Sapphire Dragons were so named for their brilliant color, which is reminiscent of the gemstone. This breed was historically hunted for their scales; even long after, they remain distrustful of humans. Normally a Sapphire is not very aggressive, but they will defend themselves vigorously if under attack. Their diet consists mainly of fruit, with smaller portions of large insects and other invertebrates. Males woo females with vocalizations similar to bird songs. Sapphire Dragons are very loyal to their mates, and it is not unusual that they pair for life.

Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.

Christmas Is Extra-Long teaches at the Academy and is known by students and other faculty as one of the most lenient and hard to anger, but she also famously holds grudges if someone succeeds at infuriating her. She'll forgive a lot of mistakes and behavioral problems that other instructors won't, but if those persist after several reminders and meetings, she punishes and grades harshly. Christmas Is Extra-Long is a small dragon and always wary when she's out and about on her own. She doesn't share her living quarters with anyone due to her paranoia, and she thinks she could benefit from finding a mate or some more friends, but the paranoia hinders that, too.