Penelope Clearwater

Penelope "Penny" Clearwater (born c. 1976) was a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1987 to 1994. In her later school years, she was a Prefect and Percy Weasley's girlfriend. She is described as having long, curly hair.

Education at Hogwarts
Penelope Clearwater arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1987 and upon her arrival was Sorted into the House of Ravenclaw. A smart and bright student, Penelope was made a Prefect in her fifth year at Hogwarts, along with her boyfriend Percy Weasley who belonged to the house of Gryffindor.

During the 1992–1993 school year, there was great upset among the student body, as the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, unleashing a "monster" that was hunting down Muggle-born students. Hermione Granger deduced that it was a basilisk and ran into Penelope as she rushed to inform her friends. The two girls used Penelope's mirror to navigate the school hallways, but they looked the basilisk in the eye through the reflection of the mirror, petrifying them both. Penelope was eventually revived with a draught prepared from Mandrake roots, along with Hermione and the other victims.

Penelope appears to be a serious Quidditch fan, having appreciated Harry Potter's new Broomstick, a Firebolt, greatly, and betting 10 galleons on the outcome of the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor match with Percy.

Life after Hogwarts
Nothing much is heard of Penelope after her education at Hogwarts finishes but in 1997 Penelope's name was used as a cover for Hermione Granger when a group of snatchers caught her, Harry and Ron during their search for Horcruxes, it is quite probable that Hermione using Penelope's name saved her life.

It is possible Penelope was rounded up with other Muggle-borns during the Second Wizarding War and she could have faced a possible fate in Azkaban with the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. If this did occur, she would have been released after the war had ended and diplomacy resumed with Kingsley Shacklebolt as new Minister of Magic. Little is known about Penelope's later life, but she did not end up marrying her Hogwarts boyfriend, as Percy eventually marries a woman named Audrey and has two children with her.

Percy Weasley
"He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was - you know - attacked. You won't tease him, will you?"

- Ginny Weasley on Percy and Penelope

Penelope began dating Percy Weasley in her fifth year, Percy and Penelope's relationship was a secret and neither told their families. They would meet in deserted classrooms to kiss, but were caught once by Percy's sister, Ginny. Percy was distraught when Penelope was petrified in 1993, and immensely relieved when she was cured by Professor Sprout's Mandrake potion. The secrecy was broken when Ginny revealed the truth to her brothers, asking them not to tease Percy over the fact, which they did anyway.

With the secret out, Percy and Penelope appeared in public together, and he kept a photo of her. During his stay at the Leaky Cauldron before the start of his seventh year, he accused Ron of dripping tea on it. He met her on Platform 9¾, showing off his Head Boy badge, and, later in the year, wagered ten Galleons on the outcome of the Gryffindor - Ravenclaw match, despite not actually having ten galleons. He playfully remarked to her about sabotaging Harry's Firebolt when she asked if she could touch it.

Etymology

 * In The Odyssey, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus. While he was away fighting the Trojan Wars, she was pursued by many suitors; to hold them off, Penelope told them she would choose one when she finished weaving a shroud, but unravelled her work every night to prevent this from occurring. The poetic sense of the name is a faithful, clever, woman, particularly a wife. It is derived from the Greek words pene, "web", and ōps, meaning "eye" or "face", although it is questionable; the name can also mean "weaver" or "duck".
 * The name is also possibly derived from the Greek name "penelops" for a kind of duck that was said to have rescued and nurtured Penelope when she was exposed to die as an infant.
 * Clearwater is a descriptive place name that suggests her ancestors lived near a body of water (which could be why her name may mean "duck").

Behind the scenes

 * When Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley are caught by Snatchers in 1998, Hermione gives Penelope's name as her own and identifies herself as a half-blood. This has caused some confusion over Penelope's blood status — considering that the aforementioned basilisk only targeted Muggle-borns, but Tom Riddle said that the basilisk targeted "4 Mudbloods and 1 Squib." One was Hermione Granger, one was Justin Finch-Fletchley, one was Colin Creevey, and Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. So the last one would be Penelope, but the basilisk maybe targeted her because she was with Hermione at the time.
 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Penelope is not a victim of the basilisk, and only appears when she and Percy Weasley, are walking from the Great Hall during the first day of term, and are met and greeted by Nearly Headless Nick. She is also present at the End-of-Term Feast. She is played by Gemma Padley.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Notes and references
Pénélope Deauclaire Пенелопа Кристал Penelope Clearwater Patricia Hazelaar