Harry Potter fans have successfully forced the relocation of a £430 million undersea power cable between the UK and Ireland, as it was originally set to run through the fictional grave of Dobby the house elf. The beloved character, who died in the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was buried at Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the 2010 film.
Fan Pilgrimage Site
The site has become a popular pilgrimage destination for Potter fans, who regularly visit and leave offerings at the makeshift grave. The National Trust has previously appealed to fans to stop leaving items, as the location is ecologically sensitive. Nevertheless, fans continue to leave stones inscribed with "Here Lies Dobby" in tribute.
Unexpected Complaints
The Greenlink interconnector cable, intended to connect Ireland to the National Grid, was planned to pass directly through the site. Project manager Simon Ludlam said he was baffled by the backlash after the route was revealed on a BBC interview. "We did the shot [for BBC], we finished, I went back to London and they then aired it a couple of weeks later and we got hundreds of calls. I mean, hundreds of calls," he said.
Ludlam admitted he initially had no idea who Dobby was, responding to a colleague's warning by saying, "Dobby, who’s Dobby? I don’t know Dobby?" He added, "I said: 'He’s a fictitious character in a fictitious book, the whole thing is fictitious. What are you talking about?'"
Alternate Route Found
After the overwhelming response, the team was forced to reconsider the route. They eventually found an alternative path, which Ludlam noted is "quite close to some real Bronze Age remains," including burial urns, "but we avoided Dobby's grave." He concluded, "A lot of people were very happy about that, and the project is now going [ahead] and Dobby’s happy."
