(ORDO NEWS) — For years, Harry Potter fans have paid tribute to the beloved house elf of the Dobby franchise by leaving socks on one of the beaches in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, where his death in the film was filmed. But it seems that people and fiction are now threatening the local ecology.
It seems that everyone remembers: in order to be freed, a house elf (from the Harry Potter universe) must receive some thing as a gift from the owner. So, thanks to Harry’s sock, Dobby the elf stopped serving the evil Malfoy couple.
It was in the second part of the franchise, a few books/movies later, everyone’s favorite elf dies in Harry’s arms. This scene was filmed on a beach in Wales, UK.
In the same place, after the end of the franchise, people began to annually salute all the captive elves and Dobby personally, leaving various trinkets and, of course, socks on a makeshift grave. But it turns out that this is not such a good tradition, environmentalists say.
Harry Potter and the Death of Dobby the Elf
The death of fictional elf Dobby devastated fans so much that writer J.K. Rowling apologized for this in 2018. Fans and even Welsh Beach locals had no doubts about the need for a memorial on the beach.
It turned out that such gratitude, according to Wales officials, created a danger to the environment of the area. But the collection of souvenirs (heaps of socks, pieces of clothing, painted pebbles, etc.) grew and grew.
Fearing that the beach’s ecosystem would be irreparably damaged, environmental authorities decided to demolish the memorial.
But after some deliberation, a decision was made to keep the grave, with the proviso that no more gifts would be left for the slain elf. Dobby’s final resting place will remain “for the joy of the people,” local authorities say.
Dobby is free
The named beach is a long stretch of winding dunes and exposed rocky reefs. The legally protected conservation area is home to a variety of wildlife, including lizards, gray seals, porpoises, and rare ground-nesting birds.
About 75,000 people flock to the beach to Dobby’s resting place each year, according to the National Trust, a conservation charity that looks after historic sites and landmarks, often exceeding the beach’s capacity.
“Items such as socks, trinkets and paint chips from painted pebbles can enter the marine environment and food chain and endanger wildlife,” the charity said in a statement.
On Wednesday, November 2, the Wizarding World, the official Harry Potter fan center, asked Muggles – that is, “non-wizards” – not to leave footprints in memory of the house elf.
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