Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

[Berit Jakobsen]

No: HPFGUIDX 90417

Carol wrote:
Well, a "sleeping" (formerly complacent) Draco has certainly been
stirred to active malice. Not that I think that's the meaning of the
motto, but "Draco" does mean "dragon."


"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus". I think it is a very good 
motto. I'm quite impressed with Rowling for making it up (she has 
made it up, right; or is it an old Chinese saying or something? :-) 
In Norwegian we have a similar saying: "Do not wake a sleeping bear". 
I think the Hogwarts motto conveys that one should never 
underestimate one's opponent; provocative action might not be a wise 
move even though your enemy at the moment seems quite harmless and 
dormant... A dragon is best monitored and controlled sleeping; you 
don't want to find yourself in the situation of facing one that's 
awake.

I believe Harry will find out just how true the school motto is in 
the next two books... Right at the end of OoP he did "tickle" a 
sleeping dragon. Reading the conversation between Harry and Draco in 
the Entrance Hall makes me quite sure Draco will come back in book 6 
considerably more dangerous than he has ever been. I wish Harry 
hadn't tickled that dragon...

Berit
http://home.no.net/berjakob/snape.html