Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

Nearly Headless Nick
Nearly Headless Nick (died October 31, 1492) is the nickname of the Gryffindor ghost (actually named Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington) whose neck was almost completely severed in life, but not enough to join in the games of the Headless Hunt, a society of ghosts who had been decapitated on earth (a source of annual vexation to the ghost). Harry Potter becomes friends with Sir Nicholas when he attends his "deathday" party (the 500th anniversary of the event) in a Hogwarts dungeon.

The word mimsy is borrowed from Jabberwocky, where it is explained by Humpty Dumpty to be a portmanteau of flimsy and miserable (which quite fits with the character). Porpington is likely a portmanteau of Orpington and Perpignan.

In the movie versions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Sir Nicholas is played by John Cleese.

External link

 * Extra information about Nearly Headless Nick from J.K. Rowling