Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

by J. K. Rowling

  ALBUS: Did it work? Did any of it work?

  SCORPIUS: No . . . But, Albus --

  HARRY: Albus. Whatever gibberish you're talking, you need to stop it, now. This is your final warning.

  ALBUS looks torn between his dad and his friend.

  ALBUS: I can't, okay?

  SCORPIUS: You can't what?

  ALBUS: Just -- we'll be better off without each other, okay?

  SCORPIUS is left looking up after him. Heartbroken.

  ACT TWO, SCENE TEN

  HOGWARTS, HEADMISTRESS'S OFFICE

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL is full of unhappiness, HARRY is full of purpose, GINNY is not sure what she's supposed to be.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: I'm not sure this is what the Marauder's Map was intended for.

  HARRY: If you see them together, then get to them as quickly as possible, and keep them separate.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Harry, are you sure this is the right decision? Because far be it from me to doubt the wisdom of the centaurs, but Bane is an extremely angry centaur and . . . it's not beyond him to twist the constellations for his own ends.

  HARRY: I trust Bane. Albus is to stay away from Scorpius. For his sake, and others.

  GINNY: I think what Harry means is . . .

  HARRY (with finality): The professor knows what I mean.

  GINNY looks at HARRY, surprised that he'd talk to her that way.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Albus has been checked by the greatest witches and wizards in the country and no one can find or sense a hex or a curse.

  HARRY: And Dumbledore -- Dumbledore said --

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: What?

  HARRY: His portrait. We spoke. He said some things which made sense --

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Dumbledore is dead, Harry. And I've told you before, portraits don't represent even half of their subjects.

  HARRY: He said love had blinded me.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: A head teacher's portrait is a memoir. It is supposed to be a support mechanism for the decisions I have to make. But I was advised as I took this job to not mistake the painting for the person. And you would be well-advised to do the same.

  HARRY: But he was right. I see it now.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Harry, you've been put under enormous pressure, the loss of Albus, the search for him, the fears as to what your scar might mean. But trust me when I tell you, you are making a mistake.

  HARRY: Albus didn't like me before. He might not like me again. But he will be safe. With the greatest respect, Minerva -- you don't have children --

  GINNY: Harry!

  HARRY: -- you don't understand.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL (deeply hurt): I'd hope that a lifetime spent in the teaching profession would mean . . .

  HARRY: This map will reveal to you where my son is at all times -- I expect you to use it. And if I hear you don't -- then I will come down on this school as hard as I can -- using the full force of the Ministry -- is that understood?

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL (bewildered by this vitriol): Perfectly.

  GINNY looks at HARRY, unsure of what he's become. He doesn't look back.

  ACT TWO, SCENE ELEVEN

  HOGWARTS, DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS CLASSROOM

  ALBUS enters the classroom -- slightly unsure.

  HERMIONE: Ah yes. Our train absconder. Finally joining us.

  ALBUS: Hermione?

  He looks amazed. HERMIONE is standing at the front of the lesson.

  HERMIONE: Professor Granger I believe is my name, Potter.

  ALBUS: What are you doing here?

  HERMIONE: Teaching. For my sins. What are you doing here? Learning, I hope.

  ALBUS: But you're . . . you're . . . Minister for Magic.

  HERMIONE: Been having those dreams again, have you, Potter? Today we're going to look at Patronus Charms.

  ALBUS (amazed): You're our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?

  There are titters.

  HERMIONE: Losing patience now. Ten points from Gryffindor for stupidity.

  POLLY CHAPMAN (standing, full of affront): No. No. He's doing it deliberately. He hates Gryffindor and everyone knows it.

  HERMIONE: Sit down, Polly Chapman, before this gets even worse. (POLLY sighs and then sits.) And I suggest you join her, Albus. And end this charade.

  ALBUS: But you're not this mean.

  HERMIONE: And that's twenty points from Gryffindor to assure Albus Potter that I am this mean.

  YANN FREDERICKS: If you don't sit down right now, Albus . . .

  ALBUS sits.

  ALBUS: Can I just say --

  HERMIONE: No, you can't. Just keep quiet, Potter, otherwise you'll lose what limited popularity you already have. Now who can tell me what a Patronus is? No? No one. You really are a most disappointing bunch.

  HERMIONE smiles a thin smile. She really is quite mean.

