'Harry Potter' series (2001-2011)

( Warner Bros. )

Nomen Draconis: Norwegian Ridgebacks, Hungarian Horntails, Chinese Fireballs and more.

Friend or foe? More foe than friend, but mostly in situations when wizards try to harness the wild creatures. Harry and the other Triwizard Tournament champions must each defeat a dragon in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Hagrid, however, has a friend in a baby Norwegian Ridgeback named Norbert, whom he helped hatch; Charlie Weasley and other dragonologists show more fascination than fear; and Harry, Hermione and Ron free a shackled dragon who guards vaults in Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Incidentally, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's motto is, "Draco dormiens numquam titillandus," which translates, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon."

Scaly skills: The dragons in the J.K. Rowling's wizarding world are fierce, untamed beasts who can fly, breathe fire and do serious damage. They are especially good guards, however "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" reveals the mistreatment of a dragon guarding a Gringotts vault. On another sad note, some of the dragon's "skills" are discovered post-mortem; wizards use dragon heartstrings for their wands, dragon blood as a household cleaner and dragon hide for clothing.