Dobby was one of the most popular characters in the series. He serves as Lucius Malfoy’s slave and is treated very badly. However, he can only be free if someone from the Malfoy family gives him a piece of clothing, and it does! Lucius Malfoy accidentally gives Dobby a sock, officially making the once-unlucky elf “a free elf.”
In a later part of the series, Dobby dies, caused by Bellatrix of Detta while trying to save Hermione Granger. This brought quite a few tears to many fans. The shock was so great that some thought the house elf deserved to get a real grave. And so that grave came to be, on the beach at Freshwater West in Wales.
socks
As a tribute, tourists have been leaving socks behind for years at the so-called grave of Dobby, the item of clothing that set him free. ‘Here lies Dobby, a free elf’, reads, among other things, signs.
However, the growing number of mementos, including the pile of socks and painted pebbles, is now becoming a nuisance, Welsh authorities say. Earlier, National Trust Cymru, a conservation charity, launched a survey to ask local residents if they would consider moving the grave to another location. They believe that the vulnerable sand dunes of the beach are endangered by the many tourists. “This is not sustainable in the long run.”
Consideration was given to demolishing the memorial site. But after much deliberation, a middle ground was eventually chosen. The ‘grave’ may remain, but visitors are absolutely not allowed to leave socks or other items behind.