  ALBUS: No. This is stupid. Where's Rose? She'll tell you that you're being ridiculous.

  HERMIONE: Who's Rose? Your invisible friend?

  ALBUS: Rose Granger-Weasley! Your daughter! (He realizes.) Of course -- because you and Ron aren't married Rose --

  There's giggling.

  HERMIONE: How dare you! Fifty points from Gryffindor. And I assure you if anyone interrupts me again it'll be a hundred points . . .

  She stares around the room. No one moves a muscle.

  Good. A Patronus is a magical charm, a projection of all your most positive feelings, and takes the shape of the animal with whom you share the deepest affinity. It is a gift of light. If you can conjure a Patronus, you can protect yourself against the world. Which, in some of our cases, seems like a necessity sooner rather than later.

  ACT TWO, SCENE TWELVE

  HOGWARTS, STAIRCASES

  ALBUS walks up a staircase. Looking around as he does.

  He doesn't see anything. He exits. The staircases move in almost a dance.

  SCORPIUS enters behind him. He thinks he's seen ALBUS, he realizes he isn't there.

  He slumps down to the floor as the staircase sweeps around.

  MADAM HOOCH enters and walks up the staircase. At the top, she gestures for SCORPIUS to move.

  He does. And slopes off -- his abject loneliness clear.

  ALBUS enters and walks up one staircase.

  SCORPIUS enters and walks up another.

  The staircases meet. The two boys look at each other.

  Lost and hopeful--all at once.

  And then ALBUS looks away and the moment is broken--and with it, possibly, the friendship.

  And now the staircases part -- the two look at each other -- one full of guilt -- the other full of pain -- both full of unhappiness.

  ACT TWO, SCENE THIRTEEN

  HARRY AND GINNY POTTER'S HOUSE, KITCHEN

  GINNY and HARRY watch each other warily. There is an argument due, and both of them know it.

  HARRY: This is the right decision.

  GINNY: You almost sound convinced.

  HARRY: You told me to be honest with him, but actually I needed to be honest with myself, trust what my heart was telling me . . .

  GINNY: Harry, you have one of the greatest hearts of any wizard who ever lived, and I do not believe your heart told you to do this.

  They hear a knock on the door.

  Saved by the door.

  She exits.

  After a moment, DRACO enters, consumed by anger but hiding it well.

  DRACO: I can't stay long. I won't need long.

  HARRY: How can I help?

  DRACO: I'm not here to antagonize you. But my son is in tears and I am his father and so I am here to ask why you would keep apart two good friends.

  HARRY: I'm not keeping them apart.

  DRACO: You've changed school timetables, you've threatened both teachers and Albus himself. Why?

  HARRY looks at DRACO carefully and then turns away.

  HARRY: I have to protect my son.

  DRACO: From Scorpius?

  HARRY: Bane told me he sensed a darkness
around my son. Near my son.

  DRACO: What are you implying, Potter?

  HARRY turns and looks DRACO dead in the eye.

  HARRY: Are you sure . . . are you really sure he's yours, Draco?

  There's a deadly silence.

  DRACO: You take that back . . . right now.

  But HARRY doesn't take it back.

  So DRACO takes his wand out.

  HARRY: You do not want to do this.

  DRACO: Yes, I do.

  HARRY: I don't want to hurt you, Draco.

  DRACO: How interesting, because I do want to hurt you.

  The two square up. And then release their wands.

  DRACO and HARRY: Expelliarmus!

  Their wands repel and then break apart.

  DRACO: Incarcerous!

  HARRY dodges a blast from DRACO's wand.

  HARRY: Tarantallegra!

  DRACO throws himself out of the way.

  You've been practicing, Draco.

  DRACO: And you've got sloppy, Potter. Densaugeo!

  HARRY just manages to get out of the way.

  HARRY: Rictusempra!

  DRACO uses a chair to block the blast.

  DRACO: Flipendo!

  HARRY is sent twirling through the air. DRACO laughs.

  Keep up, old man.

  HARRY: We're the same age, Draco.

  DRACO: I wear it better.

  HARRY: Brachiabindo!

  DRACO is bound tightly.

  DRACO: That really the best you got? Emancipare.

  DRACO releases his own binds.

  Levicorpus!

  HARRY has to throw himself out of the way.

  Mobilicorpus! Oh, this is too much fun . . .

