Opinion Here lies Dobby

Harry Potter fans who have been gathering at a site on Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, recognised as the “grave” of beloved character Dobby, can continue to do so, local authorities have said — as long as they stop leaving him little tokens of love. It seems that their tributes, which include socks (items with great emotional resonance in the fictional world), have started to pose a threat to the ecologically sensitive area, which is home to rare ground-nesting birds, seals, harbour porpoises and seagulls. After polling residents with mixed results, authorities have ruled out moving the site and have asked fans to pay their respects by simply taking a picture.

Few forces today are as powerful as fandoms and the one dedicated to the fictional world of Harry Potter is among the most devoted in the world. It willed Quidditch — the flying broomsticks version of football that is all the rage in Potterverse — into existence, complete with a governing body (the International Quidditch Association) and so deeply mourned Dobby’s death that creator J K Rowling officially apologised for “killing him”. For better or for worse, fandoms shape the wider culture’s relationship with works of art or their creators. They can turn toxic — as seen in the sexist, racist harassment from Star Wars fans faced by actor Kelly Marie Tran. At their best, though, fandoms form tremendous support networks, such as when the fandoms of Justin Beiber, Selena Gomez and other pop stars came together to support singer Ariana Grande after the 2017 attack on her concert in Manchester.

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But most importantly, a devoted fandom holds great commercial promise. This may explain why Welsh authorities have ruled against shutting down Dobby’s resting place. And with an official Harry Potter fan account on Instagram acceding to their modest demands, it seems that, at least for now, Dobby the Free Elf, can rest in peace.