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Harry Potter fans force diversion of cable to protect 'Dobby's 'grave'

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 341 words · By David Mouriquand
Corporate PR Management Fan Culture vs. Infrastructure
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What to know about Corporate PR Management

It has been revealed that Harry Potter fans succeeded in diverting a multimillion-pound power link between the UK and Ireland after they pointed out the project would disturb a memorial to Dobby the House Elf.

Claims checked 6
Techniques found 2
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left17%
Center66%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

It has been revealed that Harry Potter fans succeeded in diverting a multimillion-pound power link between the UK and Ireland after they pointed out the project would disturb a memorial to Dobby the House Elf.

Why it matters

To (mis)crib from Professor McGonagall's rallying cry: "Piertotum Locomotor!

Common ground

Dobby's grave is threatened!" A £430 million (€502m) over-and-undersea cable project between Britain and Ireland has been rerouted after Harry Potter fans discovered the original plan would have disturbed a shrine to the fictional character Dobby the House…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/08/10/harry-potter-fans-force-cable-divers…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 3
verified Verified By Reference 2
cancel Disputed 1
verified
Claim 1: “The National Trust – Europe's largest conservation charity - agreed the shrine could remain in place in 2022”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While evidence confirms the National Trust is involved with Freshwater West and that a memorial exists, the provided search results for 'National Trust' in the evidence section are irrelevant (car rentals, bands, etc.) and do not specifically confirm the 2022 agreement date.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Charity gambling is a "form of incentivized giving" where a charity (or a group of charities), rather than a municipality or private casino, oversees gambling activities such as bingo, roulette, lotte…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charity_gambling
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rogers Communications Inc. is a Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet, with significant addit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Communications
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bank of Nova Scotia (French: Banque de Nouvelle-Écosse), operating as Scotiabank (French: Banque Scotia), is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Toront…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotiabank
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “It's on that beach where Dobby's death scene in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part One (2010) was filmed.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web sources confirm that the scene of Dobby's death in the movie was filmed at Freshwater West beach and that fans created a memorial there.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fantasy novel by British author J. K. Rowling. It is the seventh and final novel in the Harry Potter series. It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_H…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a 2010 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The first of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel Harry Potter an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_H…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. It is the second of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel by J. K.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_H…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “In an interview on The Energy Revolution podcast released last Wednesday, Simon Ludlam, chief executive of advisory firm Etchea Energy, explained how the plans led to "hundreds of calls" from furious Harry Potter fans.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including the Daily Mail and other web results, identify Simon Ludlam (former director/project manager) and his statements regarding 'hundreds of calls' from fans.
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web search NEUTRAL — Snopes contacted Ludlam and Etchea Energy for comment on his remarks and proof of the outreach from "Harry Potter" fans. We will update this article if we receive a response.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2026/08/13/dobby-grave-harry-pot…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — That year, Simon Ludlam, the project manager for the electricity cable known as Greenlink, appeared on BBC Wales to explain the project, standing on the beach where Dobby was buried. Fans revolted.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/world/europe/dobby-harry-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A major energy project was rerouted after fans of the Harry Potter series protested a pipeline would run through the grave of a fictional elf.Simon Ludlam, the project's former director, said his team…
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16038637/Harry-Potter…
verified
Claim 4: “The 190km-Greenlink high-voltage cable, to supply energy from Britain to Ireland, was supposed to be laid between County Wexford in Ireland and Freshwater West beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and the project's own FAQ confirm the cable is 190km long and connects County Wexford, Ireland, to Pembrokeshire, Wales, specifically landing at Freshwater West beach.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The East–West Interconnector is a 500 MW high-voltage direct current submarine and subsoil power cable from 2012 which connects the Irish and British electricity markets, between Dublin and the Wales/…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East–West_Interconnector
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Greenlink is a 190 km long 500 MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine power cable between County Wexford in Ireland and Pembrokeshire in Wales.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenlink
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of high-voltage transmission links in the United Kingdom, including some under construction or proposed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-voltage_transmiss…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “A £430 million (€502m) over-and-undersea cable project between Britain and Ireland has been rerouted after Harry Potter fans discovered the original plan would have disturbed a shrine to the fictional character Dobby the House Elf.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm that the Greenlink cable project was rerouted to avoid a fan-made memorial to Dobby the House Elf. The cost of £430 million is specifically mentioned in the evidence.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Events from the year 2026 in Wales.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_Wales
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Freshwater West (also known as Fresh West) is a beach near Castlemartin, Pembrokeshire in West Wales. It lies along the B4319 road and is part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Freshwater West…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshwater_West
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Greenlink is a 190 km long 500 MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine power cable between County Wexford in Ireland and Pembrokeshire in Wales.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenlink
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 6: “The project went live in 2025 and can now power 380,000 homes.”
DISPUTED
While the capacity to power 380,000 homes is corroborated by multiple sources, the claim that it 'went live in 2025' is not supported by the evidence. One source mentions it 'started today' without a date, and another refers to it as a 'proposed' project. There is no definitive confirmation of a 2025 operational date in the provided text.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Greenlink interconnector comprises two sub-sea cables running 190 kilometers under the Irish Sea. The cables have a 500 megawatt capacity – enough to power 380,000 homes.
https://www.thejournal.ie/greenlink-interconnector-launches-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The capacity of the Greenlink interconnector, at 500MW, is sufficient to power 380,000 homes or 10 new large data centres1. A proven technology that’s ready to go. Greenlink is not the first interconn…
https://www.eolasmagazine.ie/greenlink-connecting-irish-brit…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Greenlink Interconnector project is a proposed 320kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power cable system between Ireland and Wales.Image courtesy of Ikhlasul Amal. The Greenlink Interconnector w…
https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/greenlink-intercon…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.