“This is Dragomir Despard....He speaks very little English, but he is in sympathy with the Dark Lord’s aims. He has traveled here from Transylvania to see our new regime."
-- Hermione introducing Ron in disguise at Gringott's Bank
A made-up name given to Ron Weasley while he was in disguise during the Great Gringott’s Caper.
- Hermione transformed Ron in Despard with using transfiguration spells. He was allegedly a visitor from Transylvania who was interested in the Dark Lord's plans. The cover name of a "fictional foreigner" was chosen so Ron wouldn't be expected to converse much, and Hermione could do most of the talking. Her disguise as Bellatrix Lestrange was thought to be "malevolent" enough to keep Ron from being harmed by the Goblins (DH26).
Commentary
Etymology
Dragomir: A Slavic name from Romania and Serbia meaning "precious peace" - possibly chosen for its similarity to Draco Malfoy's name, well-known in Slytherin circles. The name, which has the same prefix as "dragon," may also work as foreshadowing for the dragon-rescue from Gringotts later in the chapter.
Despard: Possibly a reference to the Scottish suffragette Charlotte Despard, a believer in women's rights and a War recruiter during WWI. Two streets are named after her in London, one of which ends at a pub of the same name.
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: code names disguises fake names