What Is a Ghost?

A ghost is a manifestation of the soul of a formerly living person. The Ministry of Magic has classified ghosts as spirits, in line with creatures such as Apparitions; Banshees; Gytrashes; and, to a lesser degree, Caiporas. Ghosts are capable of free-thinking and experience the characteristics of their former selves, including thought, emotion, and other sophisticated senses. Ghosts do not experience physical feeling and only manifest as pearlescent, translucent versions of their former selves.

Muggles are unable to become ghosts, and it is not a sign of honor to become a ghost after life: those who have "unfinished business" either in way of fear, guilt, regrets, or attachment to life become ghosts, and many regret their decisions as they know no afterlife and cannot experience the same quality of life they once could.

Ghosts are weightless, able to phase through physical matter and float around at will. Oftentimes, they gravitate around certain areas, and over time will secrete an ectoplasmic cast on everything they phase through. When passing through living creatures, they give an impression of being dunked in icy cold water. Ghosts have the ability to almost taste food, known as phantom sensing, and thus have an affinity for rotten, putrid food.

The relationship between ghost and the locations where they have passed is extremely personal. Some ghosts are terrified of death, but others have an extremely strong connection with the places they passed in and frequent those locations. Ghosts celebrate their Deathdays in somber fashion, and it is considered very rude for one ghost to inquiry another about how they passed.

BOO! Meeting the Hogwarts Ghosts

Hogwarts is home to many, many ghosts; young and old. Below they are catalogued based upon the historical period in Europe they died during.

Middle Ages

Helena Ravenclaw (The Grey Lady) | D. 1000
Helena Ravenclaw is the house ghost of Ravenclaw, and a direct descendent of the founder of Ravenclaw house, Rowena Ravenclaw. Known as the Grey Lady by the students of Hogwarts, Helena is the least talkative of the house ghosts and can often be found floating the halls surrounding the Astronomy tower. She has a short fuse and is impatient with questions, only conversing with certain and specific students. When her mother fell ill, Helena stole her diadem and ran off to Albania. Knocking on death's doorstep and lonely, Rowena sent Orvyn Beckett (better known as the Bloody Baron) to fetch Helena. Orvyn harbored unrequited feelings for Helena, and she died after being murdered in his fit of rage.

Sir Orvyn Beckett (The Bloody Baron) | D. 1000
The Slytherin house ghost, Orvyn Beckett, lived a life filled with privilege and lavish treasures. The Beckett family was close to the Ravenclaw family, and, when Rowena Ravenclaw was on her deathbed, Orvyn was sent to fetch her daughter from Albania. Under the impression that Helena Ravenclaw had always loved him, since their school days, Orvyn attempted to confess his love for her. Known for his volatile nature, Orvyn was outraged when Helena did not reciprocate and murdered her. After the fact, still covered in Helena's blood, he committed suicide out of remorse for his actions. Now, he wanders the Hogwarts halls still doused in blood, thus contributing to his alias, the Bloody Baron. Orvyn Beckett is not truly a baron.

Dane Hayden (The Fat Friar) | D. 1407
By far the kindest of the house ghosts, Dane Hayden embraces his title as the Fat Friar with open arms. Dane was a Franciscan friar at the height of the smallpox epidemic, and practiced his magic flippantly around muggles. He cured the pox by poking peasants with sticks and pulled rabbits out of the communion cup, a practice that did not gain him any favor with senior churchmen. He was executed due to his suspicious activities, and openly disdains the fact that he did not become a cardinal before death. The Fat Friar enjoys conversing with students and is one of Peeves' only defenders.

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (Nearly Headless Nick) | D. 1492
Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, known (to his chagrin) as Nearly Headless Nick, is the ghost of a former member of Henry VII's court. For a perceived slight against Henry, Nicholas was beheaded. However, the executioner did a rather poor job: Nick's head was hanging on by a thin portion of muscle and sinew, and Nick is able to pull his head partially off. Nick is the house ghost of Gryffindor and is quite friendly with students, though he can come off as quite snobby. He tends to have a heightened opinion of himself, considering his achievements in life to be grander than they truly were.

