Y Ddraig Goch [Harry Potter Lexicon]

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======Y Ddraig Goch======
=====Location Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Pub]]
  * **Location:** Unspecified, though its name strongly implies it is in [[Wales]].
  * **Owner/Residents:** Unknown.
  * **Key Features:** A venue where patrons can engage in gambling, seemingly for high-stakes and illicit goods such as [[dragon]] eggs.
=====Description and History=====
Y Ddraig Goch is a pub mentioned as the location where [[Rubeus Hagrid]] won a [[dragon]] egg in a game of cards. The name of the pub itself is not mentioned in the primary novels, but was revealed in a handwritten annotation by [[Ron Weasley]] in the 2001 supplementary textbook edition of //[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]//.
In 1992, [[Hagrid]] visited the pub and met a "hooded stranger" who was later revealed to be [[Professor Quirrell]] acting on behalf of [[Lord Voldemort]]. The stranger engaged [[Hagrid]] in a card game, betting a [[Norwegian Ridgeback]] egg against him. [[Hagrid]], who had always wanted a [[dragon]], eagerly played and won the egg. During their interaction, [[Hagrid]], likely under the influence of a few drinks, was manipulated by [[Quirrell]] into revealing the secret to calming [[Fluffy]], the three-headed dog guarding the [[Philosopher's Stone]]: playing music. This crucial piece of information was the key [[Quirrell]] needed to bypass one of the major enchantments protecting the Stone.
=====Role in the Story=====
Although never visited directly by [[Harry Potter]] in the narrative, the off-page events at Y Ddraig Goch are a pivotal plot point in //[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]//. The information [[Hagrid]] carelessly divulged to [[Professor Quirrell]] at this pub directly enabled the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor's attempt to steal the [[Philosopher's Stone]].
Furthermore, [[Hagrid]]'s acquisition of the [[dragon]] egg, which he named [[Norbert]], set in motion a chain of events for [[Harry]], [[Ron Weasley]], and [[Hermione Granger]]. Their efforts to help [[Hagrid]] illegally raise and then transport the baby [[dragon]] led to them being caught out of bed late at night by [[Professor McGonagall]], earning them a detention in the [[Forbidden Forest]] where [[Harry]] would have his first close encounter with the spectral form of [[Lord Voldemort]].
=====Known Areas Within=====
The interior of the pub is not described in any detail in the books. It is only known as the setting for [[Hagrid]]'s fateful card game.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * **Etymology:** "Y Ddraig Goch" is Welsh for "The Red Dragon," which is the national symbol of [[Wales]].
  * The pub's name is exclusively sourced from the 2001 Comic Relief edition of //[[Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them]]//, where it appears as a handwritten note by [[Ron Weasley]] next to the entry for the [[Norwegian Ridgeback]]. The original novel only refers to the location as "the pub in the village."
  * **Film Adaptation:** In the film adaptation of //[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]//, this scene is relocated. Instead of occurring at a separate pub, [[Hagrid]] is shown winning the egg from [[Professor Quirrell]] at the [[Leaky Cauldron]]. The name Y Ddraig Goch is not used. (film)