  DRACO bounces HARRY up and down on the table. And then as HARRY rolls away, DRACO jumps onto the table -- he readies his wand, but as he does, HARRY hits him with a spell . . .

  HARRY: Obscuro!

  DRACO releases himself from his blindfold as soon as it hits.

  The two square up -- HARRY throws a chair.

  DRACO ducks underneath it and slows the chair with his wand.

  GINNY: I only left this room three minutes ago!

  She looks at the mess of the kitchen. She looks at the chairs suspended in the air. She signals them back to the floor with her wand.

  (Drier than dry.) What did I miss?

  ACT TWO, SCENE FOURTEEN

  HOGWARTS, STAIRCASES

  SCORPIUS walks unhappily down a staircase.

  DELPHI scurries in from the other side.

  DELPHI: So -- technically -- I shouldn't be here.

  SCORPIUS: Delphi?

  DELPHI: In fact, technically I'm endangering our entire operation . . . which is not . . . well, I'm not a natural risk-taker as you know. I've never been to Hogwarts. Pretty lax security here, isn't there? And so many portraits. And corridors. And ghosts! This half-headless, strange-looking ghost told me where I could find you, can you believe that?

  SCORPIUS: You've never been to Hogwarts?

  DELPHI: I was -- unwell -- as a child -- for a few years. Other people got to go -- I did not.

  SCORPIUS: You were too -- ill? I'm sorry, I didn't know that.

  DELPHI: I don't advertise the fact -- I prefer not to be seen as a tragic case, you know?

  This registers with SCORPIUS. He looks up to say something but DELPHI suddenly ducks from view as a student walks past. SCORPIUS tries to look casual until the student passes.

  Have they gone?

  SCORPIUS: Delphi, maybe it is too dangerous for you to be here --

  DELPHI: Well -- someone's got to do something about this.

  SCORPIUS: Delphi, none of it worked, time-turning, we failed.

  DELPHI: I know. Albus owled me. The history books changed but not enough -- Cedric still died. In fact, failing the first task only made him more determined to win the second.

  SCORPIUS: And Ron and Hermione have gone completely skewwhiff -- and I still haven't figured out why.

  DELPHI: And that's why Cedric has to wait. It's all become quite confused and you're entirely right to be keeping hold of the Time-Turner, Scorpius. But what I meant was -- someone's got to do something about the two of you.

  SCORPIUS: Oh.

  DELPHI: You're best friends. Every owl he sends I can feel your absence. He's destroyed by it.

  SCORPIUS: Sounds like he's found a shoulder to cry on. How many owls has he sent you now?

  DELPHI smiles softly.

  Sorry. That's -- I didn't mean -- I just -- don't understand what's going on. I've tried to see him, talk to him, but every time I do he runs off.

  DELPHI: You know, I didn't have a best friend when I was your age. I wanted one. Desperately. When I was younger I even invented one but --

  SCORPIUS: I had one of those too. Called Flurry. We fell out over the correct rules of Gobstones.

  DELPHI: Albus needs you, Scorpius. That's a wonderful thing.

  SCORPIUS: He needs me to do what?

  DELPHI: That's the thing, isn't it? About friendships. You don't know what he needs. You only know he needs it. Find him, Scorpius. You two -- you belong together.

  ACT TWO, SCENE FIFTEEN

  HARRY AND GINNY POTTER'S HOUSE, KITCHEN

  HARRY and DRACO sit far apart. GINNY stands between them.

  DRACO: Sorry about your kitchen, Ginny.

  GINNY: Oh, it's not my kitchen. Harry does most of the cooking.

  DRACO: I can't talk to him either. Scorpius. Especially since -- Astoria has gone. I can't even talk about how losing her has affected him. As hard as I try, I can't reach him. You can't talk to Albus. I can't talk to Scorpius. That's what this is about. Not about my son being evil. Because as much as you might take the word of a haughty centaur, you know the power of friendship.

  HARRY: Draco, whatever you may think . . .

  DRACO: I always envied you them, you know -- Weasley and Granger. I had --

  GINNY: Crabbe and Goyle.

  DRACO: Two lunks who wouldn't know one end of a broomstick from another. You -- the three of you -- you shone, you know? You liked each other. You had fun. I envied you those friendships more than anything else.

  GINNY: I envied them too.

