Dragon

Dragons are giant winged, firebreathing reptiles. Widely regarded as terrifying yet awe-inspiring, they can be found all over the world and are frequently referred to in Chinese and medieval European folklore. Able to fly and breathe fire through their nostrils, they are one of the most dangerous and hardest to conceal creatures in the wizarding world. The Ministry of Magic classifies them as XXXXX, most dangerous, or known wizard killers. Despite that there are people who are trained to work with them, called dragon keepers.

Early Life of a Dragon
"Your dragon requires a lot of care during these first few months."

- Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit

The dragon's first sparks, usually accompanied by thick gray smoke, appear at around six months. However, the ability to fly is normally developed later, at around twelve months, and the dragon will not be fully mature until he is two years old.

Dragons in the Wizarding world
The Motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus, which is Latin for, Never tickle a sleeping dragon. Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid loves dragons, and briefly owned a Norwegian Ridgeback named Norbert. In 1993, the then Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, suggested placing dragons to guard the school, after removing the Dementors.

Many useful materials come from dragons, but they are hard to obtain. It takes at least a dozen wizards to stun a dragon. Muggles believe that they are only a myth, but occasionally glimpse these beasts. To prevent them from being seen by Muggles, and to protect them from poaching, dragons are kept in dragon reserves around the world, most of which are far from human habitation. Dragons cannot be domesticated, despite individuals, such as Rubeus Hagrid trying to do so.

Breeds
There is no officially sanctioned breeding of dragons as dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709. However, they have been known to interbreed, producing rare hybrids. Below is a list of the twelve known breeds of dragons.


 * Antipodean Opaleye
 * Catalonian Fireball
 * Chinese Fireball
 * Common Welsh Green
 * Hebridean Black
 * Hungarian Horntail
 * Norwegian Ridgeback
 * Peruvian Vipertooth
 * Portuguese Long-Snout
 * Romanian Longhorn
 * Swedish Short-Snout
 * Ukrainian Ironbelly

There is also Liondragons from East Asia but no specific breeds are known of.

Spells that affect Dragons
While Dragon skin can resist most spells, such as the Stunning Spell, some spells can affect dragons if aimed at the right spot, or if cast by several people at once.


 * Conjunctivitus Curse: In the Triwizard Tournament of 1994, Bulgarian Viktor Krum used this curse on a dragon, to satisfying results.
 * Draconifors: A Transfiguration spell, it turns statues of dragons into real dragons, which can then be controlled by the caster.

Uses
Dragons have many uses in the wizarding World.

As obstacles
Dragons were used in the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament of 1994. The varieties used were the Hungarian Horntail, the Chinese Fireball, the Swedish Short-Snout, and the Common Welsh Green. Ron Weasley's brother Charlie works with dragons in Romania, and helped transport the dragons used in the Tournament. Dragons are also used to guard certain vaults at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and one was used by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to escape the bank following their break-in in 1998.

As mounts
Though they cannot be domesticated, there is one known instance of a Dragon being used as a mount. In May, 1998, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger rode on the back of a dragon. Also during the 1993 - 1994 school year, before playing in the Quidditch final against Slytherin, Harry dreamed that the Slytherin team was flying dragons instead of broomsticks. When he awoke he realized that they would not be allowed to ride dragons.

As materials

 * Dragon blood
 * Albus Dumbledore discovered the twelve uses of dragon blood. The twelfth use is as an oven cleaner.


 * Dragon Claw
 * During the 1995 school year, during the O.W.L.s, a trade sprang up among the fifth and seventh year students for various supposed brain stimulants. A student named Harold Dingle was offering powdered dragon claw, though Hermione Granger confiscated it as it turned out to be dried Doxy droppings.  Ron Weasley said that dragon claw does work, and that it gives your brain a boost, making you cunning for a few hours, though it is not known if this is actually true.


 * Dragon Dung
 * Dragon dung is sold by the barrel in Knockturn Alley. It is a rich fertilizer used by students at Hogwarts in Herbology.


 * Dragon Eggs
 * Dragon eggs are classified as Class A Non-Tradeable Material by the Ministry of Magic. Despite the ban, many dragon eggs can still be found on the black market.  Chinese Fireball egg shells are highly prized as potion ingredients.


 * Dragon heart
 * Dragon heartstring is used as a core in wands.


 * Dragon horn
 * Powdered dragon horn is used in many potions. Romanian Longhorn Horns are listed as a Class B-Tradeable Material by the Ministry of Magic.


 * Dragon hide
 * Dragon hide is used to make clothing. Where Muggles would wear leather, wizards would wear dragon hide. The skin is very tough, impervious to some spells, and provides the same protection as leather, while at the same time having the same texture and appearance as snakeskin.  Dragon hide is used to make gloves, boots, jackets and shields.  In high demand at the moment is the skin of the Swedish Short Snout. Fred and George Weasley wore dragon  skin jackets when they greeted Harry after his fifth school year. Professor Horace Slughorn has a dragon-skin briefcase, with gold clasps.  When Rubeus Hagrid and Olympe Maxime went to be emissaries to the giants, on Albus Dumbledore's behalf they brought a roll of Dragon skin as a gift for the Gurg.


 * Dragon liver
 * Dragon liver is 16 Sickles an ounce.


 * Dragon meat
 * When Hagrid returned from his trip to the giants with many injuries (actually acquired from his half-brother Grawp) he put a bloody, green-tinged, dragon meat steak slightly larger then an average car tire on his face as it helped the stinging. It is not known if dragon meat is safe to eat.

Books

 * Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit
 * Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland
 * From Egg to Inferno, A Dragons Keeper Guild
 * Men who Love Dragons Too Much
 * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Dragon reserves

 * Romanian Dragon Sanctuary: Home to several types of dragons. Charlie Weasley works and studies dragons here.
 * Hebrides: The MacFusty Clan cares for their dragons here.
 * Wales: Hidden in the higher mountains.
 * Sweden: Between Arjrplog and Kopparberg. The annual broom race goes right through here.

Behind the scenes

 * Draco Malfoy's first name, Draco, is Latin for dragon.
 * There is a Wizarding disease called Dragon-Pox.
 * In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film), Fred and George Weasley have a firework dragon chase Professor Umbridge through the Great Hall.
 * Charlie Weasley is a dragon keeper in Romania.
 * The dragons in the movies seem to be based on the modern design rather than the classic design for dragons.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows