Sock-stuffing ‘Harry Potter’ fans mourn endangered Dobby memorial

nypost.com:

reported the Independent.The beloved character in the “Harry Potter” series — a gentle “house elf” who was freed from his abusive masters when gifted a sock — met his tragic and undue end during the franchise’s seventh film installment and was “laid to rest” at Freshwater West beach, prompting fans to leave tokens of goodwill, primarily socks, at the gravesite.

But now, the organization that manages the site has released a survey that could determine the future of Dobby’s memorial. “Over the past few years we have seen an increase in visitors wanting to experience all that Freshwater West has to offer, including its beautiful beach,” the group began in a statement. “We love welcoming people to the site, but the increase in numbers does mean its facilities and infrastructure are under even more pressure.

We want visitors to have an enjoyable, safe experience while ensuring this special landscape is looked after for future generations,” they wrote.The purpose of the survey would be to “relocate the memorial to a suitable publicly accessible location.”Potter-heads, however, are stupefied over the proposal. “Noooooo leave it be, it’s lovely and it’s not doing any harm,” wrote one fan on Twitter.“Removing it is pointless, people will still visit there, leave Dobby rest in peace!” they added.“You can’t just move a memorial at your whim,” another tweeted.

Embattled author and “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling once stated to fans on social media that she actually regretted killing off the heroic character. “I apologize for killing someone who didn’t die during the #BattleofHogwarts, but who laid down his life to save the people who’d win it.