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 or most dangerous.

The Motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus," which means, "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, though it appears that he changed his mind as dragons have not as of yet been seen guarding Hogwarts.

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.

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 ten known breeds of dragons.




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

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: In the Muggle Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban PC game, Draconifors is a spell learned in Transfiguration class. Only Hermione Granger can use it. It turns statues of dragons into real dragons, which can then be controlled by the player.

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. It is rumored that there are Dragons guarding the vaults of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

As mounts
Though they cannot be domesticated, there is one known instance of a Dragon being used as a mount. Sometime around 1997-1998 Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger rode on the back of a dragon. Also during the 1993 school year, before playing in the Quidditch final against Slytherin, Harry dreamed that the Slytherin team was flying dragons instead of broomsticks, though when he awoke he realized that they would not be allowed to ride dragons.

As materials

 * 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 more protection than 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. 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.


 * Blood
 * Albus Dumbledore discovered the twelve uses of dragon blood, eleven of which are still unknown to us. The twelfth use is oven cleaner.


 * Liver
 * Dragon Liver is 16 Sickles (1 Galleon) an ounce.


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


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


 * 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. 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.


 * Eggs
 * Eggs are classified as Class A Non-Tradable 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.


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


 * 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 To Much

Dragon reserves

 * Romanian Research Center: Home to several types of dragons. Charlie Weasley is said to work 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.

Trivia

 * Draco Malfoy's first name, Draco, is Latin for Dragon.
 * There is a wizarding disease called Dragon-Pox.