Lemon Drops

• Type: Muggle confectionery
• Owners: Primarily associated with Albus Dumbledore
• Maker: Unknown (common Muggle product)

Lemon Drops are a type of hard, boiled Muggle sweet with a distinct lemon flavour. In the original British editions of the novels, they are referred to as Sherbet Lemons, which typically feature a solid, translucent yellow candy shell containing a fizzy sherbet powder centre. The American editions use the term Lemon Drops, which generally refers to a solid hard candy without the powder filling. Their primary appeal lies in their simple, sharp citrus taste.

As a Muggle item, Lemon Drops possess no inherent magical properties. Their significance in the Wizarding World stems entirely from their association with Albus Dumbledore. Their most notable “magical” use was serving as the password to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. A witch or wizard simply had to state the name of the sweet—“Sherbet Lemon“—for the gargoyle to spring to life and reveal the spiral staircase behind it. Beyond their use as a password, Dumbledore frequently carried and offered the sweets to others. He used them as an icebreaker or a simple gesture of goodwill, demonstrating his unassuming nature and fondness for simple Muggle pleasures.

The sweets appear at several key moments throughout the series, almost always in connection with Albus Dumbledore.

• Philosopher's Stone: Dumbledore offers a Sherbet Lemon to Minerva McGonagall upon his arrival at Privet Drive to deliver the infant Harry Potter. She is not in the mood for one and declines.
• Chamber of Secrets: The password to the Headmaster's office is revealed to be ”Sherbet Lemon”. Harry Potter uses this password to gain access to the office, where he meets Fawkes for the first time and has a significant interaction with the Sorting Hat.
• Goblet of Fire: During the welcoming feast for the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, Dumbledore offers a Lemon Drop to Madame Maxime, which she accepts.
• Half-Blood Prince: When Dumbledore arrives at the Dursleys' home to collect Harry, he offers Lemon Drops to Vernon Dursley, who refuses them.

Lemon Drops serve primarily as a powerful and recurring symbol of Albus Dumbledore's character. His affection for a simple Muggle candy highlights his humility, his connection to the non-magical world, and his ability to find joy in small things, which contrasts sharply with his immense magical power and the heavy burdens he carries. The sweets also function as a minor but important plot device. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the password allows Harry to enter the Headmaster's office unsupervised, leading to his discovery of Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, both of which would prove crucial to his survival in the Chamber of Secrets and his battle with Tom Riddle's memory and the Basilisk.

• A notable difference exists between the British and American editions of the books. The UK editions consistently refer to the sweets as Sherbet Lemons, a popular real-world British confection. The US editions changed this to Lemon Drops, a more common term for a similar candy in the United States. The film adaptations use the British term, “Sherbet Lemon” (film).
• J.K. Rowling has stated that Dumbledore's love for sweets like Sherbet Lemons and knitting patterns was meant to show his humanity and approachability. She explained that it was important for the reader to understand that even this great and wise wizard had simple, endearing foibles (J.K. Rowling interview, 2007).