Alchemy (Was: Re: Okay, Who Dies?)

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 170781

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jen Reese" <stevejjen at ...> wrote:
>
> > Bruce Alan Wilson: 
> > I think that Hagrid and Fred will die.
> >  
> > Hagrid because of his first name--Rubeus. The third and final stage
> > of alchemical transformation is the Rubendo, or Red Stage.  The 
> > first two are the Nigrendo (Black) and the Albendo (White).  So far 
> > we have had Sirius BLACK and ALBUS Dumbledore die.
>  
> > Goddlefrood:
> > First, Nigredo - it means blackening, sorry to be pedantic. 
> > This stage of the alchemical process refers primarily to what 
> > happens before there can be any progress. All that has been 
> > formed is broken apart and becomes dark and dead. It would be 
> > more appropriate to compare the stages to Harry's reactions to 
> > death rather than to try to make it into a pattern of how the 
> > deaths roster would proceed.
> > 
> > In other words, Sirius's death leads to a shattering of all 
> > Harry's beliefs in the inherent underlying goodness in the 
> > wizarding world. Black's death marks the end of Harry's wonder 
> > of all things wizarding. From that point on he is focused to 
> > his task of tracking down and destroying Lord voldemort and 
> > all his evil works.

Montavilla47:

Hi.  There's something I've been wanting to float as an idea
ever since I looked up the seven stages of alchemy (after reading
Granger's essays and other ones as well).  Something struck me 
when I read the descriptions of the stages and I've never heard
anyone talk about this.

Looking at the seven stages, we have:

1. Calcination:  Heating the substance until it is reduced to
ashes.
2. Dissolution:  Dissolving the ashes in water.
3. Separation:  Filtering the substance and removing any
impure ingredients.
4. Conjunction:  Combing the separated elements again
into a new substance.
5. Fermentation: A period of rest allowing for the growth of
bacteria (which is how cheese and wine is created from milk and
grape juice.)
6. Distillation:  Boiling and condensation of the fermented 
solution to increase its purity.
7. Coagulation:  The precipitation or sublimation of the 
purified ferment from the substance.

So, looking at the first four or five, it seems to me that 
not only Harry is moving through an alchemical process.

What happened to Voldemort? 

1. PS/SS:  His host body, Quirrell is burned from touching Harry.
(In the movie, he is shown reduced to ashes.  In the book, he 
blisters.)

2. CoS:  Voldemort's soul is dissolved into the waters of the 
chamber.

3. PoA:  Voldemort is separated from any human "body" and 
floating around, spirit-like.

4. GoF:  Voldemort is combined with other elements into a 
new "substance." A human body.

This is where it gets tricky for me--partly because I don't quite
understand the last three processes.

5. OotP:  Voldemort, now substantial, seems to be waiting.  He 
has a lot of plans "fermenting," but not of them are quite ready
to execute.

6. HBP: Voldemort is now revealed as evil in pure form.  

7: DH:  Is it possible to predict Voldemort's fate using alchemy
as a guide?

So, perhaps while Harry is going through a positive transformation
through alchemy, Voldemort is also going through a less
psychological and more physical transformation?