Fools gold

[finwitch]

No: HPFGUIDX 121671


jotwo wrote:
 
> I am also speculating whether another plot function for Pyrites was 
> performing alchemy for Voldemort.  
> In the very early page of Philosopher's Stone that you can find on 
> the web site Harry, Ron and Hermione are discussing Nicholas Flamel 
> and the Philosopher's Stone.  Hermione says she has read about this 
> in a book, Alchemy, Ancient Art and Science by Argo Pyrites.  The 
> Argo was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts on their voyage to 
find 
> the Golden Fleece.  Thus the first name is also connected to gold.
> 
> Whether or not the Pyrites who worked for Voldemort was the same as 
> the author of the book about alchemy, a name that means fool's gold 
> seems the type of punning moniker that JKR would give an 
alchemist.  
> Especially as the quest to turn base metals into gold is, in 
reality, 
> fruitless (and even in legend only Flamel achieved it).

Finwitch:

Well, Alchemy leaded to chemistry among Muggles (Potions for 
Wizards). Chemistry cannot turn lead into gold, nuclear physics, in 
theory, can do that. The problem is that the process costs way too 
much to be profitable. (you'd need platinum, and that costs more than 
gold does)

Much more worth could be gained by making diamonds out of coal 
(chemically same thing, really) -- industrial diamonds ARE being made 
that way I believe - with loads of heat and pressure...

Another thing the philosopher's stone is famed for, is sovereign 
healer (Elixir of Life). Considering that many of our medications 
today consist of results of chemistry (offspring of Alchemy) it 
wasn't all *that* useless... after all, for the Alchemist, it was the 
study and perfection of themselves that was supposed to be important.

But of Nicholas Flamel... OK, he managed to make the stone (and 
Dumbledore believes it was destroyed). Did he, perhaps, need 
something more to make his elixir? Perhaps the Elixir is made of 
Mandrake Leaves (we DO know there's that powerful restorative 
potion), Phoenix Tears (healing powers - strong ones, too) - and uses 
Philosopher's Stone as a catalyst, for extra-power or whatever. It 
seems that he'd only need a little if the stone is consumed at all in 
the making of the Elixir.

I wonder though - will we see Nicholas or Perenelle Flamel in the 
series? And I'd suppose that if the stone was destroyed, in order to 
do so, Nicholas had to use it to brew his Elixir (and gain GALLEONS 
of it, and he only needs a drop every now and then so er - I think 
he's not about to die any time soon.)

Finwitch