I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good: Fred and George?

[alt_terry]

I need some help. I can't explain exactly but--see, I've got something I need to hide. Something I have to keep safe. No one must ever find it.

The problem with a pocket, even a hidden one is, well, if I ever get given back to Master, he doesn't let me keep anything. I wear rags he passes on to me, but he feels free to throw anything away at any time. He may insist his tidbit must feel cold in that jacket and give me another one and get rid of the first, or he may beat me well, a shirt gets all torn up, and then its gone the next morning. He doesn't want me to have anything I can call my own. That way I'm always dependent on him.

Can you think of anything that would work? It has to be a way to hide something, that I could keep always, but it would have to seem so small or unimportant that Master would never even bother with it.

Comments

[alt_terry]

Actually, maybe there is a way you can help. Fred and George had this idea, and it's brilliant. But we need a little help, and Lee said maybe we might ask you, cause you're a girl? Or maybe Hermione might know.

Do either of you know how to weave those little string bracelets? I see some of the girls wearing them around the school sometimes, made with coloured thread. They're sort of woven with knots, and sometimes they have beads worked in, right? Fred thought it was called, macaron or something like that??? If we use a dull tatty sort of string with no colour, maybe sort of dirty, I think it'd be something that wouldn't catch Master's notice at all.

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah, I know how to make those, or at least I've seen it done. Do you want me to show you how, or do you want me to just make one? I don't have any string, but if anyone else has some I could use I could do it.

[alt_neville]

I have some string you're welcome to use. I think it's just the sort you're looking for, Terry.

[alt_terry]

You could try to teach me, but I'd probably be all thumbs. If you don't mind, it'd be a big help if you could do it.

Actually...could you make two bracelets? One for me and one for Hermione. I think the girls I've seen make them for their friends. So it would seem normal if we're both wearing one.

[alt_terry]

And thanks!

[alt_sally_anne]

I could make two bracelets. It'll take me a couple of days.

If I had some coloured thread I wouldn't have to hide what I was working on so carefully, because it would look like I was making plain ones for practice and then I could make a nice one for Pansy.

[alt_neville]

Maybe Ron could get some coloured thread or yarn from Ginny? She knits all the time, and I'll bet she has some.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh, good thought. You need either a thick sort of thread or a thin sort of yarn, but either will work.

[alt_sally_anne]

And if you wanted beads in, I'd need those too.

[alt_terry]

There'll be just one bead on it, and Fred and George are going to make that, and charm it. They thought they'd have it ready by tomorrow.

[alt_sally_anne]

Alright. Fred and George, the bead needs to have a hole large enough for two strands of the string (or I'll have to go hunting for more string).

There's probably a charm to make these but I don't know it. I learned in village school and I didn't have a wand yet (nor did most of my classmates).