Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today we’re going to be discussing Albus Dumbledore and the discovery he made in his
youth that made him famous.
I am of course talking about his discovery of the 12 uses of Dragon’s Blood- an alchemical
feat worthy of a place in the history books.
Today, when we think of Dumbledore’s achievements, the accomplishment that stands out most was
his 1945 defeat of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, as he effectively saved the wizarding world
from a perilous fate.
After 1945, there wasn’t a wizarding household in the world that didn’t know his name.
However, what many don’t realize is that Dumbledore is also quite famous from his OTHER
achievements in the wizarding world.
Dumbledore lived a long time, 115 years to be exact, and during his formative years he
was able to achieve a LOT, beginning to impress other witches and wizards as early as the
year 1893.
“In a matter of months, Albus’s own fame had begun to eclipse that of his father.
By the end of his first year, he would never again be known as the son of a Muggle-hater,
but as nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the school.”
And for the remainder of Dumbledore’s studies, with his negative associations now a thing
of the past, Dumbledore continued to excel- achieving every award and accolade imaginable.
Rita Skeeter described this well in her book ‘The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore’:
“Now approaching his eighteenth birthday, Dumbledore left Hogwarts in a blaze of glory
– Head Boy, Prefect, Winner of the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting,
British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, and Gold Medal-Winner for Ground-Breaking
Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo.”
Elphias Doge, Dumbledore’s friend, had something to say as well:
“He not only won every prize of note that the school offered, he was soon in regular
correspondence with the most notable magical names of the day”
Dumbledore had achieved a lot, and his name was spreading like Wildfire…BUT his crowning
achievement (other than defeating Grindelwald, that is) had yet to come.
After the death of his sister, he decided to take a trip to France where he visited
his old friend Nicolas Flamel.
Flamel was a famed alchemist, and it was in France that Dumbledore studied the ancient
art and science of alchemy under his tutelage.
After an unknown period of time, Dumbledore returned back to Britain- and it just so happened
that in this time period Dumbledore became infatuated with the study of dragon’s blood-
specifically it’s uses- a relatively uncharted subject in wizarding culture.
Dragon blood was the blood of any of the many species of dragon, and it had 12 uses - all
of which Dumbledore ‘discovered’ and subsequently published, earning him widespread recognition.
Dumbledore was now world famous.
But despite this discovery catapulting Dumbledore to stardom, there are still a lot of UNKNOWNS
when it comes to Dumbledore’s discovery- at least, from our perspective.
While the uses of Dragon’s Blood were published in all sorts of alchemical manuscripts, we-
the muggle readers- have never been enlightened as to what these 12 uses are.
Today, I want to dig in and see what I can find on this subject.
First things first- what IS Dragon’s blood?
Dragon’s blood, as you might have expected, was blood extracted from any species of dragon-
a dark red glutinous substance.
The blood of a dragon was particularly powerful- but also adaptable- which is why it was eventually
discovered to have so much practical application in the wizarding world.
It’s worth noting, however, that Dragon’s weren’t the only magical creature with POWERFUL
blood.
One sip of unicorn blood could keep witches and wizards alive even when they were an inch
from death, but it did come with a big price tag- a condemnation to a cursed existence-
a half-life.
Drinking the blood of a Re'em, a type of rare giant horse, granted the drinker immense strength
for a short period of time.
And the blood of a Qilin, a mythical creature that was part-dragon and part-horse, had the
ability to show people visions.
It’s clear that the blood of certain magical creatures has extremely powerful capabilities,
but oddly enough the first two uses of Dragon’s blood that I want to discuss in this video
seem fairly mundane by comparison.
#1 and 2
Steve Kloves revealed TWO of the uses of Dragon’s blood in an interview:
“What kind of things do you run by Rowling?”
“A range of things, even something really simple.
I once asked about the 12 uses of dragon’s blood, which is referenced in the books.
I emailed her to ask and 25 seconds later I got an email back with a list.
One is an oven cleaner, yes.
Another is a spot remover.
. . . It was really amazing.”
So, kicking things off we’ve got 2 rather underwhelming answers - an OVEN CLEANER and
a way of getting rid of ‘Spots’ or Acne.
#3
The third and last CONFIRMED use of Dragon’s blood is that it can be used to get rid of
Verruca’s- a type of wart that appears on the soles of your feet.
Believe it or not, these 3 ‘mundane’ uses are the only CANON confirmed answers revealing
what Dragon’s Blood is used for.
This leaves 9 uses outstanding.
With that said, however, I happen to have 9 of my own theories for what these remaining
uses may be.
Let’s get in to it.
#4
The fourth use of Dragon’s Blood that I want to highlight is that it can be used to
HEAL injuries, or at least ease the pain.
Well, that’s my theory anyway.
The basis for this theory stems from the Order of the Phoenix, where Hagrid places a dragon
steak on his face in order to ease the stinging he felt from injuries that he had sustained
while visiting the Giant Colony.
