Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington
Biographical Information
Born	31 October 1400
Died	31 October 1492, 92
Blood status	Muggle-born
Also known as	Nearly Headless Nick; Sir Nicholas
Physical Information
Species	Ghost
Gender	Male
Height	Pale
Hair Colour	Grey
Education
School	Hogwarts
House	Gryffindor
Class of	1419
Character Information
Playby	John Cleese
Biography
Canon

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 Nicholas greets Gryffindor first-years in 1991

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, known after his death as Nearly Headless Nick, (d. 31 October, 1492) was a wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was Sorted into Gryffindor House. He was a wizard of the royal court as an adult. He was executed by an improper decapitation, after he had a magical mishap with Lady Grieve , in which he tried to straighten her teeth but it backfired and she grew tusks. Since then, he is the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower at the Hogwarts Castle.

Page adapted from Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at the Harry Potter Lexicon.

Biography

Early life

Little is known about Sir Nicholas's childhood. He lived in the fifteenth century and was born into the noble Mimsy-Porpington family somewhere in the British Isles.

When he turned eleven, Nicholas attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he was Sorted into Gryffindor. It is unknown at which subjects he excelled in, but he was apparently poor at Transfiguration.

In his adulthood, Sir Nicholas openly associated with Muggles. He was knighted and was a courtier at King Henry VII's royal court.

Execution

It was a mistake any wizard could make / Who was tired and caught on the hop / One piffling error, and then, to my terror, / I found myself facing the chop.

— The Ballad of Nearly Headless Nick relaying Sir Nicholas's death

Sir Nicholas met Lady Grieve while strolling in the park on the evening of 30 October, 1492. She was certain he could straighten her crooked teeth, but his attempt to do so backfired, causing her to grow a tusk.

Sir Nicholas was immediately taken into custody and sentenced to death as a result of this mistake. Before being locked in a dungeon, his wand was taken from him, thus preventing him from using magic to escape. Throughout the night he cried that he would soon undo the damage done to Lady Grieve.

A priest came to Sir Nicholas's cell to comfort him and escort him to the execution site at dawn the following day. He became a "gibbering wreck" when the executioner told him to kneel before the block. However, the executioner's axe was blunt, as the grindstone used to sharpen it had been misplaced. Thus, it took forty-five hacks to kill Sir Nicholas, and even then his head was only partially severed.

Post-mortem

I was afraid of death. I chose to remain behind. I sometimes wonder whether I oughtn't to have… well, that is neither here nor there… in fact, I am neither here nor there… I know nothing of the secrets of death, Harry, for I chose my feeble imitation of life instead.

—Sir Nicholas tells Harry Potter of how he chose to remain among the living after his death

Sir Nicholas chose to linger as a ghost rather than "go on", because, by his own admission, he feared death. He became the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "Nearly Headless Nick", as he was called by the majority of the student body, was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction when late to class.

Physical appearance

As a ghost, Sir Nicholas was pearly-white and slightly transparent. He had long curly hair. He would usually sport a ruff, which would ensure his partially severed head stayed in place, as well as tights, a pair of breeches, a doublet or, occasionally, a tunic. He had a preference for extravagant plumed hats. He also sported a small moustache and goatee. He carried himself in a prim fashion and spoke in an airy, delicate tone.

Personality and traits

Sir Nicholas is affable, kind, and always willing to lend a hand to Harry and other fellow Gryffindors whenever they need it. Nicholas apparently enjoyed eating during his lifetime, as after his death he spent the feasts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looking wistfully at the food. Sir Nicholas was polite and delicate, staying away from potentially indiscreet questions and sensible about the fact that he was no longer living. Nicholas showed interest in the lives of the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and took delight in showing off his wound to the dismay of those around him. He was very proud about his bravery and noble heritage, getting easily offended if anyone referred to him as a coward. He was very sociable, being friends with the Grey Lady, Harry Potter, and a number of other ghosts who attended his five-hundredth Deathday Party. He also had a cordial relationship with the Bloody Baron and Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.