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S­ir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, known after his death as Nearly Headless Nick, was a wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he was sorted into Gryffindor House. As an adult, Sir Nicholas was a member of the royal court. He was executed by a poorly performed decapitation, thus his alias is Nearly Headless Nick. Since his death, he has become the resident ghost of Gryffindor tower.

Not much is known about Sir Nicholas’s childhood. We do know that he lived in the fifteenth century and was born of noble blood in the British Isles. When he turned eleven he received his Hogwarts acceptance letter and, although it is unknown what subjects he excelled in, was apparently not gifted in Transfiguration. After graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he was openly associated with Muggles. He was a knight and a courtier at King Henry VII’s royal court.

Sir Nicholas met Lady Grieve one evening while strolling through the park. She was confident that he would be able to fix her crooked teeth, however when he attempted to do so the spell backfired, causing her to grow a tusk. Following this incident, Sir Nicholas was taken into custody and sentenced to death as a result of this mistake. Before being thrown in the dungeon, his wand was taken from him. This prevented him from being able to magically free himself, and he spent the night crying out that he could fix Lady Grieve’s teeth if only he could have his wand back.

He was escorted to the execution site by a priest who had come to comfort him. However, the executioner’s axe was dull and thus, it took forty-five strokes to kill Sir Nicholas, and his head was only partially severed. Sir Nicholas chose to stay behind as a ghost rather than “go on” due to his fear of death. He became the resident ghost and is always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction when late for class.

Sir Nicholas’s portrait is located on the third floor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Painted in 1490 by an unknown wizard, it depicts Sir Nicholas as an elderly gentleman with white hair. His posture speaks of his pride for being a knight and serving others. If any student fancies a chat with him, he is always willing to lend an ear and give helpful tips whether it is in relation to life or lessons. Please do not ask him for help in Transfiguration, as his willingness to help overshadows his lack of knowledge in the subject.