This handwritten book was more like a diary, containing all sorts of miscellaneous matters and disjointed accounts.
The first seven pages recorded Leme's own account. He said that for two Galleons, he had bought an alchemy book called the "Book of Abraham the Jew" from a black-robed, veiled merchant from Arabia.
He then began studying the knowledge recorded in the book, because on the night he bought it, he had a dream. In it, an angel with snow-white wings handed him an entire stiff, oversized salted fish.
After waking, he felt it was some kind of revelation. Perhaps the salted fish symbolized divine authority?
So he paid particular attention to his newly purchased book, constantly studying the foreign arts within it. Three years later, in the second section of this strange book in Hermione's hands, Leme opened by saying that he had found true alchemy.
Hermione understood. The pages in this "Book of Hieroglyphs" might have been cut from several notebooks and rebound together. Some unimportant—or overly important—parts were all missing.
But this was enough for her to understand her homework. Now, if the professor asked who Leme was, she could proudly give him the correct answer.
She continued reading. The book said:
"I always followed the book's instructions exactly, word for word. Today, I finally reached the final step. By transmuting Red Stone according to an equal amount of mercury, I truly turned mercury into gold. It is indeed better than ordinary gold—softer and more malleable."
Hermione's little mouth fell open. So true alchemy was turning stone into gold?
She sped up her page-turning. The thick bark rubbed against her palms, but she could mostly only see various experimental approaches: turning mercury into other things, such as using mercury to create Copper, or turning mercury into silver.
The following