When it comes to theHarry Potterfranchise, few characters are quite as interesting as the many ghosts that roam the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They are seen quite often throughout the manyHarry Potterfilms, and they even play a larger role in the books, but little information is provided to those who don’t go digging for it.
Usually being fine and ordinary people,the Hogwarts ghostsare friendly enough to the many students they encounter each and every year. There are countless ghosts haunting Hogwarts, and while there are other notable figures like Moaning Myrtle, few ghosts are as instantly recognizable and creatively named as Nearly Headless Nick.
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Was Nearly Headless Nick A Wizard?
Long before Nearly Headless Nick was nearly headless, he was a young wizard who lived during the fifteenth century. His true name is Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington and he grew up as a particularly unremarkable wizard. Hailing from the British Isles, little is known about his youth, but what is known is the fact that he did end up receiving an invitation to go study at Hogwarts.
During his time there,Nick was eventually sorted into Gryffindor, but he never did anything of note while at the school. Much of his fame came afterward, as Nick was rather famous in the world of muggles. At some point, Nick garnered so much fame and favor that he was knighted by King Henry the Seventh. Unfortunately for him, that fame would only go so far, and soon, the life of a ghost would be the remainder of his existence.
How Did Nearly Headless Nick Die?
Just about every time Nearly Headless Nick pops up in theHarry Potterseries, he’s a delight, which makes the dark circumstances surrounding his death a bit of a shock. Back in 1492, Nick took it upon himself to help a young woman with her crooked teeth. Sincecharms weren’t Nick’s area of expertise, his spell was a bit of a misfire, causing the woman to grow a tusk instead of heaving her teeth straightened. Unfortunately for Nick, that young woman happened to have the title of lady, giving her some level of importance in the era. This resulted in Nick’s capture by the authorities, and shortly after, he was then sentenced to death for his magical crime.
Any wizard who’d attended Hogwarts would have been able to escape from a simple jail cell, but for whatever reason, those that had imprisoned Nick had also taken his wand, leaving him hopeless. With no way to escape and no way to fix his failed spell on Lady Grieve, he was left to face his execution, something that was to be carried out by ax. Unfortunately, his death would be anything but quick and painless.
Someone wasn’t too keen on the upkeep of the execution axes, leading to a particularly dull blade on the day of Nick’s execution. Thanks to that dull blade, the executioner would strike Nick over forty times, and would still fail to lop off his head, hence the Nearly Headless moniker. That would serve as the sad and brutal end ofwhat was now Nearly Headless Nick.
How Did Nearly Headless Nick Become A Ghost?
The process of becoming a ghost in the wizarding world seems to be a fairly common process across ghostly media. Upon death, a person refuses to move on to whatever afterlife awaits them because they have something that is keeping them tethered to the mortal world. That thing that keeps them there can be something as complex as unfinished business or as simple as a fear of being dead.
While there are ghosts who end up regretting their decision to become a ghost, Nearly Headless Nick doesn’t seem to share that thinking entirely. He may have his moments where he wonders whether or not allowing himself to move on was a good idea,Nick was simply scared of being dead. His will to continue existing in the mortal realm is the very thing that allowed him to remain as a ghost, and luckily, Nearly Headless Nick would soon find the perfect place to call home Hogwarts.
Why Does Nearly Headless Nick Haunt Hogwarts?
There really isn’t one particular reason why Nearly Headless Nick haunts Hogwarts. The school is a safe haven for all manner of magical beings, and it probably wouldn’t be the safest thing to have ghosts wandering around haunting witches, wizards, and muggles alike. Nick eventually found himself at Hogwarts and took residence in Gryffindor Tower. Considering Nick was always a kind and helpful ghost to just about any student he came across, it’s hard to see anyone minding all that much that he was there.
The school clearly appreciated having Nick there based on the fact that they created a bust of him that was then put on display. It seems that much of Nick’s existence within Hogwarts is solely dedicated to helping the various students with whatever they need, and that is especially true for the newer students. He also seems to be particularly fond of those in Gryffindor, likely because it was his own house, as he often speaks with and shares the successes of those in the house, namely Harry Potter.
Nearly Headless Nick helped Harry Potter out on a number of occasions throughout his years at the school and even went as far as to invite the boy and his friends to his Deathday party. He was always available to provide insight into the life of a ghost, even if it involved something a student might not want to hear. A big part of the ghost’s afterlives in Hogwarts seems to be as additional entertainment for the students of Hogwarts, as Nick once put on a reenactment of his death for the many students of the school.
While he may just be a ghost, it’s important to acknowledge that, at least in the novels, Nearly Headless Nick was crucial in the defeat of Voldemort. He provided Harry with vital information that led to the destruction ofyet another of Voldemort’s Horcruxes, making Nearly Headless Nick one of the most important ghosts in the wizarding world.
