‘Harry Potter’ fans warned to stop leaving socks at Dobby’s grave on a beach in Wales where “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1” shot Dobby’s death scene.
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Fans of “Harry Potter” are being asked not to leave socks at Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, where a memorial for the house elf Dobby has been set up.
The area was used to film Dobby’s dying scene in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.” Dobby dies in Harry’s arms in the “Harry Potter” novels, telling him that the seashore is “such a great place to be with friends.”
Many more fans were encouraged to visit Freshwater West Beach and leave socks when “Harry Potter” fans constructed a tribute for Dobby at the filming location. The socks pay homage to Dobby, who is released from indentured slavery after his villainous owner, Lucius Malfoy, is duped into giving him a sock. Dobby wears the sock until the day he dies.
Environmental officials in the United Kingdom want Harry Potter fans to help protect the beloved beach site in Pembrokeshire where the fictional character Dobby — late loyal house-elf friend to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) — is laid to rest in the film after being slain by the villainous Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter).
The Washington Post mentions an environmental danger that has existed for more than ten years as fans from all over the world come to pay their respects by leaving painted rocks and other keepsakes. However, socks in particular are considered to be a problem.
Socks were a vital item for the little elf in the popular film series, as they enabled him gain freedom from the Malfoy family.
So many “Harry Potter” fans left socks at the Dobby shrine that it became an environmental hazard for Freshwater West Beach. After an eight-month study, environmental regulators from the conservation organisation National Trust Wales agreed to keep the memorial up, however a warning to fans has now been issued.
“The Dobby memorial will stay in Freshwater West for the time being for everyone to enjoy,” the National Trust Wales stated in a statement. “To help safeguard the wider landscape, the Trust is urging visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial.”
Welsh officials had planned to remove the memorial, but until last week decided to maintain it on the condition that supporters consider the environment and stop giving gifts in Dobby’s honour.
“To help safeguard the greater landscape, the Trust is urging people to only take photos when visiting the memorial,” National Trust Cymru officials said in a press release.
While some members of the community regard the site as a “piece of magic,” others have described it as a “mess.”
At the end of the film, Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), and Dobby (voiced by English actor Toby Jones) flee to Freshwater Beach.
In their review conclusions, the National Trust Wales stated that “things such as socks, souvenirs, and paint chips from painted pebbles could enter the marine environment and food chain, putting species at risk.”
“While we are thrilled that so many people wish to visit, we must balance the site’s popularity with impacts on the sensitive nature of the beach and wider ecosystem, as well as pressure on the facilities and nearby roads,” Jonathan Hughes, a National Trust Wales officer, noted.
Dobby describes the location as “such a great spot to be with friends” as he takes his final breaths after meeting his fate moments before they apparate to the beach.
The burial marker reads, “HERE LIES DOBBY A FREE ELF,” just as in the film, but officials urge fans to recognise the potential harm to the creatures as well.
“Items such as socks, souvenirs, and paint chips from painted pebbles may enter the marine environment and food chain, putting species at risk,” the researchers stated in a statement.
Officials said that the memorial will remain “for people to appreciate” for the time being.
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