J.K. Rowling Apologizes For Killing Lovable Dobby, ‘Harry Potter’ House Elf With A Heart Of Gold
For ardent fans of the widely-popular Harry Potter books and movies, May 2 is more than just an ordinary day. The date commemorates the Battle of Hogwarts when the staff and pupils of the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry took their last stand against Voldemort and his acolytes in the fictional 1998.
Many beloved characters in the Harry Potter universe lost their lives in the epic battle, breaking the hearts of fans who witnessed their final moments either in print or on screen.
J.K. Rowling is equally attached to her beloved characters and is very mindful of how Harry Potter fans feel each time the fated date rolls around. The acclaimed author of the Harry Potter series has even made it a tradition to reach out to the (still grieving) fans on May 2 to pay tribute to those that died in the Battle of Hogwarts.
For the past three years, Rowling has been marking the date with a heartfelt apology for the death of a beloved character. It all started in 2015 when the author of the Harry Potter novels apologized on Twitter for the death of Fred Weasley.
“I thought I might apologize for one death per anniversary. Fred was the worst for me, so I started with him,” she tweeted.
Today I would just like to say: I'm really sorry about Fred. *Bows head in acceptance of your reasonable ire*
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2015
In 2016, Rowling apologized to her fans for killing Remus Lupin. Last year, she atoned for the death of Severus Snape.
Today, the British author took to Twitter to commemorate another cherished character of the Harry Potter universe, Dobby the house elf, Entertainment Magazine reports.
“It’s That Anniversary Again” – J.K. Rowling Talks About Dobby The House Elf https://t.co/SyXvnI58i6 pic.twitter.com/1nzwKLTXRt
— Comicon (@TheComicon) May 2, 2018
Although Dobby met his demise before the Battle of Hogwarts even took place, Rowling chose to honor the endearing character for his self-sacrifice and for the invaluable contribution of his final act to the favorable outcome of the battle.
It's that anniversary again. This year, I apologise for killing someone who didn't die during the #BattleofHogwarts, but who laid down his life to save the people who'd win it. I refer, of course, to Dobby the house elf.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 2, 2018
Harry Potter fans were deeply moved by Rowling’s gesture and didn’t hesitate to show their appreciation by tweeting back to reminisce about Dobby and his huge impact on the destiny of the other characters.
“At first I didn’t like Dobby, but I wish I could be more like Dobby, his death in the book and the film always makes me cry,” wrote one of Rowling’s Twitter followers, to which the author replied she was touched by these kind words.
@jk_rowling
Honestly, I've been waiting for this one. #Dobby was a lovely character. Misunderstood, at first, like a lot of your characters. #dobbyisafreeelf #BattleofHogwarts— Diego (@MachoDeSungaxx) May 2, 2018
Dobby was first introduced in the second book of the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where he initially appeared to be a bit of a nuisance as he desperately tried to prevent Harry from returning to Hogwarts that year because the infamous Chamber of Secrets had been opened.
Originally a mistreated house elf of the Malfoy family, Dobby gained his freedom when Harry slipped an item of clothing in Tom Riddle’s diary, thereby tricking Lucius Malfoy to release Dobby from his service.
His death came in the last book of the magical series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when Dobby bravely risked his life to save Harry and co. from Malfoy Manor and Voldemort’s Death Eaters and eventually perished at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange.