  HARRY looks at GINNY, surprised.

  HARRY: I need to protect him --

  DRACO: My father thought he was protecting me. Most of the time. I think you have to make a choice -- at a certain point -- of the man you want to be. And I tell you that at that time you need a parent or a friend. And if you've learnt to hate your parent by then and you have no friends . . . then you're all alone. And being alone -- that's so hard. I was alone. And it sent me to a truly dark place. For a long time. Tom Riddle was also a lonely child. You may not understand that, Harry, but I do -- and I think Ginny does too.

  GINNY: He's right.

  DRACO: Tom Riddle didn't emerge from his dark place. And so Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort. Maybe the black cloud Bane saw was Albus's loneliness. His pain. His hatred. Don't lose the boy. You'll regret it. And so will he. Because he needs you, and Scorpius, whether or not he now knows it.

  HARRY looks at DRACO, he thinks.

  He opens his mouth to speak. He thinks.

  GINNY: Harry. Will you get the Floo powder or shall I?

  HARRY looks up at his wife.

  ACT TWO, SCENE SIXTEEN

  HOGWARTS, LIBRARY

  SCORPIUS arrives in the library. He looks left and right. And then he sees ALBUS. And ALBUS sees him.

  SCORPIUS: Hi.

  ALBUS: Scorpius. I can't . . .

  SCORPIUS: I know. You're in Gryffindor now. You don't want to see me now. But here I am anyway. Talking to you.

  ALBUS: Well, I can't talk so . . .

  SCORPIUS: You have to. You think you can just ignore everything that's happened? The world has gone crazy, have you noticed?

  ALBUS: I know, okay? Ron's gone strange. Hermione's a professor, it's all wrong, but . . .

  SCORPIUS: And Rose doesn't exist.

 
ALBUS: I know. Look, I don't understand everything but you can't be here.

  SCORPIUS: Because of what we did, Rose wasn't even born. Do you remember being told about the Triwizard Tournament Yule Ball? All the four Triwizard champions took a partner. Your dad took Parvati Patil, Viktor Krum took --

  ALBUS: Hermione. And Ron got jealous and behaved like a prat.

  SCORPIUS: Only he didn't. I found Rita Skeeter's book about them. And it's very different. Ron took Hermione to the ball.

  ALBUS: What?

  POLLY CHAPMAN: Sshhhh!

  SCORPIUS looks at POLLY and drops his volume.

  SCORPIUS: As friends. And they danced in a friendly way, and it was nice, and then he danced with Padma Patil and that was nicer, and they started dating and he changed a bit and then they got married and meanwhile Hermione became a --

  ALBUS: -- psychopath.

  SCORPIUS: Hermione was supposed to go to that ball with Krum -- do you know why she didn't? Because she had suspicions the two strange Durmstrang boys she met before the first task were somehow involved in the disappearance of Cedric's wand. She believed we -- under Viktor's orders -- cost Cedric the first task . . .

  ALBUS: Wow.

  SCORPIUS: And without Krum, Ron never got jealous and that jealousy was all-important and so Ron and Hermione stayed very good friends but never fell in love -- never got married -- never had Rose.

  ALBUS: So that's why Dad's so -- did he change too?

  SCORPIUS: I'm pretty sure your dad is exactly the same. Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Married to Ginny. Three kids.

  ALBUS: So why is he being such a --

  A LIBRARIAN enters at the back of the room.

  SCORPIUS: Have you heard me, Albus? This is bigger than you and your dad. Professor Croaker's law -- the furthest someone can go back in time without the possibility of serious harm to the traveler or time itself is five hours. And we went back years. The smallest moment, the smallest change, it creates ripples. And we -- we've created really bad ripples. Rose was never born because of what we did. Rose.

  LIBRARIAN: Ssshhh!

  ALBUS thinks quickly.

  ALBUS: Fine, let's go back -- fix it. Get Cedric and Rose back.

  SCORPIUS: . . . is the wrong answer.

  ALBUS: You've still got the Time-Turner, right? No one found it?

  SCORPIUS takes it out of his pocket.

  SCORPIUS: Yes, but . . .

  ALBUS snatches it from his hand.

  No. Don't . . . Albus. Don't you understand how bad things could get?

  SCORPIUS grabs for the Time-Turner, ALBUS pushes him back, they wrestle inexpertly.