#remembralls

So after having a chat with the lovely knockmeforsix, I realised that my origami Rememberalls might be useful to some of you. I don't know if anyone's already done this, and if you have I'm sorry!

The point of these is to help alleviate some of the worry you might be feeling, whether it's something you need to remember/are worried about forgetting, anxious about something in particular or just have a vague sense of dread.

First of all, get yourself a square piece of paper (or just trim some A4) and write down anything that's worrying you. It doesn't matter if it seems silly to write it down, or if it isn't quite connected to your main worry, most of the time just getting it out there in the universe helps.

Next, fold the paper up into an origami ball. The shape I used was for a water balloon, following instructions from this site, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a balloon. If you're still feeling anxious, just make as many as you need to, maybe try out different shapes or difficulties.

After that it's pretty much up to you what you do with them. Disposing of them can be quite therapeutic, for example burning them or throwing them away, but also keeping the Remembralls as something positive can help. You can colour or decorate the Remembralls both before and after folding if you're still feeling anxious, or just want to make them a bit prettier.

Most of us here, I think I can say with confidence, have at least seen the first Harry Potter movie as well as devoured the books, yes? Then I can safely bring up this scene and trust that you all know the context, yes?

As many of you know; this is a Remembrall, commonly referred to as the most useless magic item in the history of ever. It does one thing and one thing alone; it changes color when you forget something. It doesn't tell you what your forgot, because that would be logical and somewhat helpful. But this is, as has been established, Harry Potter and the farther one gets from the titular character, the less stable the setting becomes.

Let us consider the Remembrall for a moment. It is considered a well-intentioned, if somewhat useless, thing that is sent to the adorably hapless Neville Longbottom in the hopes that it will shore up his spotty memory. Now, I am rather like Neville in this respect because there are times that I make reminders for myself only to forget what that I made one at all and since the Remembrall is never seen again after the flying lesson, I can safely say that art and life are fully imitating.

But no, I say that the Remembrall is not meant to be helpful. Pay close attention to what it does; it simply tells you that you have forgotten something, not what you forgot. Obviously it is a prank gift at best and a malicious mind game at worst. But how could it be a mind game, you ask? Because you could sow doubt into the most stable mind by convincing them that they're slipping. Giving this gift with a few cursory modifications to make the thing change color only when they are holding it, since wizards in Harry Potter are a singularly imbecilic bunch, would be devestating to someone who prizes a perfect memory since everyone knows that Remembralls only turn red if something slipped your mind.

And that's not the end, within the pages of Harry Potter we are shown several magical artifacts that are functionally useless.

Let's have a look at them, shall we?

The Mirror of Erised, from Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone

Reflects the viewer's deepest desires, useless outside a quest for introspection.

Howlers, from Chamber of Secrets

A letter that, when opened, will proceed to shout its contents to the heavens above unless left to sit whereupon it will open itself and proclaim from the mountaintops. Why yes, I do want to air my dirty laundry to everyone, how did you guess?

Monster Book of Monsters, from Prisoner of Azkaban

A living book which will attempt to bite off any hand that touches it. Aside from making another joke at Hagrid's expense, what purpose would it serve? Who would buy it if it weren't a required textbook? Who would make it?

The 'Unbeatable' Elder Wand, from the Deathly Hallows

A wand that supposedly cannot be beaten in a duel nevertheless has a string of defeats in its history. Onscreen it is removed from the hand of Albus Dumbledore by a snot-nosed sixteen year old.

Hogwarts Castle, from all the books

A thousand-year-old enchanted castle that houses Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it boasts such wonderful enchantments as; staircases that constantly move around to no real pattern, steps that will randomly disappear, doors pretending to be walls, walls pretending to be doors, a vault with with a fucking Basilisk in it, a tree in the middle of the grounds that will actually punch you, and a dangerous forest that includes giant spiders among its fauna. Clearly, the safest place in Britain.

Remembralls