Percival Pratt was a wizard poet. He has a portrait hung in Hogwarts Castle's Grand Staircase. He is portrayed as a man in a red robe, writing on his desk, with a starry sky and a full moon behind him. He is often heard saying rhymes and riddles to students who walk by. He often encourages students to "take time every day to rhyme what [they] say." Up until 1996, Mr Pratt's portrait guarded a shortcut between the Grand Staircase and the Boathouse. The password of this shortcut was "This password is absurd".