The Harry Potter series is full of mystical creatures and beasts, many of whom are important to Harry's journey in some way. The Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them book (and the subsequent movie series) outlined some of those creatures, from Unicorns and Bowtruckles to Nifflers and Thestrals. Hippogriffs also feature heavily in the series, particularly Buckbeak, who becomes a companion of Harry and company. A lot of times, each subsequent book will feature a new creature that hasn't yet been introduced, and Hogwarts even has a whole class called Care of Magical Creatures, taught by the beloved Hagrid, that is dedicated to educating students on these magical beasts.
However, one of the most iconic creatures from the series is the dragon, a fantasy mainstay. Dragons particularly play a role in the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as they are a part of one of the challenges in the Triwizard Tournament. There are also some other dragon characters that show up throughout the series, and their appearances are always exciting. Even though there are so many different kinds of dragons, not all of them are common.
What Types Of Dragons Exist In Harry Potter?
The four most well-known dragons in the Harry Potter series are probably the ones that were used during the Triwizard Tournament in TheGoblet of Fire. These four varieties were the Chinese Fireball, the Hungarian Horntail, the Swedish Short-Snout, and the Welsh Green.
Of these, the Hungarian Horntail — the one that Harry had to face off against — was not only the most dangerous in the tournament, but was one of the most aggressive and dangerous dragons in the wizarding world. Chinese Fireballs, as the name might imply, are known for breathing out balls of fire. The Welsh Green had a very distinct roar and shot fire in thin streams, and the Swedish Short-Snout was known for its distinctive blue flame.
There are also many other varieties of dragons that did not get mentioned much or at all in the series, but are still very present in the wizarding world itself. The Antipodean Opaleye is native to New Zealand and is said to be one of the most beautiful dragons, as well as the most loyal and least aggressive. There is also the more aggressive and territorial Hebridean Black from the Hebrides islands in Scotland. Then there's the Peruvian Vipertooth, which is venomous as well as one of the smallest and fastest dragons. The Romanian Longhorns, though technically a medium-sized breed, are quite bulky and muscular. The Ukranian Ironbelly is the largest speices of dragon ever recorded, and is bipedal.
What Is The Rarest Dragon?
The title of the rarest dragon in the Harry Potter series goes to the Norwegian Ridgeback. This dragon native to Norway resembles the Horntail in some ways, but has black ridges on its back and a brown tone in its scales. Notably, the Ridgeback is known to start developing its fire-breathing skills earlier in life than other dragon breeds. It is also more aggressive towards its own type, with females being more aggressive than males of the species. There is even a Norwegian Ridgeback that makes an appearance in the Harry Potter series, in the form of Hagrid's pet dragon Norbert.
Why Is There A Dragon In Gringott's?
The other famous dragon in Harry Potter is the dragon that guards Gringotts, specifically to protect some of the more high-security vaults at the bank, including the Lestrange vault. The dragon was of the Ukranian Ironbelly variety, and is first encountered by Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, though it had been guarding the vaults for much longer than that. The dragon was chained up and feared the sound of the Clankers, as it had been tortured and trained to expect pain when it heard them. Those who wished to enter the vaults would use the Clankers to get the dragon to back off and allow them passage.
When the Golden Trio broke into the vaults, they expected the dragon and were able to use the Clankers (by using the Imperius Curse on the goblin accompanying them) to get around it and into the Lestrange vault. When they left the vault in a rush, after being betrayed by Griphook and carried out on the cascade of treasure that resulted because of a spell put on the vault, they freed the dragon from its chains and rode it out of the building to freedom, giving the dragon its well-deserved freedom as well. It flew off into a nearby mountain range and wasn't seen again, finally free from a life of imprisonment and torture.