Fenestra

"*She is* tremendous*. An absolute queen.*"
―Helena Swift when first meeting Fenestra[src]
Click here to see quotes from Fenestra

**Fenestra**, also known as Fen, is a grey Magnificat who greets Morrigan and Jupiter at the Hotel Deucalion, where she is head of housekeeping. As a Magnificat, Fen is a giant, sentient cat who is able to speak and understand humans. Fen often acts as though she does not care for Jupiter nor Morrigan, but shows many acts of affection and compassion through the books which prove otherwise.

## Biography

### Early Life

#### Cage Fighting

"*She's. . . competitive. Goes back to her days as a cage fighter*"
―Jupiter telling Morrigan about Fen's past[src]Fenestra was a known cage fighter on the Ultimate Cage Fighting circuit. She fought for an unknown number of years before she became the Free State cage fighting champion for three years in a row. Directly following this, Fen ended up in a scandal involving the former Prime Minister's son. This was probably linked to a fight of some sort as he was mentioned to have received a new nose.

#### Rescue Ring

Fenestra is a leader of a secret, well-organised rescue ring which saves Wunimals (and perhaps other creatures, like Magnificats) from oppression in the Wintersea Republic.

#### Hotel Deucalion

"*Truth be told, Magnificats are pretty rubbish at housekeeping. But she’s on the payroll, and if I don’t send her on the occasional errand she’ll snooze her nine lives away. Right, Fen?*"
―Jupiter — the only person brave enough to visit the Troll-Infested Realm[src]
Fen came to work at the Hotel Deucalion, perhaps after befriending Jupiter. She is the Head of Housekeeping.

### Third Age of Aristocrats, One

Fenestra meets Morrigan at the Deucalion entrance and participates in Morningtide celebrations.

#### Chase Trial

**Morrigan**: "*Fen, what if I fall off?*"
**Fen**: "*You'll probably get trampled and die. So don't fall off.*"
— Just before the Chase Trial start[src]

Fenestra agrees to be Morrigan's steed for the Chase Trial. She is incredibly competitive, pacing and snarling before the start. Fenestra has the agility of a cat and the speed and endurance of a horse. Cadence's steed, a rhino, causes minor mayhem and catches up to Fen and shoves her. Fen manages to swipe the rhino across the face with her sharp claws and as a result Cadence is thrown off the rhino into the middle of the street. Morrigan and Fen turn back to save her from being trampled. Fen, still out to get a target for Morrigan, leaps into the air and onto the fish statue with Morrigan and Cadence on her back.

Fenestra then takes Hawthorne and Morrigan to the Black Parade as part of the informal errand part of her job. Here she expertly lets them slip away to participate in the fright trial. On the way home she discusses the Wundersmith with Morrigan and Hawthorne.

After Christmas dinner Fenestra shows her affection for Morrigan as they both think she is leaving. Three days later she comforts Morrigan about Jupiter's absence and hints at the depth of the friendship she has with Jupiter. After the show trial, she learns that Morrigan is a Wundersmith and agrees to support her and keep it secret.

### Third Age of Aristocrats, Two

In addition to life at the Deucalion, Fenestra is involved in the search for the Magnificub.

At Christmas Eve, Fenestra attends the Battle of Christmas Eve and meets the Swifts. She doesn't get on so well with Hawthorne who is, by now, immune to her grumpy demeanor — "*Classic Fen*". At Christmas she can't help herself with a unicorn joke when the conversation turns to Juvela De Flimsé.

### Third Age of Aristocrats, Three

Fenestra was enjoying the opera when horsewun Victor Oldershaw attacks Dame Chanda. Fenestra chases Victor to an alleyway and watches the horsewun battle with himself and the Hollowpox. She spends the night investigating and meeting with her contacts.

At the Sunset Gala, Fenestra displays uncharacteristic calm when dealing with a belligerent woman, but the crowd still reacts poorly and the situation escalates until the Wundersmith Morrigan Crow puts the lobby in darkness. While arguing with Jupiter about the Wundrous Society's secretive approach to the Hollowpox, Fenestra reveals to Jack and Morrigan her secret life rescuing Wunimals from the Wintersea Republic — an activity she does with the full knowledge and support of Jupiter.