Early Modern Period

Wauter the Selfish | D. 1455
One of the rudest ghosts at Hogwarts is, without a doubt, the dreaded Wauter the Selfish. Wauter is a former knight, killed in battle by way of arrow. In life, Wauter was known in his cavalry as one of the most selfish individuals many of them had ever known. His time at Hogwarts, since death, has been worse. Appearance-wise, Wauter has an arrow sticking out of his forehead, and students should be careful not to halt too long next to him, lest he begin berating them with tales of triumph in battle. It is likely that he wasn't good enough to actually have performed the feats he boasts about.

Long Nineteenth Century

Headmaster Amrose Swott | D. 1724
Amrose Swott is a former headmaster of Hogwarts, and can often be seen roaming the halls before the headmaster's office. He is very wise, as his former profession might suggest, but speaks in an odd, roundabout way that confuses those who he chooses to "teach". It's considered best to avoid him for fear of falling victim to irritating lectures.

Edgar Cloggs | D. 1843
Edgar Cloggs is a former Quidditch player who is found most frequently on the Quidditch Pitch. He died after an accident, falling from his broom during a practice. He went to the game the next day as normal, believing the accident to have just injured him, and was horrified to realize that he had actually died and was not actually eligible for being a member of the team in his current state. Now, Edgar gives unprompted Quidditch advice.

Professor Cuthbert Binns | D. 1886
Professor Cuthbert Binns is the former professor of History of Magic, and, to this day, the only professor who has ever been a ghost. It is said that Professor Binns passed away while sleeping in the staff lounge and simply floated to class the next morning. He continued teaching for over a hundred years, before his retirement. He currently spends most of his time in the staff lounge, talking about Goblin Rebellions to anyone who will listen. In the time he taught, many students would tell you that despite his being a ghost, he was the most boring professor of all time.

First, Interwar Period, Second World War

Carolyn Tintwhistle | D. 1922
An inquisitive ghost, Carolyn boasted an impressive career as a private investigator in her life. She was quite clever, and still is, and can be quite handy when it comes to searching for lost things. Chatty, however, Carolyn is easily distracted and gets off topic frequently. She died after being poisoned, and it's been one of her life (or death) goals to discover the one who poisoned her ever since. Carolyn is a frequent visitor of Hogsmeade.

Lorna Shaw (Lethal Lorna) | D. 1940
One of the most dreaded ghosts of Hogwarts is Lorna Shaw, who has acquired the flattering nickname 'Lethal Lorna' in her time haunting the school. The nickname began after tales of her human life began circulating: it was said that Lorna had murdered her husband and sister in cold blood after a fit of misplaced jealousy. It is unknown whether or not Lorna truly committed such a heinous act, but the name has come to mean something else entirely. Now, Lorna, a stickler for the rules even in life, is lethal due to her tendency to alert authority figures to rule breaks around the castle. She is easily distinguished from her companions by the extravagant, expensive clothing she died with, and the shrill voice that she uses to call for staff.

Myrtle Warren (Moaning Myrtle) | D. 1943
Myrtle is a former muggle-born Ravenclaw student who had few friends during her school years and was frequently made fun of for her thick glasses, acne, and awkward demeanor. At some point in her education, after being bullied by Olive Hornby, Myrtle escaped to the girls' bathroom to cry. After opening the door to tell an unknown being outside the stall to go away, Myrtle died--a direct result of a basilisk's stare. At the time of her death, the famed Chamber of Secrets had been opened and muggle-borns were among the targeted. Myrtle is generally unpleasant to be around, wailing and moping around the bathroom. She clogs toilets and does what she can to make the environment as unpleasant to be in as possible, earning her the nickname Moaning Myrtle.

Cold War

The Gloomy Nuns | D. 1950
The Gloomy Nuns, despite sounding like a witch rock band, are actually a gaggle of five nuns: Melanie Vargas, Camille Yoder, Rosemary O'Neal, Maeve Briggs, and Bianca Kline. The five were victims of an unfortunate fire in their convent, in which all except them managed to escape. In life, Melanie was Mother Superior of the convent, and this seems to hold true in death, as well. The other four follow Melanie and listen to her instruction. They are most often seen together, laughing and gossiping, but do enjoy time apart. Most notably, Rosemary and Bianca enjoy spending most of their time in or around the Divination classroom, attempting to read the tea leaves left behind by Divination students. Though their designation as 'The Gloomy Nuns' may suggest otherwise, the nuns are actually quite friendly and gleeful.

