It has been decades since we last witnessed the death of fan-favorite character, Dobby the house elf in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, and still, people cannot forget the iconic scene of Harry secretly giving Dobby his sock while implying it came directly from his abusive master, Lucius Malfoy, as a form of memorializing the house elf beyond the grave.
Harry Potter fans or ‘Potterheads’ had been reportedly leaving many trinkets on their makeshift memorial for Dobby the house elf on Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, specifically because the house elf also died on the beach on his last breath. While it certainly gained popularity and became something of a shrine for Potterheads, the ‘trinkets’ they left on the beach not only include socks, but also trinkets, and painted pebbles.
This was brought to the attention of the National Trust of Wales, who quickly had to address the environmental problem this was causing. Read their statement released on NBC News below:
“The memorial to Dobby will remain at Freshwater West in the immediate term for people to enjoy. The Trust is asking visitors to only take photos when visiting the memorial to help protect the wider landscape. Items like socks, trinkets, and paint chips from painted pebbles could enter the marine environment and food chain and put wildlife at risk.”
After an eight-month long review of the site, the National Trust of Wales had decided to leave the memorial shrine on the beach, so long as no more items are added to it to prevent further complications or potential damages to the property’s surroundings.
“While we’re delighted that so many want to visit, we have to balance the popularity of the site with impacts on the sensitive nature of the beach and wider environment, and pressure on the facilities and surrounding roads.”
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