Nearly Headless Nick is a well-known ghost that roams the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Having been executed by muggles, Nearly Headless Nick was only partially beheaded, which resulted in his "nearly headless" name and his remaining on the grounds of Hogwarts as a sort of permanent resident. Aside from being one of the regulars when it comes to Hogwarts' ghosts, Nick is also the centerpiece for the Gryffindor House exclusive side quest.
Students in Hogwarts Legacy will probably encounter Nick roaming the halls, sporting a ruff to keep his partially severed head on top of his neck. The character was also portrayed in live action Harry Potter movies by legendary comedian John Cleese, and in the game he's voiced by British actor Jason Anthony. Nearly Headless Nick is one of the staple ghostly personalities that players might be surprised by at any point while in the school.
The Deal With Nearly Headless Nick
Nearly Headless Nick, who prefers the moniker Sir Nicholas, is a ghost that has inhabited Hogwarts Castle for at least four-hundred years. The reason he did not pass into the afterlife when he died is mostly because his fear of death prevented him from doing so. In life, Nick was a Gryffindor student and, as an adult wizard, he became a member of the royal court at Hogwarts. One day, Lady Grieve, a muggle that new of Nick's magical abilities, asked him to straighten her teeth with a spell. Instead of straightening her teeth, Nick accidentally caused her to grow tusks out of her mouth.
Before he could have the chance to attempt to fix her teeth, the muggles seized and sentenced Nick to death. Without his wand, Nick was defenseless against the muggles and was indeed executed. However, his execution did not go smoothly as it took 45 hacks of a blunt axe to finish him off and his head was still not completely detached. Thus, the name Nearly Headless Nick was born, and his ghost was to afterward remain at Hogwarts indefinitely.
Nearly Headless Nick & Hogwarts
Being a Gryffindor, Nearly Headless Nick has always shown a preference and a kindness towards Gryffindor students particularly, though he's known for being polite, delicate, and respectful to all. In Hogwarts Legacy, each house gets an exclusive quest that only members can take part in. For Gryffindor, Nearly Headless Nick is at the center of the exclusive side quest for Gryffindor, which is called "The Hunt for the Missing Pages."
In the quest, Sir Nicholas takes players through a fun side quest where Nick tries to satiate his ghostly hunger for human food. Players will also end up meeting a hoard of headless ghosts, while trying to help Nick join their "headless" gang of friends, despite himself only being nearly headless. Otherwise, players can find Nearly Headless Nick up to silly situations throughout the castle. He's quite embarrassed of his "nearly headless" status though, so if you do run into him, try not to make too much fun of the poor old chap.