What is the Hogwarts school motto in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series?

The Hogwarts school motto in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series is “Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.”

The Latin phrase appears on the Hogwarts coat of arms and is translated as “Never tickle a sleeping dragon.” It expresses the school’s playful but practical warning about avoiding needless danger. The motto is visible in descriptions and visual depictions of Hogwarts, including official artwork associated with the school.

Readers sometimes confuse it with spells or house mottos from the series. “Morsmordre,” for example, is a spell connected with the Dark Mark, while “Fortius Quo Fidelius” is the motto associated with the Potter family’s crest in later wizarding-world material. Hogwarts’ motto is a school emblem phrase, not a magical incantation.