Penelope Clearwater

From Harry Potter Wiki

Penelope Clearwater 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.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Etymology 3 Behind the scenes 4 Appearances

[edit] Biography

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 on the outcome of the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor match with Percy. 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 marries a woman named Audrey and has two children with her.

[edit] 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 occuring. 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".

[edit] 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 — she is most likely Muggle-born, considering that the aforementioned basilisk only targeted Muggle-borns, but it is possible that she simply got petrified because she was in the company of a Muggle-born. However, it is also possible that Hermione lied about Penelope's blood status knowing that the older witch would not have been on the Snatchers' list of truants, having already graduated from Hogwarts.
• In the film version of Chamber of Secrets, Penelope is not shown to be a victim of the basilisk. Her surname is only mentioned when she and Percy Weasley, walking from the Great Hall during the first days of term, are meet-and-greeted by Nearly Headless Nick.

[edit] Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Mentioned only) (GBA version only)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)