Dragons in Harry Potter

Dragons have been present at many important moments in the Harry Potter saga. Dive into the enchanting world of Harry Potter and discover the most fearsome mythical creatures: dragons.

In this article, we'll explore the different types of dragons featured in the saga, offering you a fascinating glimpse into the extraordinary world of these legendary creatures . 🐲

We're going to reveal the secrets of Norbert , the Norwegian Ridgeback dragon , as well as the fearsome iron dragons guarding the vaults of Gringotts Bank. Prepare to be dazzled by the splendor of Harry Potter's dragons.

Harry Potter's dragons

In the magical world of Harry Potter, there are 10 known species of dragons . This number could have been higher, as there is evidence of two other breeds that are said to be extinct.

Dragons were magnificent creatures but almost impossible to tame, and those who tried were called "dragonologists." But these giant, fire-breathing beasts had more than one use for wizards and witches. 🧙‍♂️

Smugglers were known to illegally sell and trade dragon eggs, hidden from the Ministry of Magic. Materials such as dragon blood, claws, horns, hides, and hearts were highly sought after and used to make potions, clothing, and wands.

Harry Potter's Dragons, by Julianna Draga on ArtStation

Charlie Weasley was a renowned dragonologist and worked with various Harry Potter dragon breeds in Romania. During the Triwizard Tournament, it was Charlie who accompanied the chosen dragons to Hogwarts. Newt Scamander, from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, also worked with dragons as a famous magizoologist .

Dragons have appeared and been mentioned a handful of times in the Harry Potter franchise, but little is known about each specific breed. Here are all the dragon species that have existed in the wizarding world . 🐉

The Opaleye of the Antipodes

The Opaleye is the first of Harry Potter's dragons . Its iridescent scales make it one of the most beautiful dragon breeds. The Antipodean Opaleye originates from New Zealand, but it has migrated to Australia in the past. This breed is not known to be aggressive, except when searching for food.

The Opaleye Dragon of the Antipodes

According to Newt Scamander's book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a male Opaleye traveled to Australia in the 1970s after being driven from its territory and killed several kangaroos with its powerful fire breath. 🔥

The Chinese Fire-Blast Dragon (Dragonlion)

A dragon featured in Harry Potter is the Chinese Fire-Blade . Also known as the Dragon-Lion , the Chinese Fire-Blade, as its name suggests, had the power to shoot balls of flame from its nostrils. This dragon also had smooth, red skin edged with golden spikes. This breed, native to China, was used in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament . 🧙‍♀️

The Chinese Fire-Blast Dragon or Dragonlion

Viktor Krum faced this particular dragon during the tournament in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . The wizard was able to steal the golden egg after using a conjunctivitis spell to blind the fireball. 🔥

The Common Welsh Green Dragon

The green dragon from Harry Potter originated in Wales and typically lived in mountainous regions. The creature from Fantastic Beasts was known for its distinctive roar and usually preyed on sheep or small mammals. The Welsh Green was particularly elusive, but in 1932, a rogue dragon attacked bathers at Ilfracombe in Devon, England.

The Welsh Green Dragon

According to Rowling, a Welsh Green may have been responsible for the Great Fire of London in 1666. Fleur Delacour faced this race during the Triwizard Tournament and managed to seize the Golden Egg by enchanting the dragon until it fell asleep. 💤

The Black Dragon of the Hebrides

The second Harry Potter dragon breed originating from Great Britain, the Hebridean Black was much more aggressive than the Welsh Green.

It originated in the Hebrides Islands of Scotland, near Hogwarts Castle, where the MacFusty clan took responsibility for the breed. The Hebridean Black had dark scales and an arrowhead-like point at the end of its tail. The dragon could grow up to 30 feet long and had striking purple eyes. 🐲

The Black Dragon of the Hebrides

The Hungarian Horntail Dragon

Harry Potter's dragon breed, originating from Hungary, resembled a lizard with black scales and yellow eyes. It was known for its ferocity, bronze horns, and flames that could reach 15 meters. The Hungarian Horntail fed on cattle, goats, sheep, and humans.

The Hungarian Horntail Dragon

It was Harry Potter who drew the Hungarian dragon during the Triwizard Tournament into the Goblet of Fire, a dragon that Hagrid described as aggressive. He tried to use his broomstick to fend off the dragon, but it continued to fly. 🧹

The Norwegian Crested Dragon

The Norwegian Ridgeback is very similar to the Hungarian Horntail, except that it has black crests on its back and is less vicious. This dragon in Harry Potter originated in Norway and took refuge in the northern mountains. It possessed venomous fangs and was known to eat large mammals, and sometimes aquatic mammals.

The Norwegian Crested Dragon

According to Fantastic Beasts, a Norwegian Ridgeback once pulled a baby whale from the water. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Hagrid received a Norwegian Ridgeback egg. 🐉

When the egg hatched, Hagrid named the creature Norbert and received help from Harry, Ron, and Hermione to raise it. Hagrid eventually gave the dragon to Charlie Weasley, and it was later discovered to be female. The name was then changed to Norberta .

