Nearly Headless Nick

One of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter book series is one of the ghosts at Hogwarts, Nearly Headless Nick. I am grateful for this charming character, for several reasons:

• His full name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, which I think is a rather charming and classy name. 
• I discovered today that this "nick"-name could be an intentional pun. Sir Nicholas died from more than a few "nicks" and cuts from a blunt ax. J. K. Rowling, you are a clever one. 
• For those who are interested in exactly when the events of the Harry Potter books take place, we have Sir Nicholas' 500th Deathday Party (in the second Harry Potter book) to be grateful for. The party took place during Harry's second school year on Halloween 1992. Since Harry turned eleven the previous year (first book), and turned twelve in 1992, he was born on July 31, 1980. This also means that Nearly Headless Nick died on Halloween 1492, a notable year for humanity. Thanks for the party, Nick! 
•  Sir Nicholas is a kind friend to Harry, giving as much assistance as a friendly ghost can, as well as celebrating his successes and reacting sensitively to his losses. All in all, Nick is a rather likeable side character in the Harry Potter series. 

I can be a bit of a nerd when it comes to my favorite fiction characters. I am grateful for Nearly Headless Nick, but I suppose that really means I'm grateful for J. K. Rowling's imagination and writing. In any case, it can all give us an excuse to celebrate something today, right?

Happy 35th birthday Harry Potter!