“Please stop leaving your socks on Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales.” This is the message that the National Trust of Wales is directing to Harry Potter lovers after an eight-month review of the place. According to Entertainment Weekly, so many fans left their socks on the beach – the scene of the death of beloved Dobby – that it has become an environmental problem.
As fans of the Harry Potter series are well aware, socks are Dobby’s main symbol. The beloved house elf was enslaved by the Malfoy family when we first meet him in Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets . At the end of the book, Harry tricked Lucius Malfoy into handing Dobby a sock – and thus frees him. Dobby keeps that sock until he dies, saving Harry and his friends before dying in Harry’s arms on the beach.
Source: digitalspy.com
Fans have since left their socks on the beach for years for the characters, however it has become a problem. Regardless, the National Trust said they plan to leave the memorial site as it is.
Dobby’s symbolic grave will remain in Freshwater West shortly for people to enjoy. The National Trust Wales is asking visitors to only take photos while visiting the tomb to help protect the wider landscape. Items such as socks, knick-knacks and paint chips from painted pebbles can end up in the marine environment and wildlife food chain, which can endanger them.
The National Trust Wales said in a statement .
We are delighted that so many people want to visit us, but we need to balance the popularity of the place with the impact on the fragile nature of the beach and the wider environment.
Another National Trust Wales official said.
Will there be more Harry Potter movies ?
To date, Harry Potter’s greatest compliment has been the Fantastic Beasts trilogy – which has suffered a budget defeat and sparked additional controversy over the off-screen behavior of stars Johnny Depp and Ezra Miller. Although Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts was released this year, and fans will see the Hogwarts Legacy role-playing game in February, the Harry Potter franchise seems to be in decline.
A recent report from Variety indicates that Warner Bros. Discovery is not currently developing any Harry Potter movies . According to this publication, Rowling is not negotiating with the company regarding future films. This likely includes the ongoing Fantastic Beasts franchise , which was supposed to have two more films.