Scandinavia

• Type: Geographical Region
• Location: Northern Europe
• Owner/Residents: Various wizards and witches, Norwegian Ridgeback and Swedish Short-Snout dragons
• Key Features: Native habitat for specific Dragon breeds, location of a national Ministry of Magic (in Norway), and the likely region for the Durmstrang Institute.

Scandinavia is a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe within the Wizarding World. In the context of the series, it specifically refers to the nations of Norway and Sweden, which are both noted for their native Dragon populations. The region is home to a functioning wizarding community with its own governmental bodies, as evidenced by a complaint lodged by the Norwegian magical authorities with the British Ministry of Magic. The area is most famous for two breeds of dragon:

• The Norwegian Ridgeback: A black dragon known for its particularly aggressive nature. A Norwegian Ridgeback egg was illegally acquired and hatched by Rubeus Hagrid in 1992, who named the dragon Norbert.
• The Swedish Short-Snout: A silvery-blue dragon whose fire is a brilliant blue. A Swedish Short-Snout was one of the four dragons imported for the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament in 1994.

While its exact location is a closely guarded secret, the Durmstrang Institute is believed to be situated in the far north of Europe, with its catchment area for students including Scandinavia (Pottermore).

Scandinavia serves to broaden the scope of the Wizarding World beyond Great Britain, establishing the existence of international magical communities, laws, and ecosystems. Its primary role in the narrative comes from its native creatures. The subplot involving Hagrid's illegal dragon, Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback, is a significant event in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger's efforts to help Hagrid smuggle the dragon out of the castle lead to them being caught and serving a detention in the Forbidden Forest, where Harry first encounters Lord Voldemort. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the Swedish Short-Snout is the dragon faced by Hogwarts Champion Cedric Diggory during the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Additionally, Arthur Weasley mentions that the British Ministry of Magic has received complaints from their Norwegian counterparts, highlighting the existence of international magical diplomacy and regulation. The region's connection to Durmstrang Institute also makes it relevant to the tournament, as Durmstrang was one of the three competing schools.

• Norway: This country is the native home of the Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon. It is also shown to have its own organized magical government, capable of lodging official complaints with other magical ministries.
• Sweden: This country is the native habitat of the Swedish Short-Snout Dragon.
• Possible Location of Durmstrang Institute: While unconfirmed in the novels, supplementary materials place Durmstrang Institute in the far north of Europe, strongly suggesting a Scandinavian or nearby location (Pottermore).

• According to Pottermore (now WizardingWorld.com), the Durmstrang Institute is one of the most secretive of the eleven great wizarding schools and keeps its location hidden. However, it is known to be in the far north of Europe and accepts students from a wide catchment area that includes Scandinavia.
• The inclusion of specific Scandinavian nationalities for the dragons helps to build a more detailed and believable global wizarding community, showing that magical creatures, like their non-magical counterparts, have specific native regions.