Filk, Alchemy, and Transfiguration

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

Hey, NPR's 'Day to Day' show did an article on a Filk convention.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4967052 (altho'
Mary Creasy is really prettier than in that photo, and one of the
nicest people I have ever met).

Steve bboyminn wrote in
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPFGU-OTChatter/message/29034 :

<< Remember the whole purpose of Alchemy is the conversion of
matter; specifically the transmutation of base metals into gold. >>

No, the whole purpose of Alchemy is making the Philosopher's Stone. In
RL, the Philosopher's Stone transmutes base metals into gold as a
symbol of the spiritual transformation that the alchemist underwent in
the process of making the Stone; something like Christians being 'born
again' or Buddhists having 'enlightment'. Even in the Potterverse,
where the Stone is very material, transmuting base metals into gold is
less materially valuable than the Elixir of Life! Think how much you
could sell small dose of that stuff for!

<< However, one very important thing would be missing in an animal to
human transformation, and that of course is /education/. Language and
speech, as well as general knowledge and critical/analytical thinking
are learned experiences. An animal to human transformation would have
the capacity to talk and reason, but no experience or education that
would provide the foundation for language, general knowledge, or
critical thought. >>

Yes, but if magic can create an adult human brain, why couldn't it
just as well create an adult human brain containing the memories and
neural connections of a native language, as well being toilet-trained
and knowing to put on clothes? Transfiguration doesn't seem to have
any conservation of mass, so why should it have conservation of knowledge?