I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I swear if I revise any more my brain is going to melt and leak out my ears.

So I spent the afternoon looking through the stuff I've been carrying in my bracelet and thinking about what I really NEED in there. I had stashed enough food in there to eat for about a month, using shrinking charms, and then I didn't even eat it when I was hungry after suppers with Umbridge because I kept worrying I might hit a time that I REALLY needed it.

But I checked and I didn't have a quill. I had ink (both sorts) but no quill.

So here's my list. I don't know if everyone has a bracelet, I mean the Twins made one for me after the Strettons locked me in the cellar that time but anyone who doesn't, they could make more of those beads now they're done with NEWTs, I think. They really are extremely useful. Here's what I'm going to carry from now on:

* One week's worth of food, with preservation charms on.
* One packet of sweets (because there's nothing for calming a small child like sweets)
* One water bottle, because aguamenti is all very well and good but you need something to catch it in if you'd like to drink it.
* Potion for nausea
* Potion for (after) cruciatus
* Potion for pain
* One large sack (shrunk) (actually, nearly all of this was shrunk or it wouldn't fit)
* One blanket
* That mask they made us for the Halloween feast (because if I put it on it's some sort of disguise, anyway)
* A quill
* Two bottles of ink, one regular and one for the lock
* Spare socks, gloves, and a jumper
* Some money (not loads of it, but some)
* This book I nicked from the Strettons that has maps in it
* A book I've been wanting to read but haven't got round to yet
* A packet of tea
* Soap

I'm probably forgetting loads of useful things, anyone got ideas?

Comments

[alt_ron]

You could have come out flying with us this afternoon. I'll let you know if we do something tomorrow, yeah?

Anywiz, I've got a broom kit in mine, and a direction finder. Oh, and the omnioculars they gave out in the top boxes at the world cup. They'll be dead useful sometime, you just know it.

[alt_ron]

I didn't think about a blanket, though. Or socks.

Or the mask. That's a brill idea. I think mine's in my trunk somewhere. Probably well crushed by now, but I'll have a look for it.

Don't you have any Stretton jam in yours?

[alt_terry]

I suppose it depends on where you are, and where you expect to be the next several weeks. What you carry if you're at school would vary from what you carry if you're at home, or on a CCF camping trip. Or if you think there's danger you might have to bug out at any time to go to a safe house versus all you're facing is a boring night in the common room.

Mr Longbottom always carries a wallet that has a bunch of shrunken items in it, including a two bedroom tent, two weeks of nonperishable food, a field medicine kit, baby supplies, and so on, but then he's a fugitive wizard who looks after muggleborn children who've been spirited away, so the sorts of things he needs to have at a moment's notice are rather different.

A mess kit. It's all very well to have food, but you need something to eat it on: a tin plate, maybe, and a cup and cutlery. A compass is a good idea, and so are the omnioculars, Ron.

[alt_evelyn]

Dad once sent Nev a list of things it would be useful to have on hand. I don't remember what all was on it, but Nev would have it.

[alt_neville]

Dad wrote me some advice when we were trying to think of what to put in a ruck sack for Terry, so that was the situation he was talking about. He prioritised: 1) food 2) water 3) protection from the elements 4) healing materials and 5) concealment spells.

For food, he suggested packing non-perishable stuff, or miniaturising jars that could be expanded back to normal size with the tap of a wand. For water, you can use the aquamenti spell. Protection from the elements: cold and wet are the biggest things of concern, so whatever clothing you have should be charmed to be waterproof. For healing, he suggested a good healing salve and a bottle of dittany, with instructions (The dittany'd be an important thing to have on hand if we're apparating, in case someone gets splinched. Especially if we're new at it.) For concealment spells, he had advice on charms, some of the stuff they taught us during the Easter hols, actually.

[alt_sally_anne]

DITTANY. Good thought.

For concealment, don't forget your mask! If you still have it and it didn't get crushed under the Standard Book of Spells Grade Five back in February.

[alt_neville]

I still have mine, yeah.

[alt_sally_anne]

The trouble with switching things out for when I'm at school and when I'm off with the CCF is that I'll forget what's in there and when I need water I won't have it.

A tent would be brilliant but I don't have one. I like the omnioculars. Also, I thought it over and put a little water bottle WITH WATER in there just in case I don't have my wand.

[alt_hermione]

You've only got two books? I think I'd need half the library if we ever had to leave Hogwarts for a long time.

I've been working on a bag that will hold things like the bracelets do. I've put an Undetectable Extension on it and then I put another one on the pocket inside.

I agree about dittany. Also gillyweed and a jar of murtlap essence, and a cauldron, of course. Well, two cauldrons. One for brewing potions and one for cooking.

I've also got a change of clothes, including some school robes I nicked a while ago in case I needed to look like a witch.

You've got quills and ink but not parchment, did you notice?

Oh, and I've put Harry's cloak in the bag, too. But that's not something everyone has, of course.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well that's just it, you know? If I could fit half the library in there (and somehow Madam Pince wouldn't notice it was missing) that would certainly be useful but as it stands, putting books of spells will just guarantee that whatever I want, it won't be what I brought.

Also, I don't actually own that many books. There's my lesson books but I know what's in those. I have a couple of books about Healing, those are worth putting in but I was thinking about the things I might just leave in there all the time. I'm not putting Professor Dol

Gillyweed's a good idea, and murtlap! I don't know about the cauldron, I sort of thing if I had time to brew a potion I'd have time to get myself to Doughty Conduit, you know? Or Sirius's house.

I didn't think about parchment! I was mostly thinking about writing in my journal. I hardly ever send owls anymore. That's a good idea, though, I've put some in.