"Gryffindor's, especially you seventh years, listen up. These are transfer students from Traxel School. Try and be civil," Professor McGonagall commanded. She then turned and stalked out of the room, leaving the twin seventeen-year-olds from Tennessee in a room full of strangers. The room itself wasn't strange, Benji and and her brother had been living there for three weeks – ever since the 'death eaters' had killed her parents, and their godmother, Professor McGonagall, had had to step in and bring them here.
Traxel had been the Wizarding School for the United States, and so it was a fairly large school. Both Benji and Joel's parents, the Arrington's, had been professors. Mrs. Arrington had taught transfiguration – that was how she had met Professor McGonagall. Mr. Arrington had taught Care for Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies (Grandma Arrington was a muggle), and Joel was already a great friend with Hagrid.
They had already practiced Quidditch with Madame Hooch – both of them being highly skilled beaters and all. Their old Quidditch captain had believed they could communicate without words – but in reality, they were so close that they knew what the other would do anyways.
After McGonagall left, the room went back to normal. Benji pulled out a deck of exploding snap cards and the two silently began playing. Benji never needed to say much around her brother, which was good because he seldom talked anyway. After the first round, someone tapped Benji on the shoulder. It was a tall skinny redheaded boy who was in between a shorter, brown haired girl, and the infamous Harry Potter.
"Hey – where's Traxel? Hermione says America, and I say the name sounds Russian."
The girl rolled her eyes, "I'm Hermione Granger, he's Ron Weasley, and I'm guessing you already know who he is." She said gesturing to her two friends.
Benji wiped her hand on her robes before offering it to shake, a southern United States custom. "Hi y'all," she drawled in a thick southern accent, "My name's Arrington, Benji Arrington, and this here is my brother Joel. Hermione's right, we're from the states, but the name's Russian."
Ron turned and stuck his tongue out at Hermione. Joel smiled, "See Sis, I told you they wouldn't be too different." He seemed to say with his eyes.
"What's it like being a wizard in America?" Hermione asked eagerly.
Benji launched into the story of her old life. Living with their Grandmother until they were eleven and started Traxel. There it was law that wizarding children had to be raised by either all wizards in a special community, or as muggle children. Benji and Joel's parents had chosen the latter. She had brought her CD collection and the Discman, her mother had charmed for her. She let them listen to a taste of almost everything she owned. From Martina McBride and Garth Brooks, to Nirvana, Linkin Park, and Blink 1-82. As well as Good Charlotte, the "mad-at-my-loser-dad" band's lead singer and lead guitarist were twins with the same names as Benji and Joel! Ron especially liked "Numb" (Linkin Park) and "What's my age again" (Blink 1-82). When she got near the end she paused. It would be really hard to tell these new people about her parents. But she couldn't make Joel do it.
She solemnly began, "Mom and Dad were good friends with Dumbledore – had meetings with him and stuff. We think they were in a group with him; every weekend they'd apparate away in the morning and not return until late evening. You can Apparate in a little grove not far from our school. Professor M. is our Godmother," Harry, Ron, and Hermione winced; Professor M was a very mean woman to have as a godmother. At least Harry had a godparent he could tell his problems to, "Death eater's came and killed them, now we're here."