Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, more commonly known as Nearly Headless Nick, is the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He serves as a friendly, if somewhat dramatic, figure for Gryffindor students, particularly Harry Potter and his friends. Having lived in the 15th century and died from a botched execution, his semi-decapitated state is a source of both personal melancholy and a recurring plot point. His most significant roles in the series include hosting his 500th Deathday Party, which leads Harry to discover the Basilisk, and later explaining the nature of ghosts and death to a grieving Harry after the loss of his godfather, Sirius Black.

Sir Nicholas was a wizard from the 15th century. In life, he was associated with the royal court. On the evening of 30 October 1492, he encountered a lady-in-waiting named Lady Grieve, and in an attempt to magically straighten her crooked teeth, he accidentally caused her to grow a tusk. For this magical mishap, he was stripped of his wand and sentenced to death (J.K. Rowling). His execution took place on 31 October 1492. The executioner used a blunt axe, and after forty-five hacks, Sir Nicholas's head was still not fully severed, leaving it attached by a half-inch of skin and sinew. Fearing death, he chose to remain on earth as a ghost, becoming an “imprint” of his living self. As the resident ghost of Gryffindor, Sir Nicholas spent the next five centuries at Hogwarts.

• In 1991, he attended the Start-of-Term Feast and welcomed new students, including Harry Potter, to Gryffindor House.
• In 1992, he celebrated his 500th Deathday with a large party in one of the school's dungeons. He invited hundreds of ghosts from around Britain. Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger attended, and it was on their way from this party that they first heard the Basilisk moving through the castle walls. Later that year, Nick himself became a victim of the Basilisk, whose direct gaze would kill but whose indirect gaze would cause Petrification. As a ghost, Nick could not die again, but he was left Petrified—immobile, pearly-white, and smoking—until he was revived by a Mandrake Restorative Draught.
• In 1996, following the death of Sirius Black, a distraught Harry sought out Nick, hoping Sirius might return as a ghost. Nick provided a somber and compassionate explanation, stating that very few wizards choose to return, usually out of fear or because of unfinished business. He assured Harry that a brave man like Sirius would have “gone on.”
• In 1998, during the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry asked Nick for the location of Helena Ravenclaw, the ghost of Ravenclaw House, as he needed to find Ravenclaw's Diadem. Though initially hesitant to help a Gryffindor find a Ravenclaw relic, he ultimately pointed Harry in the right direction.

As a ghost, Sir Nicholas is pearly-white and transparent. He typically dresses in the fashion of his time, wearing a doublet, breeches, and a distinctive ruff around his neck which helps to hide his gruesome injury. He is also known to wear a plumed hat. His most notable feature is his head, which lolls precariously on his left shoulder, connected by a small strip of flesh. He can pull his head away from his neck to demonstrate his “nearly headless” state to shocked onlookers. Nick is generally a cheerful, affable, and welcoming ghost. He is proud of his association with Gryffindor and is always willing to help students from his House. However, he can be rather pompous and theatrical, insisting on being called “Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington.” He is extremely sensitive about his condition, as his inability to fully detach his head prevents him from joining the prestigious Headless Hunt, a group of fully decapitated ghosts. This is a major source of sorrow and embarrassment for him. Despite his flamboyance, he possesses a deep well of empathy, which he shows when comforting Harry Potter about the finality of death.

As a ghost, Sir Nicholas possesses the standard abilities of a spectral being. He can float, fly, and pass through solid objects like walls and tables. He cannot physically touch or move solid objects. He is immune to physical harm and cannot die again, but powerful Dark Magic can still affect him, as demonstrated when he was Petrified by the Basilisk. In life, he was a wizard, though his magical skill was questionable, given the disastrous tooth-fixing spell that led to his execution (J.K. Rowling).

As a ghost, Sir Nicholas does not have physical possessions. The clothes he wears—his ruff, doublet, and plumed hat—are part of his spiritual form, an imprint of the attire he wore at the time of his death.

• Harry Potter: Nick was one of the first magical beings Harry befriended at Hogwarts and acted as a friendly guide. Harry showed him kindness by attending his Deathday Party, and Nick, in turn, offered Harry profound comfort and wisdom regarding the nature of death.
• The Headless Hunt: Nick desperately wishes to be a member of this society of headless ghosts, led by Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore. However, he is consistently rejected because his head is not fully detached, a fact Sir Patrick and the others enjoy reminding him of.
• The Bloody Baron: Like most Hogwarts residents, Nick is terrified of the Slytherin House ghost, The Bloody Baron, and avoids him whenever possible.
• Peeves: Nick has a difficult relationship with the poltergeist Peeves, who often mocks him about his “nearly headless” state and causes general mayhem that Nick cannot control.
• The Grey Lady: Nick knows Helena Ravenclaw and respects her privacy, showing reluctance to bother her on Harry's behalf during the Battle of Hogwarts.

• Nicholas: A traditional English name of Greek origin meaning “victory of the people.” Its usage gives the character a classic, slightly aristocratic feel.
• de Mimsy-Porpington: This surname is comically aristocratic and whimsical. “Mimsy” is a word invented by Lewis Carroll for his poem “Jabberwocky,” defined as a portmanteau of “flimsy” and “miserable.” This perfectly describes Nick's delicate, semi-attached head and his perpetual sorrow over his condition. “Porpington” has no clear meaning but adds to the foppish, high-society sound of the name.
• Nearly Headless Nick: A descriptive and memorable nickname that clearly communicates his defining physical trait and the core of his personal tragedy.

• In the film adaptations, Sir Nicholas is portrayed by actor John Cleese in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. His significant role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, where he explains the nature of ghosts to Harry, was cut from the film.
• J.K. Rowling wrote “The Ballad of Nearly Headless Nick,” a song that detailed his backstory and the events leading to his execution. While it was cut from the final draft of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the author later released its full text on her website (Pottermore).
• In the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets video game, Nick's Deathday Party is a major level where the player must complete several tasks for the party guests (video game).