Nearly Headless Nick's last meal (was: Character Summary: RENEPEP's

[Rita Winston]

No: HPFGUIDX 1463

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Kelley " <SKTHOMPSON_1 at m...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Warmsley" <warmsley at b...> wrote:
> > >Nearly Headless Nick have a his 500th deathday party in CoS
> > > after telling Harry he hasn't eaten in nearly 400 years in PS? 
> > 
> > Perhaps he lived to a very old age?

> I can't imagine how this could be a clue for later...

As he had his 500th deathday party in Book 2, than he had been dead 
for 499 years in Book 1. If he was 499 years old and last ate food 
400 years ago, he last ate food when he had been dead for 99 years. 
I've always thought it was an auctorial error: she meant to have 
written that he said he hadn't eaten in 500 years (a slight, 
excusable round-off upwards exageration), so I never before wondered 
how it could be a clue for later. Now speculation: is there a way a 
ghost can get his body back for 24 hours, and Nick did so when he was 
99 years dead?

If he was 499 years old and last ate food 400 years ago, he last ate 
food when he had been dead for 99 years. What would that have to do 
with whether he lived to be 40, 100, or 599 years old BEFORE he died?