It’s entirely possible that something else from the dragon meat was helping, but in my
opinion it was most likely the blood.
“You’re not going to eat that, are you, Hagrid?” said Ron, leaning in for a closer
look.
“It looks poisonous.”
“It’s s’posed ter look like that, it’s dragon meat,” Hagrid said.
“An’ I didn’ get it ter eat.”
He picked up the steak and slapped it over the left side of his face.
Greenish blood trickled down into his beard as he gave a soft moan of satisfaction.
“Tha’s better.
It helps with the stingin’, yeh know.”
#5
My theory for the fifth use of Dragon’s Blood is simply that it has the ability to
mimic human blood.
In the Half-blood Prince Horace Slughorn wipes dragon’s blood all over the walls of his
house to fake his own death and ward off the Death Eaters.
When Dumbledore comes to find him, he asks Horace what type of blood it was that he wiped
on the walls:
"What kind of blood was that, incidentally?"
asked Dumbledore loudly over the chiming of the newly unsmashed grandfather clock.
"On the walls?
Dragon," shouted the wizard called Horace…
Perhaps Dragon’s Blood is one of the CLOSER blood’s to human blood, at least visually.
This one is certainly a little more questionable, particularly as Dragon’s blood was referenced
to be ‘GREEN’ in the passage where Hagrid wipes a steak on his face.
I don’t know any humans with green blood, HOWEVER- there are other instances in which
it is suggested that the blood is red.
Perhaps Hagrid just had the blood of one particular breed of dragon.
#6
My sixth theory for the use of Dragon’s Blood is that it is used as a Potion Strengthener.
I actually saw some sources claiming that this was a CONFIRMED use but I wouldn’t
go that far.
The main motivation behind this theory is that Slughorn, a master potioneer, was known
to keep dragon-blood in stock.
Alternatively, it’s entirely possible that Dragon’s Blood doesn’t function as a potion
strengthener but instead as it’s own potion’s ingredient.
One such potion that I can imagine Dragon’s Blood being involved with is the Pepperup
Potion.
The Pepperup Potion was used for two things- to cure the common cold, and to warm people
up.
The potion had a side-effect of causing steam to emit from the drinker’s ears.
It seems only natural that the blood from a DRAGON - which is synonymous with warmth
and fire- would be an appropriate fit for this potion.
What other potions can you think of that could benefit from Dragon’s Blood?
Comment below.
#7
With most of the CONFIRMED uses discussed so far, Dragon’s Blood has been used topically
or transdermally.
What this encourages me to explore further are the oral uses of Dragon’s Blood.
What happens if you drink it?
My next theory for Dragon’s Blood is that it can strengthen the drinker’s skin.
Dragon hides are notoriously strong and resistant to MOST spells.
In fact, it would take 12 wizards casting the stunning spell all at once to even have
a CHANCE at stunning it.
"Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their
thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate..."
I think that drinking Dragon’s Blood could do one of two things to your skin:
Temporarily strengthen it to a fairly SIGNIFICANT degree, helping with spell resistance
OR
Slowly strengthen it over time.
If this is the case, the more Dragon Blood you drink the stronger your skin would get.
This would need to be done over a longer period of time.
#8
My next theory for Dragon’s Blood is that it can aid in channeling magic.
As we all know, Dragon heartstrings are used as a core in some wands- typically powerful
ones.
If we consider the proximity of the dragon ‘heartstring’ to the heart itself, then
it would make sense that there is some hematological connection between the heartstring and BLOOD.
However, I would expect there to be some sort of caveat to this particular use.
Namely, that in order to have this ‘boost’ from the Dragon’s Blood, you need to have
been chosen by a Dragon Heartstring wand.
#9
My next theory for Dragon’s blood is that, when ingested, it can be used as an anti-diarrhetic.
This usage isn’t exactly pretty, but given that some of it’s uses are linked with cleaning
surfaces and removing pimples, I think that it would sort of make sense that this miracle
solution has the ability to help ease a complaining stomach.
#10
My next theory for Dragon’s Blood is that it can allow you to, for a very brief period
of time, breath FIRE.
The connection between fire and dragons is an obvious one, so I won’t dive in to it,
but the prospect of drinking dragon blood allowing you to breathe fire just feels..right.
I don’t imagine this to be a sustained ability- Instead I like to think that as soon as the
Dragon’s Blood hits your stomach a single jet of fire spurts out of the drinker’s
mouth.
#11
My next theory is that drinking Dragon’s Blood brings you good fortune.
In many cultures across the globe, especially in Chinese culture, the Dragon is looked at
as a symbol of luck and good fortune.
In fact, dragons are so highly regarded in Chinese culture that many temples and shrines
have been dedicated to them.