Alva Barriere and the Pack | D. 1990
A favorite of students, Alva Barriere and her Pack is a group of cats and their elderly owner, Alva. The circumstances of their deaths is unfortunate, for certain--a structure collapse of their small home in Sweden--but Alva and her cats are quite happy. Functioning as a de-facto grandmother to the students of Hogwarts, Alva loves to tell stories and gossip covertly. Her cats either stumble over their paws following her or perch on her shoulders and head to hitch a ride, and inhabitants of the castle can hear Alva coming from a mile away with the meows and laughter. If you're curious, the cats are named Sassy, Petra, Hopper, Bertie Bott, Garf, Taffy, Sprite, and Bowie.

Post-Cold War (Modern Day)

Bobbie Schultz and Billie Jean | D. 2002
Bobbie Schultz and Billie Jean are an interesting duo that traipse the halls of Hogwarts. Bobbie is a rowdy, adventurous man, and Billie Jean is his trusty horse. The two died in a freak accident after a tumble down the side of a mountain, and Bobbie rides Billie Jean around Hogwarts in search of adventure once more. He asks passing students for potential adventures and inquires about accompanying them on theirs, but it is likely best to try and avoid him. He's been known to instruct Billie Jean to follow students who seem "awfully adventurous".

Darcy Castillo | D. 2012
Darcy Castillo died at the height of the emo fashion trend in a bike accident at the age of nineteen. As a muggle-born student, they had strong connections to the pop culture of the time. Now, they're perpetually stuck with ripped skinny jeans, too many belts, an aggressive side bang, smudged black eyeliner, and an assortment of band bracelets. Darcy is the epitome of a moody teenager, loaded with sarcastic quips. It is rather easy to get them to open up to you, as all you need to do is ask them what music they recommend (they always, always suggest Falling In Reverse).

Ghosts vs. Poltergeists

There is a common misconception when it comes to ghosts and poltergeists. Many believe the two to be the same, but this could not be further from the truth. Rather than visible manifestations of dead people, as ghosts are, poltergeists are indestructible chaos spirits that enjoy wreaking havoc and generally ruining days. Poltergeists spend their time haunting one location at a time, and even have been known to inhabit muggle homes.

Hogwarts has one poltergeist: Peeves. Peeves is a nuisance to the castle and particularly enjoys inconveniencing late students. Any attempt to rid the castle of him has failed, such as an elaborate trap set by former caretaker Rancorous Carpe, and Peeves actually enjoys when the staff attempt to get rid of him. None of the Hogwarts ghosts particularly enjoy his company, save for the Fat Friar, who attempts to tell the others that he deserves grace.

The Ministry and Hogwarts Ghosts

In 1811, Grogan Stump created the Ministry's Spirit Division after the classification of spirits was defined as any creature that was not alive, had a spectral body, and floated. Ghosts complained that the label of "being" was not inclusive, as they were obviously "has-beens", and, thus, the Spirit Division was formed.

The Spirit Division is tasked with the containment of spirits, handling instances of hauntings and poltergeist infestations. For instance, Myrtle Warren's haunting of Olive Hornby was handled by the Spirit Division after Myrtle disrupted Olive's brother's wedding. Myrtle was sent back to her place of death, Hogwarts Castle, after the incident. When poltergeists are disrupting the lives of wizarding families, they may enlist the help of the Spirit Division for containment, though poltergeist infestations are notoriously hard to get rid of.

The Hogwarts ghosts are considered inhabitants of the castle, just like students and professors, and thus do not exist under current jurisdiction of the Spirit Division. Instead, they are allowed to freely roam Hogwarts Castle and its grounds, though if they cause disruption to neighboring areas, may be banished to specific rooms or wings.