Peruvian Viper's Teeth

This dragon, native to Peru, also possessed venomous fangs similar to those of the Norwegian Ridgeback. The Peruvian Vipertooth was known to be the smallest and fastest of all dragons.

Unfortunately, this race enjoyed eating humans, making it one of the most dangerous creatures in the wizarding world. In the 19th century, the International Confederation of Wizards sent exterminators to deal with the growing population of Peruvian Vipertooths .

The Viper's-Tooth Dragon of Peru

The Dragon's Cough, similar to the Greyscale disease from Game of Thrones, is believed to have been triggered by sorcerers working with Peruvian Vipertooths .

The Romanian Cornelongue

The Romanian Longhorn was one of the largest dragons in Harry Potter . This breed lived in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. The Romanian Longhorn had dark green scales and two enormous, glittering golden horns on its head. These horns were highly prized ingredients for certain potions. 🧪

Due to the demand for horns, the Romanian Longhorn was in danger and its territory was transformed into a dragon reserve.

The Romanian Longhorn Dragon

The Swedish Short-Snout

Harry Potter's silver-blue dragon preferred to live in the remote mountains of Sweden. The Swedish Short-Snout possessed a flame so powerful that it turned blue and could reduce bones to ash. This made it one of the most dangerous dragon species. 🐉

The Swedish Short-Snout Dragon

The Swedish Short-Snout appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, although it was yellow in the film. Cedric Diggory faced it during the Tournament and managed to distract the dragon long enough to retrieve the golden egg.

The Ukrainian Ironbelly

The Ukrainian Ironbelly is the largest breed of dragon in the Harry Potter wizarding world. Due to its size and strength, it was one of the most dangerous.

The Ukrainian Ironbelly had metallic grey scales, as hard as steel. Native to Ukraine, this dragon is said to have carried off a ship sailing in the Black Sea in 1799. Newt Scamander notably worked with this breed during the First World War.

The Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a Ukrainian Ironbelly is used to guard the Lestrange vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Harry, Ron, and Hermione rode the dragon to escape after the Gringotts robbery.

The lesser-known dragon breeds of Harry Potter

Newt Scamander claimed that there were only 10 breeds of dragons to his knowledge, but two other Harry Potter dragons were revealed by Rowling.

On a page of the book "Breeding Dragons for Pleasure or Commerce," available on the author's website, there is an image of a Portuguese Long-Snout dragon , found in northern Portugal. This particular breed is said to have light green scales and long, pointed horns.

The Lost Dragons of Harry Potter

The other race turned out to be the Catalan Fireball , a breed originating in Spain. This dragon had a burnt snout and two black horns. It is assumed that the Portuguese Longsnout and the Catalan Fireball are extinct, as their existence in Harry Potter was unknown.

Which dragons participated in the Triwizard Tournament?

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Triwizard Tournament takes precedence over everything else at Hogwarts, and the first task of the four champions is to retrieve a golden egg, which is guarded by a real Harry Potter dragon.

Since there were four champions, four different dragon breeds were used for the first task: the Welsh Green , the Swedish Short-Snout , the Chinese Fireball , and the Hungarian Horntail . 🐉

The Hungarian Horntail of the Triwizard Tournament

Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons chose the miniature Welsh Green from Barty Crouch Sr.'s magical purple pouch and was able to seize its egg by using a charm to put the dragon to sleep.

Viktor Krum of Durmstrang chose to face the Chinese Fireball and, in his first trial, he used the curse of conjunctivitis to temporarily blind the creature and steal its egg.

Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) chose the Swedish Short-Snout for his dragon and transformed a large rock into a Labrador Retriever to distract the beast and seize the egg while it was unaware of it.

Harry Potter had the unfortunate task of dealing with a Hungarian Horntail . In the film Goblet of Fire, Harry summons his broomstick and leads the dragon on a thrilling chase through the castle. In the book, Harry spent a considerable amount of time learning the Accio Charm to summon his broom from the castle, but he kept the Hungarian Horntail within the confines of the arena, instead using his flying skills to his advantage.

Why are there no dragons in Fantastic Beasts?

While there is a wide variety of dragons in Harry Potter , Fantastic Beasts chose none for inspiration.

Curiously, it was Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) who wrote Harry's handbook, Fantastic Beasts and Their Secrets, the title of the first film in the series. While the series has featured everything from Demiguises to Nifflers, no dragons have appeared so far.

It's rather strange, especially considering that Newt Scamander spent a lot of time during World War I (which took place before the Fantastic Beasts films) working with the Ukrainian Ironbelly , that no dragon appears in his magical briefcase. 🧙‍♂️

Fantastic Beasts

Other fantasy series like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have capitalized on their use of the mythical beast, and it is considered a missed opportunity that the Fantastic Beasts franchise does not feature any dragons.

Although their knowledge of the wizarding world comes directly from the protagonist Newt Scamander, it's possible that Fantastic Beasts 4 will feature some of the dragons from Harry Potter .

However, the franchise does not appear to be continuing, due to the poor box office returns of Fantastic Beasts 3.

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