Dumbledore = Nicholas Flamel?

[brewpub44]

No: HPFGUIDX 36272

Ya know, I've been on this board for many months now, and I don't 
think I've ever seen this discussed:

Is Dumbledore really Nicholas Flamel? We never see old Nick in SS, do 
we? I don't know of any evidence that shows it is not true, do you?

My theory: DD is Nick. He changed his identity. The trick: first go 
into obscurity. Notice how much trouble the kids have finding out who 
Nick is? He's obviously been out of contemporary media, even if he 
supposedly is alive. Then, wait many years, and pop back upon the 
scene as Dumbledore. Notice no one has ever researched DD's bio in 
any of the books. Do we even know if he went to Hogwarts? Or any 
other school? I don't think it's even been mentioned. So he starts to 
get acclaim for himself, and eventually rises to high levels of 
prominence.

Here's a quick list of the relevant anecdotes, pro & con, that I can 
think of at the moment:

Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card bio mentions he works with Nicholas 
Flamel, BUT that could be just the cover story he's created.

Dumbledore battled Grindewald in 1945, this and other anecdotes show 
he's quite old, BUT he could have simply sampled the fruits of Nick's 
potions obtained with the Sorceror's Stone

Hagrid slips up a lot in SS, but never slips about DD being Nick BUT 
it is extremely likely DD is very clever about hiding that fact from 
*everybody*. I doubt anyone would be old enough to know.

In Hermione's book, it talks about how Nicholas Flamel & his wife 
Pernelle live a quiet life in Devon, BUT the book is described 
as "very old." The quiet life bit corroborates Nick going into hiding 
before re-emerging as DD, and the "very old" bit shows that Nick may 
no longer even be in Devon anymore! He is definitely not mentioned in 
Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry.

At the end of SS, DD talks about the stone. "As much money and life 
as you could want!" Now, reflect back to the Mirror of Erised. DD 
says he only sees himself holding a pair of wool socks (which I see 
as him being silly, not really meaning it). So if he doesn't really 
have those desires, if he really has everything he wants, then isn't 
it likely he can have as much gold as he wants, and is immortal? 
Taking a cue from the Elves in the Lord of the Rings, nothing 
eliminates desire like being immortal -- there's simply all the time 
in the world to do whatever you want to do, kind of takes the fun out 
of it.

He does talk about how Nick & Pernelle will die, AND he does seem 
older to Harry at the end of GoF, BUT that was a very traumatic book, 
so it would only make sense to look older, no matter who you are.

Finally (just because I'm tired of typing), many times in the four 
books it is insinuated that DD knows many of the "ancient magics". 
Well, he bloody well should if he's Nicholas Flamel!

Anyway, do you agree? Are there holes in my theory? Let me know!

Cheers!

A Barkeep in Diagon Alley