Nearly Headless Nick: The students' nickname for Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington.
Nettles, Madam Z., of Topsham: A witch quoted by the Kwikspell ad copy.
nettle wine: Believe it or not, somebody out there actually makes this...
Neville Longbottom: Etym: From a two French towns of the same name, or an Anglicized form of Ó Niadh, from a name meaning "warrior". The name of various earls; also the first Lord Latimer of the village of Snape. The Battle of Neville's Cross, October 17, 1346, was a notable English victory over the Scots, who were allied with France against the English.
Etym: From Old English neowe "new" + tun "enclosure, settlement".
Nicholas Flamel: Etym: See below.
Etym: St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra circa 300, is the patron saint of sailors, pawnbrokers, wolves, and scholars, especially schoolboys.
Nimbus Two Thousand: The (once) most advanced broom yet created by modern magical technology.
Nimbus Two Thousand and One: The new most advanced broom yet created by modern magical technology.
Norbert: A Norwegian Ridgeback hatched by Hagrid, raised in secret to the age of a month or two, then spirited away to Romania to finish growing up in the wild and probably enter a lifetime of psychotherapy.
Etym: St. Norbert of Xanten (1080-1134), was the founder of the Premonstratensians (or Norbertines, or White Canons), a monk-like order.
Norfolk: A rather flat, boring sector of England, I am told. I can't even find a decent Web site on it...
Norris, Mrs.: Filch's cat and assistant in spotting trespassers.
Etym: Named for a sneaky, spiteful character in the Jane Austen novel Mansfield Park.
Norwegian Ridgeback: A species of dragon, sporting mildly poisonous fangs in addition to the usual features. Its eggs are large and black.
Notable Magical Names of Our Time: A book in the Hogwarts libary.
Nott (PS ch. 7): A student in the same year as Harry. House unknown.
Etym: From a Middle English nickname meaning "bald".