On the night of the Hollowpox destruction, Fenestra finds Morrigan on the rooftop and sees her jumping on a newly made Brolly Rail. Fenestra follows Morrigan to Courage Square where Morrigan is preparing to destroy the Hollowpox with Ezra Squall's help. She nearly jumps out of her skin when she sees Ezra Squall (travelling on the Gossamer Line). When Morrigan hesitates, Fenestra buys her a few moments by battling with a polar bearwun. Fenestra is then attacked by so many hollow Wunimals she is covered in them but she continues to fight with her free claw. Moments later she gives encouragement to Morrigan when she needs help to command the Hollowpox to kill itself. Despite the viscous attack, she is mostly uninjured and gets Morrigan to the WunSoc hospital and describes the events to her friend Jupiter North.

## Physical Appearance

"*Not just a cat.* A giant cat*. The biggest, scariest, toothiest, shaggiest cat she'd ever seen in her life.*"
―Morrigan seeing Fen for the first time[src]As a Magnificat, Fen looks, essentially, like a house cat, just on a much larger scale. When sitting, she just manages to fit in some door frames. Fen's face is said to be squashed and wrinkled "as though [she'd] run into a wall" and her amber eyes are the size of a fist. She is noted as being a gray color. Despite being called shaggy by Morrigan at first, many other people refer to Fen as being fluffy or floofy.

## Personality and Traits

"*We don't ignore bigotry...that's how cowardly bigots turn into brave bigots.*"
―FenestraUsually very grumpy, short-tempered yet there are little flickers of shown kindness towards Morrigan. As shown during the chase trail, she can be very competitive and determined. Despite her prickly exterior, Fenestra seems to have a strong sense of justice and tries to help various groups to reach higher levels of freedom and rights. She is against bigotry and is very willing to assert her opinions. She can seem snarky towards others at times, but can be very loyal.

## Abilities and Skills

* Bad Attitude
* Fighting
* Speed and endurance
* Organising a rescue ring and Magnificat search effort
* Catching intruders and pheasants

## Accomplishments

* Free State Cage Fighting Champion - 3 years

## Relationships

### Jupiter North

**Fenestra**: "*That settles it, then. He’ll be here for your trial. He’ll take care of it. Everything will be all right.*"
**Morrigan**: "*How do you know that?*"
**Fenestra**: "*He’s my friend. I know my friend*"
— bringing her enormous squashed furry face down to the girl’s eye level[src]

Jupiter and Fenestra have a long history. They bicker and don't display their friendship but they trust each other and forgive each other's faults. When Jupiter was particularly upset, Fenestra got him a nice fat rat as a present.

### Martha

Despite Fenestra being the head of housekeeping, Martha and Fenestra don't seem to interact too much. Housekeeping at the Hotel Deucalion seems to get done well, probably due to Martha's competence rather than Fenestra's leadership. Martha's role even extends to interviewing new housekeeping applicants.

### Morrigan

Fenestra cares deeply for Morrigan. She has a somewhat parental role — she tells Morrigan to go to bed and she tolerates Morrigan and Jack's persistent questions about Victor Oldershaw.

## Etymology

The term **Fenestra** is a New Latin term that comes from the Latin meaning "window." Its first recorded use was in 1737. In biology, the word is used to describe "a small anatomical opening (as in a bone)" such as for the fenestra vestibuli of the inner ear. The Defenestrations of Prague are events where various persons are thrown out of various Bohemian town hall windows — unfortunately, wars often followed these events.

## Gallery

Fenestra from the NatGeo Kids websiteFenestra Facts from the NatGeo Kids websiteFenestra from the Nevermoor Swedish cover by Mats MinnhagenFenestra from the German Edition
## Appearances

* *Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow* (First appearance)
* *Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow*
* *Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow*

## Notes and References

1. ↑ *Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow* Chapter 5 (*Welcome to Nevermoor*)
2. ↑ *Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow* Chapter 37 (*Bed Rest*)
3. ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fenestra

Art Studio ·
Ballroom One ·
Ballroom Two ·
Golden Lantern ·
Hall of Shadows ·
Jupiter North's Study ·
Lagoon Pool ·
Morrigan Crow's Room ·
Music Salon ·
Rain Room ·
Rooftop ·
Smoking Parlor ·
Theater
Jupiter North (Owner)
Kedgeree Burns ·
**Fenestra** ·
Frank ·
Honeycutt ·
Martha ·
Charlie McAlister ·
Wilbur