Percival Pratt
Chapter 44
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Percival Pratt is a famous magical poet from the late sixteenth century. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when he came of age, being sorted into Gryffindor. He often spent numerous hours in the library, reading through several poetry texts. Pratt had a flair for the theatrical arts and attended the Wizarding Academy of Dramatic Arts after graduating from Hogwarts. He studied scriptwriting briefly before realizing that theater wasn’t where he felt comfortable expressing his art. He dropped out of W.A.D.A. and took up a life of poetry. Pratt’s poems were full of clever wordplay on various topics from majestic magical creatures and plants to the dish he had the night before at dinner.
The portrait of Percival Pratt hangs in the castle’s Grand Staircase. It guarded a passage between the stairs and the boathouse until 1996 when it was moved to a different landing. This portrait was painted around 1620 before its subject passed away a few years later. Pratt is depicted with a rather long goatee and wearing a red shirt, all the while he writes at his desk with a full moon in the night sky at his back. Upon closer examination, a witch can be seen flying through the sky as she passes in front of the moon. Never expect a straight answer from Pratt as his portrait is known for giving out and speaking in rhymes and riddles to anyone who may pass by, encouraging them to also take time out of their days to rhyme.
