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21 Facts About Penelope Clearwater (Harry Potter Character)

Penelope Clearwater may look like your typical Ravenclaw.

But the witch’s more than her books.

In fact, she’s a prefect.

And Penny’s in charge of keeping fellow students in line.

So before you write her off as a supporting character…

It’s about time we learn about what makes her special.

Continue reading to discover:

  • 21 facts you didn’t know about Penelope Clearwater.
  • Penny’s experience with romance during her stay at Hogwarts.
  • What Penelope Clearwater’s life looked like after her magical studies.
  • Why we didn’t see Penny fight alongside her friends when Voldemort attacked Hogwarts.
  • And so much more…

About Penelope Clearwater

BornBetween September 1975 and August 1976
PurityMuggle-born or Half-blood
HouseRavenclaw
Character TraitsBookish, Smart, Quidditch Fan
PatronusNon-corporeal
WandUnknown
Zodiac SignScorpio (Likely, but not proven)

Penelope Clearwater background

Penelope Clearwater was born sometime between September 1975 and August 1976.

She’s either a muggle-born or half-blood

So at least 1 or both of her parents couldn’t use magic.

Sadly, that’s about everything we know about her childhood.

Her life’s hardly explored in books or movies.

And even if we’d like to dig a little deeper…

We only have fan stories and guesses to follow.

In fact, we don’t even hear much about her parents too.

But like most young witches and wizards… 

She went to the wizarding school of Hogwarts.

Penelope would be sorted into Ravenclaw House. A house that’s famous for intelligent and creative students.

And did Penny reflect these traits as well?

Yes, a lot. In fact, Penelope’s very quick on her feet.

For example, when a Basilisk terrorized Hogwarts. It was a giant serpent that even large spiders like Aragog feared. 

But was Penny frozen in fear? 

No, she knew that getting scared would get her nowhere.

“But how’d she get away from such a scary beast?”

Luckily, she wasn’t alone. Penelope was with Hermione.

And the Gryffindor witch wanted to use Penny’s mirror to avoid contact. While moving from 1 corridor to the next. 

(Since looking at the serpent means facing instant death.)

Sadly, they did get caught eventually.

But it was a pretty good idea that worked well until they got a bit unlucky. 

Penelope Clearwater occupation

In most of the series’ timeline, Penny was still a student.

So she doesn’t have a typical job. Especially since it’s hard to study magical subjects with work on your mind.

However, does that mean she just spent her days reading?

No, of course not. Because Penny’s pretty responsible.

And that’s how she got the role of prefect. Someone who’s in charge of making sure nobody gets into unwanted trouble. 

Penelope Is A Prefect Like Percy

In fact, even her boyfriend Percy Weasley’s a prefect too. And he’s in charge of looking after Gryffindor House students.

On top of that, Penny’s boyfriend loves the job so much. You can even hear his enthusiasm in this movie clip:


Penelope Clearwater character


Penny went through a lot in the story.

But if there’s one memorable part of her life we saw the most…

It’s most likely her relationship with Percy.

You see, the guy’s just head over heels for her.

For example, Percy wrote a bunch of letters dedicated to Penny. 

Each 1 of them professed his love for her.

In fact, Percy kept meeting with Penelope Clearwater in secret in 1993.

Until Percy’s younger sister Ginny eventually caught the young lovers kissing.

Harry Potter and his friends

On the flip side, even Penelope’s had some run-ins with Harry Potter.

For instance, when Harry and Ron wanted to learn more about the Heir of Slytherin. 

They disguised themselves to find a way inside the common room.

But did everything go according to plan?

Well, Penny ran into them.

She knew something suspicious was going on.

And if she pushed any further, Harry and Ron’s cover might’ve been blown.

Luckily for Harry and Ron, Penny just went on her merry way. 


More facts about Penelope Clearwater


#1: A serious fan of Quidditch

Although Penny’s busy with being a prefect and her studies…

There’s 1 thing most fans tend to overlook. And it’s the fact that she’s a big fan of Quidditch.

You see, Penny loves the sport of flying broomsticks and scoring points. She even bet a lot of money in the match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. 

Unfortunately, Penelope ended up losing that money.

But at least she was a fair sport about it. Penny wasn’t grumpy at all and gave what she owed.

And it’s 1 of the weird life lessons I’ve learned from Harry Potter.

You just never know what to expect from its magical setting. 

#2: She didn’t end up with Percy

Despite Percy being madly in love with Penelope Clearwater.

Did they end up together?

Sadly, they didn’t.

And although we don’t know the circumstances around their breakup.

They must’ve fallen out of love sometime after Hogwarts. Because Percy eventually married someone named Audrey and had 2 kids with her.

Plus, a study shows it might’ve been just the early stages of love.

And the 2 teens were merely exploring what romance was like.

But was it a guarantee they’d end up together?

No, of course not.

Sadly, we don’t know much about what happened to Penny. 

In fact, we never heard from her again.

So there’s no telling what Penelope’s life was like after Hogwarts.

#3: A pretty strong witch

We never got to see all of Penelope’s magical powers.

But did she simply have normal magical skills?

No, it’s the exact opposite.

Penny’s actually a pretty strong witch.

And that’s because she can cast a non-corporeal Patronus.

“What makes that so special?”

You see, it’s 1 of the hardest defense spells to use.

And only very few wizards and witches can cast it.

So for her to be capable of doing the spell. It means Penelope Clearwater’s not your average Ravenclaw.

As a result, even if we don’t know anything about her life in the present.

I’m not too worried about how she’s doing.

You see, a study shows that adaptability’s really important. 

Especially when dealing with life’s challenges and being happy. Because people can freely adjust to new things.

And if we simply look at Penny’s skills…

I don’t think she’ll have any trouble in the wizarding world.

Although, I think her presence in the Battle of Hogwarts was a missed opportunity.

Penelope could’ve been a great help back then. 

Even Death Eaters would have trouble dealing with her.

Sadly, Penny had already graduated when it happened. So she wasn’t there for the defense of the magical school.

And while it would’ve been cool…

We’ll never get to see Penelope Clearwater fight alongside other Ravenclaws.