In Harry Potter there is a potion for good luck- aptly named ‘Liquid Luck’ or ‘Felix
Felicis’, but I like to imagine that drinking Dragon’s Blood would provide a ‘watered
down’ or slightly less effective version of this popular potion.
The drawback to this theory is that I imagine a lot more people would have been using it
for this function in the books.
#12
My last theory for Dragon’s Blood is a bit of a hail-mary, and that’s that it can be
used to grow your nails.
Dragon’s are well known for their strong talons and sharp spikes, so I like to imagine
that it’s entirely within the realm of possibility for Dragon Blood consumption to help strengthen
your OWN nails.
The idea behind ingesting an animals organs or fluids to gain its power or inherit its
traits falls under an anthropological concept called ‘contagious’ or ‘sympathetic’
magic.
The principle of contagious magic states that personal energy can travel through objects,
and that there is a permanent relationship between an individual and their body.
And with that last theory for the uses of Dragons Blood in mind, I do want to go back
and discuss it’s history a little bit, as there’s shockingly some controversy regarding
Dumbledore’s claim to fame.
It turns out that another wizard by the name of Ivor Dillonsby had actually already been
tackling the subject for years.
And though Dumbledore had been credited as discovering all 12 uses, Dillonsby claimed
that he had already discovered 8 uses before Dumbledore ‘borrowed’ his notes.
Actually, Dillonsby outright accused Dumbledore of stealing them, and he discussed all of
this in Rita Skeeter’s book ‘The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore’.
Now, we know that Dumbledore hasn’t always made the right decisions, or been the best
person.
I mean, for goodness sake- he almost plotted to take over the wizarding world!
So, I think it’s entirely plausible that Dumbledore did in fact steal Dillonsby’s
notes.
Dumbledore was brilliant, but he was also a bit of a ruthless cutthroat in his youth.
The counter argument to this, however, is that Dillonsby was totally full of it, and
just jealous of what Dumbledore was able to achieve.
With that out of the way, next I want to segue in to REAL LIFE or..MUGGLE Dragon’s Blood.
That’s right, Dragon’s Blood is real.
In our Muggle World- Dragon’s Blood is actually the name for a type of tree sap- the name
stemming from it’s bright red colour.
And, as it so happens, REAL Dragon’s Blood also has a wide variety of uses- all the way
from medicine to art.
Let’s take a quick look at 12 of the REAL life uses.
The first is toothpaste.
In the 18th-century the first toothpaste using dragon's blood was created.
Apparently, Dragon’s Blood has been used in some cultures for centuries to help treat
teeth sensitives and gum recession.
Next up is varnish.
Dragon’s blood first started being used as a varnish in the 18th century by Italian
violin makers, and it’s actually still used for that today.
It helps give violins a deep, rich red-brown color.
Next is incense.
Because of Dragon Blood’s strong smell it apparently makes an excellent incense.
Next is perfume.
As I mentioned in the previous point, Dragon’s Blood has quite a strong scent, which makes
it an excellent choice for an ingredient in perfumes.
It is supposed to have a strong earthy scent.
Next is ink.
Due to Dragon Blood’s distinctive deep red colour, it can easily be transformed in to
a rich ink.
It’s been expressed that, unlike actual blood, dragon’s blood will retain it’s
bright red colour after it has finished drying.
Next is body oil.
Dragon’s Blood has long been regarded as helpful in reducing redness and inflammation
of the skin.
When converted in to an oil and applied topically, it can help to calm and soothe.
Next is a coagulant.
As it happens, Dragon’s Blood is rich in a chemical compound called Taspine, which
is a known coagulant that has been documented to have anti-inflammatory and wound-healing
capabilities.
However, with that said, Taspine is not used frequently in modern medicine as it has not
undergone sufficient testing.
Next is an antiviral medicine.
Taspine, the compound I mentioned earlier, as well as proanthocyanidin are both found
in Dragon’s Blood and are natural antivirals.
Next is a cure for stomach problems.
Apparently there have been studies completed on Dragon’s Blood which have shown that
it can aid with gastrointestinal issues.
The result is that Dragon’s Blood can be found in some pharmaceutical products.
Next is a fever reducer.
Despite a lack of scientific backing, Dragon’s Blood was used in traditional medicine to
help treat fevers.
I’d be curious to see more information and studies on this to determine it’s validity.
Next is a cure for skin disorders.
This one lines up with Harry Potter, as in Harry Potter one of the identified uses is
a ‘spot remover’.
Apparently Dragon’s Blood can help with things like acne or eczema.
Last up we’ve got SPELLS.
That’s right, you heard me.
Over the course of history, Dragon’s Blood has long been associated with the occult,
often used as a stand-in for actual blood.
And that’s it for this video!
Those are all of the CONFIRMED and THEORIZED uses for Dragon’s Blood in both WIZARDING
culture and our own.
What do you think of my theories for the uses of Dragon’s Blood?
What theories do YOU have?
Leave a comment down below.
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Until next time
Remember
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live