie almost therapeutic. It eased his anxiety about the impending school year and the change of his surroundings.

@Jordan Harris

 

[Jordan Harris]

Jordie nodded, though he didn't know what either wood meant. He slowed on his swing as Benji stood, almost pouting that their time was up already. "Well, even if we aren't, we can still be friends, right?" He asked, smiling brightly and standing too. "Sure! You can come over to my house if you want, and we can watch tv and have snacks," he offered, chattering brightly. He opened his arms automatically. "Hug?" He asked, a wide smile on his face.