======Sherry======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Alcoholic Beverage]]
  * **Known Consumers:** [[Sybill Trelawney]], [[Cornelius Fudge]], [[Mundungus Fletcher]]
  * **Origin:** [[Muggle]]-originated fortified wine
=====Description and Appearance=====
Sherry is a fortified wine, a type of [[alcoholic beverage]] originating in the [[Muggle]] world but also consumed by [[wizards]] and [[witches]]. In the series, it is depicted as a liquid served in a glass and stored in bottles. [[Professor Trelawney]] is known to possess numerous bottles, some of which she refers to as //"cooking sherry"//, suggesting she is not always particular about its quality.
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
Sherry possesses no inherent magical properties. Its effects are consistent with those of [[Muggle]] [[alcoholic beverage]]s. It is consumed for social purposes, as when [[Cornelius Fudge]] offers a glass to the [[Muggle Prime Minister]], or as a means of "fortification" against stress and anxiety, which is [[Professor Trelawney]]'s primary reason for drinking it.
Excessive consumption can lead to intoxication and impaired judgment. [[Professor Trelawney]] is often described as smelling strongly of sherry, and her reliance on it is a significant character trait, particularly during her period of probation and eventual sacking under [[Dolores Umbridge]].
=====Role in the Story=====
Sherry, while a mundane item, plays a surprisingly significant role in the series, primarily through the actions of [[Professor Trelawney]].
  * **Characterisation:** [[Professor Trelawney]]'s constant need for sherry characterises her as a nervous and high-strung individual, often overwhelmed by her circumstances. Her office in the [[North Tower]] is noted for its sweet sherry smell and the presence of numerous empty bottles. Her reliance on the drink increases dramatically after being placed on probation by [[Dolores Umbridge]]. When she is eventually dismissed, she is seen clutching a sherry bottle in the [[Entrance Hall]] while being comforted by [[Minerva McGonagall]] and [[Albus Dumbledore]].
  * **Plot Device in //Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince//:** Trelawney's habit of hiding her sherry bottles from [[house-elves]] becomes a critical plot point. While attempting to hide her empties in the [[Room of Requirement]], she is thrown out and overhears [[Draco Malfoy]] celebrating inside. She mistakenly believes his triumphant shouts are a reaction to her being discovered, but she reports what she heard to [[Harry Potter]]. Harry relays this information to [[Albus Dumbledore]], which helps confirm that Malfoy is using the [[Room of Requirement]] for [[Death Eater]]-related activities.
  * **Other Appearances:**
    * [[Mundungus Fletcher]], while on guard duty for the [[Order of the Phoenix]], attempts to placate the [[Dursleys]] by offering them sherry, highlighting his unreliable and unprofessional nature.
    * [[Cornelius Fudge]], as [[Minister for Magic]], offers sherry to the [[Muggle Prime Minister]] during their meeting, showing it to be a conventional drink used in formal inter-community relations.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
Sherry is a real-world fortified wine made from white grapes grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Its inclusion in the series grounds the [[wizarding world]] in reality, showing that wizards and [[Muggles]] share certain cultural staples.