Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

"*I know nothing of the secrets of death, Harry, for I chose my feeble imitation of life instead.*"
— Sir Nick in *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*
**Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington**, or **Nearly Headless Nick**, was a character in the *Harry Potter book series*.

Nick was a wizard of the royal court who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was executed by an improper decapitation after he had a spell mishap with Lady Grieve, in which she grew a tusk. He then became the Gryffindor ghost at Hogwarts Castle.

## Biography

### Early life

Nicholas was born in the 15th century to the noble Mimsy-Porpington family. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Gryffindor house.

One day, Nicholas was strolling in the park when he met Lady Grieve. She thought he had the ability to straighten her teeth. However, the spell did not work the way he intended and she grew a tusk. Nicholas was upset and planned to fix it, but his execution was ordered. He spoke to a priest the morning of and was a wreck when he was about to be beheaded. However, the first swing did not kill him so the axe struck his neck forty-five times until he was dead. Even so, his head was still not completely severed and was held on with sinew. He was executed on 30 October 1492.

#### Philosopher's Stone

"*I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.*"
— Sir Nick's introduction in *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*

In 1991, Nicholas watched Harry Potter get sorted into Gryffindor. He patted Harry on the shoulder which immediately made him feel ice-cold. He later watched Harry eat steak, telling him it looked nice and he wished he could eat one. When he introduced himself, Ronald Weasley pointed out he was Nearly Headless Nick. He tried to tell Ron he preferred the name Nicholas but Seamus Finnigan interrupted him and asked how he could only be "nearly headless". He showed everyone his partially detached head and was very happy with their stunned looks. He told the new students that he hoped they would help them win the House Championship that year, because Slytherin had won the cup six years in a row and the Bloody Baron was getting increasingly annoying. Seamus asked why the Bloody Baron was covered in blood but Nicholas told him he had never asked.

#### Chamber of Secrets

"*Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.*"
— Sir Nick to Harry in *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*

In 1992, Nicholas sent an application to join the Headless Hunt. They declined it because he only partially headless. Harry found him in despair reading the letter and Nicholas ranted about how crazy he thought "Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore" was for thinking he was not good enough. They were interrupted by Mrs Norris who left to find Filch and Nicholas told Harry he better hurry up and go before Filch saw him, because he was dirty but it was too late and he was caught. Harry waved to Nicholas when he was taken.

Nicholas helped Harry escape Filch by having a vanishing cabinet thrown at Filch's office. Harry thanked him because it caused Filch to let Harry leave with punishing him. Nicholas asked Harry to attended his five-hundredth Deathday Party. Harry did not want to go but he agreed to it to cheer Nicholas up. Nicholas was very happy that the famous Harry Potter was going to attend and asked him to speak to Sir Patrick to put in a good word. Harry told him he would and Nicholas beamed.

At the party, Nicholas welcomed guests at the door and spoke to everyone. It was dull and dreary, He looked bitter when Sir Patrick and the Headless Hunt showed up and stole the attention of the guests. He wanted to give a speech but he was interrupted by the Headless Hunt playing Head Hockey. Harry, Ron and Hermione then left the party.

In December, Nicholas was in a corridor when he saw a Basilisk. Even though he looked into the eyes of the Serpent of Slytherin, he could not die again so he was Petrified instead. Justin Finch-Fletchley then saw the Basilisk through Nicholas. Even though it Petrfied him, viewing it through Nicholas probably saved his life since he did not look directly at it. Harry found them and Professor McGonagall had Ernie Macmillan use a fan to take the ghost upstairs.

In May, he was revived by a Mandrake Restorative Draught.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 8
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 7
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 If a teacher is head of a house, can we assume that they were sorted into those houses when they were students at Hogwarts? Is that also true for the house ghosts? So was Snape a Slytherin? at jkrowling.com
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 11
5. ↑ Section: Extra Stuff, Nearly Headless Nick at jkrowling.com
6. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 11
7. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 18