Penelope Waters

Based on what Harry had said, it was clear that he and Ron had learned something from Hagrid the day before. Aldric knew exactly what that cloth bag had contained. The Philosopher's Stone.

So the story had finally begun to unfold. The plot surrounding the Stone was now in motion, and Aldric realized it was time to think carefully about the role he would play in the events to come.

It had been a week since Aldric discovered his magical abilities, and in that time, he found himself heading to the Room of Requirement almost every night. Thanks to the secret passage the Weasley twins had shown him, moving between the two places became much faster. 

The Room of Requirement was truly an amazing place. It gave Aldric the freedom to practice magic without worrying about being caught or making mistakes. 

Inside, he also discovered shelves filled with magical books, some of which weren't even available in Hogwarts' main library. Among these were numerous tomes on dark magic. 

Most were thick with dust, clearly untouched for ages, though a few showed signs they had been used recently. There were also many books on Defense Against the Dark Arts that weren't part of the standard curriculum. It was like a welcome surprise just when he needed it most. 

Aldric had been worried about how to deepen his knowledge of dark magic because the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes from the past two years had been pretty useless. Quirrell's lessons mostly involved him reading straight from the textbook, and next year's teacher, Lockhart, was a complete joke. It wasn't until Lupin arrived in their third year that they would get some real defense training. 

After browsing the books, Aldric noticed none of them explained the specific casting techniques for dark magic spells, so he put those aside for now. Instead, he focused on improving his combat skills.

The challenge surrounding the Philosopher's Stone had already begun, and Aldric knew he needed to position himself well in the quiet game Dumbledore had set in motion for Harry and the others. If he wanted to stand out among his classmates, this was his chance. Better yet, if he could help Ravenclaw win the House Cup, every student in his house would remember his name, giving him a valuable edge in the years to come. 

Aldric wasn't putting much effort into magical sensing or meditation because, in the short term, they didn't seem to boost his power much. While meditating helped him feel his internal magic more clearly, he still couldn't control it well. 

Plus, meditation wasn't like in wizard stories where it could replace sleep, it was mentally tiring. He could only meditate for about half an hour each day before feeling completely drained. 

So, he made sure to meditate after practicing spells; otherwise, he wouldn't have the energy to cast anything. Every night before bed, he drank a potion he'd gotten from an unlucky Hufflepuff, hoping it would help him in his training.

Aldric quickly realized that the drink helped him regain his energy faster than usual. He made a mental note to figure out how to get the recipe from that Hufflepuff someday. 

One afternoon, while Aldric and Franklin were working on their homework in the Ravenclaw common room, they were approached by Penelope Clearwater, one of the house's well-known upperclassmen.

"Hey, Aldric," she said with a warm smile. "How are you settling in here at Ravenclaw?"

"Pretty great!" Aldric replied, straightening up a little. "You're a senior, right? I feel lucky, I get to meet so many amazing upper-years every day. 

My friends back in Gryffindor are jealous. None of the girls there even come close to our Ravenclaw seniors." He grinned cheekily, earning a laugh from Franklin and a raised eyebrow from Penelope.

Penelope blushed, clearly pleased by the compliment. No matter the time or place, people always liked hearing kind words. 

Aldric had heard plenty about Penelope's reputation. As a Muggle-born witch, she truly lived up to the word 'remarkable.' 

Everyone in Ravenclaw admired her, not only was she beautiful and talented in magic, but she also had a sharp social sense. She handled social situations perfectly; younger students looked up to her, and even the older ones respected her deeply.

"You're quite the smooth talker," Penelope teased with a laugh. "I wonder how many girls you'll fool when you grow up. Anyway, I actually came to tell you that Professor Flitwick wants to see you in his office."

Aldric smiled. "I'm not just smooth-talking. Besides, you're the senior I respect most in Ravenclaw. Not only are you beautiful, but your skills are incredible, I still can't believe you're Muggle-born."

At the mention of Muggle-born, Penelope's smile faded a little. "I'm nothing special," she said quietly. "Graduation's a few years away, and honestly, I don't even know what I'll do after. Maybe getting married is the best option for me," she admitted, sounding a bit embarrassed. 

"Well, I should get going now. You'd better head to Flitwick's office, don't keep him waiting."

As Penelope walked away, Aldric glanced over at Franklin, who looked confused about why she had suddenly left after chatting with them. Penelope was smart and ambitious, and her future seemed destined for the Ministry of Magic. But the Ministry wasn't very welcoming to Muggle-born witches and wizards. 

They might accept a few as Aurors or enforcers, but promoting a Muggle-born woman to a high position was nearly impossible. In reality, most Muggle-born witches ended up marrying pureblood or half-blood wizards after graduating from Hogwarts.

In the British magical community, marriage was often the only way for women to gain fair treatment and opportunities, like securing a position at the Ministry of Magic. Since women traditionally took their husband's surname, marrying into a respected family could open doors that might otherwise remain closed. 

Many might assume that pureblood families would never allow their members to marry Muggle-borns to keep bloodlines pure. While such families did exist in the past, those days were long gone. 

Pureblood families obsessed with blood purity either faded into obscurity, like the Blacks and the Gaunts, or reluctantly accepted Muggle-born witches into their ranks. But marriage didn't guarantee an easy life for these women. 

Many pureblood families still looked down on Muggle-born wives. Most wizarding families were struggling financially these days, with only a few, like the Malfoys, maintaining wealth. Some families even depended on their Muggle-born wives to work and support everyone else, reasoning that the noble purebloods can't be seen doing menial tasks, that's for you mudbloods.

These women not only had to carry the financial burden but were often unappreciated and, in some cases, suffered domestic abuse, a harsh reality that many preferred not to discuss openly. This context explains why Penelope initially chose to date Percy Weasley. 

From her perspective, it made sense… the Weasleys were one of the Sacred 28 pureblood families, which would boost her prospects for a Ministry career. Moreover, the Weasleys were known as pureblood traitors, one of the few families who genuinely liked Muggles. 

Marrying Percy meant Penelope wouldn't face discrimination at family events. In this light, Hermione marrying Ron in the future could be seen as Hermione marrying up.