Basic Laws and the Two Great Taboos

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Saturday had arrived.

After lunch, Linley arrived at Professor Green's office as promised. He held A Beginner's Guide to Ancient Runes in his left arm and gently knocked on the office door with his right hand.

"Quite punctual. Come in!"

Professor Green opened the office door and let Linley in.

Linley entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's office and curiously looked around.

Under Professor Green's arrangement, the office had been divided into three areas. On the outermost side, two bookshelves flanked a desk. This seemed to be where Professor Green graded students' assignments and prepared lesson plans.

Farther inside were dozens of cages stacked together and covered with red cloth. Linley guessed they were all teaching materials Professor Green had prepared, like the Acromantula hatchlings from Monday. Most likely, Professor Green had caught these teaching materials in the Forbidden Forest.

At the very back of the office stood a great deal of alchemical equipment, countless metallic gleams flickering throughout. Linley also saw a truncated pyramid-shaped device, where a set of crimson glowing patterns continuously spewed flames upward.

"Have you memorized A Beginner's Guide to Ancient Runes, which I had you recite on Monday?"

Professor Green closed the office door, waved his Wand to transfigure a chair, and motioned for Linley to sit.

Linley obediently sat down and nodded. "I've memorized it all."

Professor Green immediately asked several Ancient Runes words contained in A Beginner's Guide to Ancient Runes, and Linley answered every question fluently.

"Very good. Take this."

Professor Green nodded in satisfaction and handed Linley two slips of paper.

Linley looked down and saw that one slip was densely covered with book titles, while the other bore only Professor Green's signature.

"These are the alchemy-related books you need to study on your own next. Read them in order. As for the last few books, they can only be found in the library's Restricted Section. Use the signed note I gave you to borrow them."

Professor Green spoke calmly. A glint flashed through his pale blue eyes. He did not seem worried that Linley would use his signed note for anything else.

"Alright, Professor Green!" Linley put the slips away.

Professor Green turned around, passed the desk, and walked to the deepest part of the office. He stopped before the truncated pyramid-shaped alchemical device Linley had noticed earlier, then looked back. "Come here, Linley."

Linley stepped over to Professor Green's side.

Before them, the crimson patterns were still releasing flames. The fire carried scorching heat, yet it unexpectedly made Linley feel somewhat comfortable.

"You believe these endlessly pouring flames are produced by this set of runes, don't you?"

Professor Green pointed at the runes and asked.

Linley thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Professor."

There was nothing else on the device besides those runes. Linley truly believed the flames were produced by them. Besides, he could sense the aura of magic from the runes.

However, Professor Green smiled and shook his head. He drew his Wand and lightly pointed it at the device. The base of the truncated pyramid suddenly split open, revealing a fluorescent crystal inside.

The crystal continuously radiated light, and waves of magical power spread from it.

Clearly, this crystal was the true source powering the flames.

"This is something I refined in imitation of my teacher's Philosopher's Stone. However, it does not possess the Philosopher's Stone's power to turn stone into gold or grant immortality. It can merely store our magical power and release it when we need it," Professor Green explained. "But after seeing this, what do you understand?"

Linley answered tentatively, "Nothing comes from nothing. If you want to obtain something, you must pay a price of equal value?"

Professor Green nodded in satisfaction. "That's right. Remember, the most fundamental law of alchemy is 'Equivalent Exchange.' If you want something, you must offer something of equal value. This is a principle every alchemist must follow during the alchemical process. If you have read any books related to alchemy, you should know this basic law as well."

"Alchemy differs from idealistic magic. It is not a shore you can reach simply by waving a Wand. True, it cannot let us easily obtain what we desire, but its value is far greater. It can grant you eternity!"

The gloom in Professor Green's eyes was replaced by a lofty light filled with faith. His words carried a convincing power.

"Besides that, alchemy has two great taboos that you must remember." Professor Green's expression suddenly turned solemn.

Linley guessed, "Time and the soul?"

However, Professor Green shook his head. "Those are magic's taboos. Alchemy has only two taboos. First, you must never overstep the Domain of Gods. Second, Human Alchemy is forbidden."

Linley nodded thoughtfully.

Because the original story had repeatedly emphasized the dangers of recklessly tampering with time and souls through things like the Time-Turner and Voldemort's Horcrux fragments, Linley had subconsciously assumed those were alchemy's taboos.

But Professor Green had awakened him to the truth.

That was right. Although magic and alchemy had points in common, they were fundamentally two different systems and could not be lumped together.

Moreover, the Time-Turner itself was an alchemical creation. If time truly were taboo in alchemy, then the Time-Turner would never have come into existence.

After telling Linley about alchemy's basic law and its two great taboos, Professor Green went on to explain many methods for studying Ancient Runes, as well as the foundational knowledge needed to enter alchemy. This would allow Linley to step straight through the door of alchemy without any obstacles once he had finished learning all the Ancient Runes.

"Put this on. It can weaken your magical power to one-tenth of its original level."

After finishing the theoretical lessons, Professor Green handed Linley a bracelet.

Seeing the tiny crystals embedded in the bracelet, Linley could not help crying out, "Mana Stones?"

Among Professor Green's achievements recorded on Chocolate Frog cards was the Mana Stone. As far as the public knew, Mana Stones could only weaken a wizard's magical power by ten percent, and even that required a Mana Stone the size of a Quaffle.

Yet the Mana Stones embedded in this bracelet were no bigger than fingernails, but they could suppress ninety percent of Linley's magical power!

Could it be that reality was just as Linley had analyzed before? The Mana Stones Professor Green had made public were actually weakened versions, while the original version had not been released in order to prevent it from being suppressed due to the wariness of the various Ministries of Magic?!

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