READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 30: Chapter 30
As the staff grew longer and longer, the crater around Flamel continued to grow larger. By the time the transmutation was finished, the crater surrounding the Alchemist was a perfect circle with a radius of exactly five feet. The stone flooring looked like it had been crumbling away and moving inwards towards the center of the crater.
As the staff Flamel was creating was finished, Harry came to the realization that the object was no staff.
It was a glaive. A European polearm weapon that consisted of a single edged blade on one end of the pole. Made out of the same gray colored granite as the floor beneath their feet, the glaive stood at exactly two meters in height.
Running along the glaive's shaft were intricate looking designs that reminded Harry of some of the small architectural carvings found running along the tops of Roman Columns. The blade itself was affixed to the pole using a socket-shaft configuration instead of having a tang like a blade or naginata, the Japanese equivalent to the glaive.
This particular blade shape sort of reminded Harry of a Dao, a Chinese sword mainly used for slashing and chopping. The edge had a moderate curve, before that curved steepened as it reached the end. Meanwhile, the back was perfectly straight, until it reached about a third away from the point, after which it made a round, ninety degree turn, then returned to a flat edge that reached the point where it met the blade. The only difference between a Dao and this sword, aside from the pole it was attached to, was the sharp, nasty looking hook on the back of the blade that Harry knew was for better catching horse riders.
Nicolas grabbed the shaft of the glaive in both hands and spun the weapon around expertly, showing that he actually knew how to use this polearm. And as he did, there was a grin of mild amusement on his face as he looked at Harry's jaw dropping expression.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Harry could do nothing more than give a dumb nod. "The proper application for this particular craft requires not only a full understanding of chemistry and ancient alchemical theory, but also an innate talent towards recognizing and manipulating the physical objects with magic, which requires uncommon levels of intelligence and aptitude. This is why so few ever learn more than the basic theories behind alchemy, and why there are so few alchemists in the world today."
"Is Dumbledore an alchemist?" asked Harry, allowing his curiosity to get the better of him as a means of drawing his mind away form his shock at seeing alchemy up close. Truly, this had to be one of the most incredible aspects of magic around. Just think of the possibilities!
"Yes and no," Nicolas twirled the glaive before setting it down pommel first on the stone floor and tapping it a few times as he grew contemplative. "Dumbledore certainly has the brains for it, but he never really had the drive to become a great alchemist. At most, he knows the basics. Enough to get by, but not enough to become great."
"Now then, one of the things you should know about Alchemy is that it's more than just changing one object into another by deconstructing and reconstructing something at it's base components. Alchemy is as much of a science as it is magic. There are certain laws and limitations in which we are subject to, all of which fall under the concept of Equivalent Exchange."
"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost," Harry recited dutifully. Flamel looked intrigued.
"So you know the laws of Equivalent Exchange?"
"Only the basics," Harry admitted. "That particular law is used in more than just alchemy. In a business you can't expect to make any money without putting an equal amount of time and effort into your business. In politics you can't convince people you're idea is the best without expending an equal amount of time and effort to claw your way to the top. Currency is exchanged in order to pay for something of equal value. Gold is traded for an equal amount of silver. In some ways, you could say that the entire world is run based upon the concept of Equivalent Exchange."
"True. Very true," Flamel rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked at his young apprentice. "However, Equivalent Exchange is very different when it comes to alchemy. There are multiple ways to bend or break this law in worldly matters, but alchemy is another thing entirely."
"In standard practice, Equivalent Exchange can be broken down into two laws. The Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that energy and matter can neither be created from nothing nor destroyed to the point of elemental nonexistence. In other words, to create an object weighing one kilogram, at least one kilogram of material is necessary and destroying an object weighing one kilogram would reduce it to a set of parts, the sum of which would weigh one kilogram. And the Law of Natural Providence, which states that an object or material made of a particular substance or element can only be transmuted into another object with the same basic makeup and properties of that initial material. In other words, an object or material made mostly of water can only be transmuted into another object with the attributes of water."
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