The death of the beloved house elf Dobby was a defining moment for many young people who grew up reading and watching the Harry Potter books and films, but fans might have to prepare say goodbye all over again as his grave could soon be removed.
Dobby officially became a free elf when he received the precious gift of a sock in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and over the next few years he proved himself to be a loyal companion to Harry as he continued his battle against Voldemort.
He met his tragic demise in The Deathly Hallows Part I, after which he was buried with a gravestone reading 'Here lies Dobby, a free elf'.
Dobby is, of course, a fictional character who isn't really buried under the sand near Shell Cottage in Cornwall, but fans couldn't resist paying tribute to the fallen elf by creating a grave of their own above Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, where Dobby's burial was filmed.
The area is marked with a number of rocks and pebbles left by fans, many of which bear the same words as his original gravestone while others simply read "RIP Dobby."
Fans have also left socks at the site in reference to Dobby being set free, but National Trust Wales is now asking people whether the grave should be removed as increasing popularity at the beach has added 'additional pressure on the environment and facilities'.
In a survey relating to the 'future sustainable management' of Freshwater West, the National Trust asks respondents to share their thoughts on whether the grave should be removed, and on whether it should be transferred to a ''suitable publicly accessible location off-site'.
Victoria MacLean, a Harry Potter fan from Neath, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast fans would simply construct another tribute if the existing one is removed.
She commented: "Leaving a fresh sock is lovely but after a while that sock probably gets covered in all sorts and I can understand the socks.
Visited Dobby’s ‘grave’ today with daughter- she left sock offering- Something charmingly natural and uncommercial about it - hope it doesn’t change.@jk_rowling @Pembrokeshire pic.twitter.com/WBsWEjmlCI
— Gregory Jones QC (@GregoryJonesQC) August 1, 2020
"But the pebbles, some people have gone to great lengths to paint some of those pebbles, just to leave something in memorial to one of their favourite characters and it is so beautiful to see.
"I think if they took the grave away fans are just going to build another one, because there's millions of them.
"There needs to be something that will please the fans yet keep the beach looking beautiful because it is a stunning beach."
The survey is open until 31 May to give members of the public the chance to share their opinions, with respondents given options ranging from 'strongly support' to 'definitely against', as well as the option to add any additional comments on the matter.
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros./Alamy
Topics: Harry Potter, UK News, TV and Film, Environment
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