Pheobe clearly knew what Vaughn was asking. She smiled and replied, "Three hundred years ago, when Mr. Flamel revisited his old school, he donated this book to Beauxbatons. He said it was a great work of alchemy and shouldn't be buried in the dust of history. However-"
Pheobe paused, then continued, "Mr. Flamel believed that the secret of the Philosopher's Stone would bring disaster upon the wizarding world, and even the entire world, so he destroyed the two most important pages concerning it."
Legend had it that the Philosopher's Stone could turn base metals into gold. Nicolas Flamel had discovered its secret in this book and used it to create the Philosopher's Stone in the fourteenth century.
Vaughn knew this, but one question had always troubled him: had the original Philosopher's Stone also possessed the ability to produce the Elixir of Life?
Or had Nicolas Flamel drawn upon the influence of the legend to give his Philosopher's Stone that property?
Looking down at the Book of Abraham the Jew, Vaughn gently stroked its worn cover and smiled. "Miss Delacour, please thank Madame Maxime for me."
Pheobe blinked her bright eyes and smiled. Knowing the deal was sealed, she raised her chin at Cheng Quandao, almost as if challenging him.
"I was just explaining the Magic Extraction Method to Cheng. Stay and listen with him." Vaughn put the ancient book into his shoulder bag.
Pheobe took out a notebook and quill, sat beside Vaughn, and looked ready to listen attentively.
Before long, however, her expression grew bewildered, and her eyes began to glaze over. If Cheng Quandao merely couldn't understand the various advanced Muggle concepts Vaughn brought up, then Pheobe might as well have been listening to an alien language.
She didn't even know some of the basic terms used in