Nearly Tailless Nutmeg

Nearly Tailless Nutmeg

Hello. My name is Nearly Tailless Nutmeg. I am a rat who is Nearly Headless Nick's pet. This is the story about me becoming nearly tailless and why Nearly Headless Nick adopted me.

"Hello, my name is Argus Filch. I am here to apply for the job of the caretaker of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," said Argus Filch, his face twisted into a forced smile.

"Come right in," said Dumbledore, as he ushered him into his office.

"The reason I have come here is because I need work. I want to work in the wizarding world, even though I am a squib," he said. He sounded rather strained as he said it, as if he didn't like to give out this information.

"You sound like just the man for the job!" exclaimed Dumbledore happily. He had to give this poor man a job.

"Thank you so much, sir," he said gratefully. Dumbledore could see in his eyes that he really meant it.

"You can start today. Your job is to keep the halls free of mess and muck," he told Filch, as was know what he would be called from now on.

It was two years after he had gotten the job. He had made a reputation for himself by yelling at young children for making a mess. Also, he had started a never-ending battle against us rodents. It was this faithful day that I became Nearly Tailless Nutmeg and I met my best friend.

"Come back here you filthy little rat!" screamed Filch, now in hot pursuit of me.

"Like I would wait for you," I squeaked, although I knew he couldn't understand me. Suddenly I found Mrs. Norris barring my path.

"Leave him to me my sweet," he called to his foul cat, "I want to finish him off myself," he added gleefully. He stepped on my tail to keep me in place. I started to try to sprint away and it worked- but my tail was pulled off, just a little bit. It was hanging on by a little bit a skin. As I was running away from Filch and his revolting cat, I ran through something transparent. It felt like ice. I looked up. It was a ghost.

"Why hello there little fellow. What happened to your tail?" he chuckled to himself, "You're kinda like me little fellow, your tail hanging on by a thread," he said to me. He picked me up.

"I'm going to take you home with me little guy," he said. He took me back to his room. He lit a fire in the grate.

"Now, I need a name for you," he said. He examined me carefully, "How about Nearly Tailless Nutmeg!" I curled up by the fire. I knew that this would become my new home.

Disclaimer: It's kinda strange, but I like it. All of the characters in this story, except Nearly Tailless Nutmeg, belong to J. K. Rowling.