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Warning!
At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. |
- "All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn’t exactly pretty; Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes."
- — Norberta the Norweigan Ridgeback dragon hatching in 1992[src]
The Norwegian Ridgeback is a species of dragon that is native to Norway, and its typical habitat is the Northern mountains. It is said to physically resemble a Hungarian Horntail.[1]
Contents
History
In 1802, a Norwegian Ridgeback was reported to have carried off a Whale Calf off the coast of Norway.[1]
Norberta, a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon
In 1991, Rubeus Hagrid received a Norwegian Ridgeback egg from a hooded stranger in a pub. After hatching the egg, Hagrid named the creature Norbert, and tried to raise it with the help of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley.[2] However, the dragon was discovered, and eventually Hagrid gave Norbert to Charlie Weasley, who took the young dragon to live with others of its kind in the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary where he worked.[2]
By 1997, it was discovered that Norbert was in fact a female dragon, so her name was changed to Norberta.[3]
During the Calamity which affected the wizarding world during the 2010s, whirlwind Confoundables trapped baby Norwegian Ridgeback Foundables, for which members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force had to overpower with the spell Meteolojinx Recanto.[4]
Description and traits
A Chocolate Frog Card of a Norwegian Ridgeback
It resembles the Hungarian Horntail, except for the black ridges on its back, the browner texture in its scales, and its less hostile attitude. It has venomous fangs, and its food of choice is large mammals, including water mammals, which is unusual for a dragon. Its eggs are black, and young Ridgebacks develop the ability to shoot flame earlier than any other breeds (around one to three months). Female Ridgebacks are generally more ferocious than the males.[1]
Etymology
Norwegian Ridgeback is likely a play on Rhodesian Ridgeback, a South African hunting dog used, among other things, to hunt lions. Two other breeds of ridgeback dog exist, the Thai Ridgeback, and the Phu Quoc Ridgeback. Additionally, Ridgeback is a British bicycle company.
Behind the scenes
- The reference to the Rhodesian Ridgeback hunting dog is especially fitting as this dragon caused so much trouble to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid, all of who were in Gryffindor House, which is represented by a lion.
- While the Ridgeback has green scales in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Newt Scamander wrote in his book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them that the Ridgeback resembled the Hungarian Horntail except the ridge.
Gallery
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Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (Appears on a Famous Wizard Card)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- Pottermore
- Wizarding World
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
- LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World
- LEGO Harry Potter
- Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
- Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 14 (Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 7 (The Will of Albus Dumbledore)
- ↑ Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
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