Nicolas Flamel

**Nicolas Flamel** was a character in *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*.

He was a well-known alchemist and only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone which granted the owner exceptional powers, enabling him to make the Elixir of Life that extended the life of Nicolas and wife Perenelle Flamel by centuries. He was a good friend of Albus Dumbledore who he granted the Stone in order to keep Voldemort from taking it.

## Biography

### Early years

Nicolas was born before 1336. He was a very skilled and successful alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone. It could transform metal into gold and produce the Elixir of Life that extended the lifespan of the drinker far beyond a natural life.

### Philosopher's Stone

Nicolas spent a very long time living a quiet life in Devon. He loved going to the opera and he was a good friend and alchemy partner of Albus Dumbledore. In 1991, Dumbledore suspected that Voldemort, who was living a bodiless half-life, was going to try and steal the Philosopher's Stone to create a new body. Nicolas gave Dumbledore the Stone for safe-keeping and he kept it in Gringotts until he built defences at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In June 1992, Voldemort nearly managed to steal the Stone but Harry Potter intervened. Nicolas gave Dumbledore permission to destroy the Stone in case Voldemort attempted a second time to get it. Nicolas made enough batches of the Elixir of Life to give him and Perenelle enoigh time to get their affairs in order. They passed away before to July 1996. Dumbledore thought it would feel like going to sleep after a very, very long day.

## Trivia

* Nicolas Flamel was one of the only characters that J.K. Rowling based on a true person. Nicolas (who was born in 1330) was purported in legend to have created the Philosopher's Stone but the claim has no historical proof. He died in 1418 but people have claimed they've seen him over the centuries.
* In an early draft of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Harry Potter says that Nicolas was seen in an opera house in 1762.
* Nicolas Flamel was the name of a chapter in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
* He was mentioned in Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 In *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 13 that was set in 1992, Hermione Granger found a book that said that Nicolas turned 665 years old a year prior to the book's publication. 1992 subtracted by 665 is 1336. It's unknown when that book was published but it was called an "old book". Nicolas was based on a real person who was born 1330.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 On her website during the build-up to the publication of *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Rowling wrote that Nicolas had "now died" by the start of the book which is July.
3. ↑ If Nicolas was born before 1336 (according to *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 13), then he was older than 655 at the time of death.
4. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 6
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 13
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 17
7. ↑ View this image