Norberta, born Norbert, is a character in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. She is a Norwegian Ridgeback adopted by Rubeus Hagrid hatched in Hagrid's Hut.
Biography[]
In spring 1992, Professor Quirinus Quirrell gave Rubeus Hagrid a chance to get a dragon egg in the Hog's Head. Hagrid was very drunk and thought he was a stranger because he was wearing a hood. He won the dragon egg by playing a game of cards.[1][2]
Quirrell knew he wanted a dragon egg and used it to manipulate Hagrid into telling him how to get around Fluffy.[1][2] Hagrid then went to the Hogwarts library to borrow books on caring for a dragon. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger found the section he was browsing and deduced why.[1] Hagrid wouldn't pay any attention to their warnings about keeping a dragon in a wooden Hut, because he had wanted a dragon for years.[1]
He sent them a letter in about April, telling them the dragon was hatching. They run down and watched it hatch, but Draco had heard them talking about it and was watching through the window. Hagrid later named the dragon Norbert, even though she was female. He fed her a bucket of brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour.[1]
It was illegal to have a pet dragon, and they worried Draco was going to tell a teacher and get Hagrid into trouble. Harry and Ron deduced a plan to send her to Charlie Weasley's dragon sanctuary in Romania. They sent a letter when Hagrid eventually agreed, even though he wanted to keep Norberta because he was her "mummy". Charlie agreed to send friends to pick her up on their way to Romania in a few days.[1]
Norberta was getting very dangerous to keep when she was growing. She was getting too big for the Hut, bang her tail around and knocked things over. She would bite people, even Hagrid, and she eventually bit Ron on the finger. It got infected and grew to a very large size, and he had to go to the Hospital Wing. He wouldn't tell anyone what did it, but Draco went to speak to him because he knew. He found Charlie's letter that had a date for when he was sending friends to collect her.[1] Norberta hurt Fang's tail too.[1]
Hagrid was very upset when he was saying goodbye to Norberta, and wondered whether she would have any memory of her "mummy". He put Norberta and her teddy bear in a crate, and a drink of brandy for her. Harry and Hermione met Charlie's friends at midnight on top of the highest tower and gave them Norberta. Charlie's friends flew on brooms and flew Norberta to Charlie. Draco had attempted to tell on them, but Harry and Hermione managed to get round him by using the Cloak of Invisibility.[1]
Charlie eventually found out that Norberta was in fact female, since they are very ferocious and violent.
Appearance[]
The new-born Norberta looks like a "crumpled, black umbrella" that has bulging, orange eyes.[1]
Trivia[]
- Hagrid used to sing her a lullaby to get her to calm down. He is blind to the problems she causes.[1]