I just try to SURVIVE using them at all... but I usually use them when fighting a lot of undead at once. I've never used one on a dragon...
They only work on undead IIRC.
Try casting one and then using Become Ethereal before dashing through a crowd of undead.
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Become_Ethereal
I use skeletons because they're both weak and undead. I wait until there are at least three of them fairly close, then pop a scroll and run past them. Used this way, just the one scroll will complete J'Zargo's quest since the objective of three uses actually means kill three undead with the scroll(s), not necessarily use three scrolls. Kind of a mini-game for me I guess to complete his quest using only one scroll. Lol.