Penelope Clearwater

Penelope Clearwater
Biographical information
Born	between 1 September 1975 and 31 August 1976 Great Britain or Ireland
Blood status	Muggle-born or half-blood
Also known as	Penny (by Percy Weasley)
Title(s)	Prefect
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Hair colour	Blonde
Skin colour	White
Magical characteristics
Boggart	Lord Voldemort
Patronus	Non-corporeal
Affiliation
House	Ravenclaw
Loyalty	Clearwater family Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Ravenclaw

Penelope "Penny" Clearwater (born c. 1976) was a witch and Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1987 to 1994. In her later school years, she was a Prefect, and eventually started dating Percy Weasley, a Gryffindor student and a fellow Prefect.

After she finished her education at Hogwarts, Penelope and Percy didn't end up marrying each other. Percy married another woman named Audrey Weasley, instead. It is unknown what happened exactly with their relationship that made them not end up together.

Biography

Early life

Penelope was born in c. 1976 in Great Britain or Ireland. She was either from a muggle family or had both muggle and magical heritage.

Hogwarts years

Penelope Clearwater arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1987 and upon her arrival was Sorted into the House of Ravenclaw.

In the summer of 1992, Percy Weasley wrote many letters to her and met up with her in secret throughout the next school year. At Christmas 1992, Penelope was asked for directions by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who disguised themselves as Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, while they were wandering around looking for the Slytherin common room. She did not trust them and told them that being in Ravenclaw, she could not help them.

A petrified Penelope in the hospital wing

In the same year, 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.

Penelope and Hermione made good use of 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. Percy was known to be very upset with Penelope's unfortunate petrification. Penelope was eventually revived with a draught prepared from Mandrake roots, along with Hermione and the other victims.

Before the end of the school year, Ginny Weasley walked in on Penelope kissing Percy in an empty classroom. He told her to keep it secret, but she later told on them.

By the summer of 1993, Penelope was still dating Percy who had a picture of her at home. When someone spilt tea on it, Percy was upset and blamed Ron, who said Penelope hid her face because she had a blotchy nose.

In September 1993, while on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, Penelope was approached by an excited Percy, wanting to show her the shiny new badge he had for being made Head Boy.

Penelope appeared to be a serious Quidditch fan, having appreciated Harry Potter's new broomstick, a Firebolt, greatly, and betting ten galleons on the outcome of the Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor match with Percy. When she wanted to hold the broomstick, Percy heartily told her not to sabotage them by doing so.

When Ravenclaw later lost, Percy congratulated Harry and then went to find Penelope to receive the ten galleons she owed him. Penelope later listened to Percy, the only one to do so, when he explained he would make lots of proposals about the Magical Law Enforcement when he could.

Life after Hogwarts

Nothing much is heard of Penelope after her education at Hogwarts, 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.

Little is known about Penelope's later life, but she did not end up marrying her Hogwarts boyfriend, as Percy eventually married a woman named Audrey and had two children with her.

Physical appearance

She was described as having long, curly hair.

Relationships

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's relationship

Percy Weasley, her ex-boyfriend

In the summer of 1992, Percy and Penelope wrote many letters to each other. She began dating Percy Weasley in her fifth year, but they kept it secret. 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 the Mandrake Restorative Draught. The secret came out 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.

Percy was excited to see her on Platform 9¾, wanting to show her the Head Boy badge he was given and, later in the year, wagered ten Galleons on the outcome of the Gryffindor vs 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. He was unafraid of asking Penelope for the ten galleons she later owed him, while she would be the only who cared to listen to him while he ranted at a later date.

For unknown reasons, Percy and Penelope did not stay together, and Percy ended up marrying Audrey Weasley.

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

Penelope Clearwater in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4

Penelope Clearwater in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7

• 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, and later, in the crowd during the Duelling Club. She is also present at the End-of-Term Feast. She is played by Gemma Padley.
• Early printings of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets make Penelope a fifth year student, making her a year below Percy. Later printings revise this to make her a sixth year.
• Despite Penelope graduated from Hogwarts in 1994, she is depicted as a Hogwarts student in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, which is set from 1995 onwards. This was probably done simply for aesthetic reasons.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (Mentioned only) (Mentioned as secret girlfriend)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Mentioned only) (GBA version only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Mentioned only)
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Pottermore