Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

by J. K. Rowling

  ALBUS: She's strong enough -- I know she is -- you saw her.

  SCORPIUS: She looked wonderful, Albus. And if I were you I'd be desperate to talk to her. But she needs to be able to beg Voldemort for Harry's life, she needs to think he might die, and you're the worst spoiler in the world that didn't turn out to be true . . .

  ALBUS: Dumbledore. Dumbledore's alive. We get Dumbledore involved. We do what you did with Snape --

  SCORPIUS: Can we risk him knowing your dad survives? That he has kids?

  ALBUS: He's Dumbledore! He can cope with anything!

  SCORPIUS: Albus, there have been about a hundred books written on what Dumbledore knew, how he knew it or why he did what he did. But what's undoubtedly true -- what he did -- he needs to do -- and I'm not going to risk messing with it. I was able to ask for help because I was in an alternate reality. We aren't. We're in the past. We can't fix time only to create more problems -- if our adventures have taught us anything, they've taught us that. The dangers of talking to anyone -- infecting time -- are too great.

  ALBUS: So we need to -- talk to the future. We need to send Dad a message.

  SCORPIUS: But we don't have an owl that can fly through time. And he doesn't have a Time-Turner.

  ALBUS: We get a message to Dad, he'll find a way to get back here. Even if he has to build a Time-Turner himself.

  SCORPIUS: We send a memory -- like a Pensieve -- stand over him and send a message, hope he reaches for the memory at exactly the right moment. I mean, it's unlikely, but . . . Stand over the baby -- and just repeatedly shout HELP. HELP. HELP. I mean, it might traumatize the baby slightly.

  ALBUS: Only slightly.

  SCORPIUS: A bit of trauma now is nothing compared to what's happening . . . and maybe when he then thinks -- later -- he might remember the faces of us as we -- shouted --

  ALBUS: Help.

  SCORPIUS looks at ALBUS.

  SCORPIUS: You're right. It's a terrible idea.

  ALBUS: It's one of your worst ideas ever.

  SCORPIUS: Got it! We deliver it ourselves -- we wait forty years -- we deliver it --

  ALBUS: Not a chance -- once Delphi has set time the way she wants she'll send armies to try and find us -- kill us --

  SCORPIUS: So we hide in a hole?

  ALBUS: As pleasurable as it will be to hide in a hole with you for the next forty years . . . they'll find us. And we'll die and time will be stuck in the wrong position. No. We need something we can control, something we know he'll get at exactly the right time. We need a --

  SCORPIUS: There's nothing. Still, if I had to choose a companion to be at the return of eternal darkness with, I'd choose you.

  ALBUS: No offense, but I'd choose someone massive and really good at magic.

  LILY exits the house with BABY HARRY in a pram, she carefully puts a blanket on him.

  His blanket. She's wrapping him in his blanket.

  SCORPIUS: Well, it is a moderately cold day.

  ALBUS: He always said -- it's the only thing he had from her. Look at the love with which she's put it on him -- I think he'd like to know about that -- I wish I could tell him.

  SCORPIUS: And I wish I could tell my dad -- well, I'm not sure what. I think I'd like to tell him that I'm occasionally capable of more bravery than he might think I am.

  ALBUS has a thought.

  ALBUS: Scorpius -- my dad still has that blanket.

  SCORPIUS: That won't work. If we write a message on it now, even really small, he'll read it too soon. Time will be spoilt.

  ALBUS: What do you know about love potions? What's the ingredient they all contain?

  SCORPIUS: Amongst other things, pearl dust.

  ALBUS: Pearl dust is a relatively rare ingredient, isn't it?

  SCORPIUS: Mainly because it's pretty expensive. What's this about, Albus?

  ALBUS: Dad and I had a fight on the day before I went to school.

  SCORPIUS: This I am aware of. I believe it kind of got us into this mess.

  ALBUS: I threw the blanket across the room. It collided with the love potion that Uncle Ron gave me as a joke.

  SCORPIUS: He's a funny guy.

  ALBUS: The potion spilt and the blanket was covered in it and I happen to know for a fact Mum hasn't let Dad touch that room since I left it.

  SCORPIUS: So?

  ALBUS: So it's coming up to Hallows' Eve in their time as well as ours -- and he told me he always finds that blanket, he needs to be with it on Hallows' Eve -- it was the last thing his mum gave him -- so he will look for it and when he finds it . . .

  SCORPIUS: No. Still not getting you.

  ALBUS: What reacts with pearl dust?

  SCORPIUS: Well, it is said that if tincture of Demiguise and pearl dust meet . . . they burn.

  ALBUS: And is tincture of (he's unsure how to say the word) Demiguise visible to the naked eye?

  SCORPIUS: No.

  ALBUS: So if we were to get that blanket and write on it in tincture of Demiguise, then . . .

  SCORPIUS (eureka): Nothing would react to it until it came into contact with the love potion. In your room. In the present. By Dumbledore, I love it.

  ALBUS: We just need to work out where to find some . . . Demiguises.

  SCORPIUS: You know, rumor has it Bathilda Bagshot never saw the point in witches and wizards locking their doors.

  The door swings open.

  Rumor was right. Time to steal some wands and get potioning.

  ACT FOUR, SCENE SIX

  HARRY AND GINNY POTTER'S HOUSE, ALBUS'S ROOM

  HARRY is sitting on ALBUS's bed. GINNY enters. She looks at him.

  GINNY: Surprised to find you here.

  HARRY: Don't worry, I haven't touched anything. Your shrine is preserved. (He winces.) Sorry. Bad choice of words.

  GINNY says nothing, HARRY looks up at her.

  You know I've had some pretty terrible Hallows' Eves -- but this is undoubtedly at least the -- second worst.

  GINNY: I was wrong -- to blame you. I always accuse you of jumping to things and it was me who -- Albus went missing and I assumed it was your fault. I'm sorry I did that.

  HARRY: You don't think this is my fault?

  GINNY: Harry, he was kidnapped by a powerful Dark witch, how can that be your fault?

  HARRY: I chased him away. I chased him to her.

  GINNY: Can we not treat this as if the battle is already lost?

  GINNY nods. HARRY starts to cry.

  HARRY: I'm sorry, Gin . . .

  GINNY: Are you not listening to me? I'm sorry too.

  HARRY: I shouldn't have survived -- it was my destiny to die -- even Dumbledore thought so -- and yet I lived. I beat Voldemort. All these people -- all these people -- my parents, Fred, the Fallen Fifty -- and it's me that gets to live? How is that? All this damage -- and it's my fault.

  GINNY: They were killed by Voldemort.

  HARRY: But if I'd stopped him sooner? All that blood on my hands. And now our son has been taken too --

  GINNY: He's not dead. Do you hear me, Harry? He's not dead.

  She takes HARRY in her arms. There is a big pause filled with pure unhappiness.

  HARRY: The Boy Who Lived. How many people have to die for the Boy Who Lived?

  HARRY sways a moment, unsure. Then he notices the blanket. He walks towards it.

  This blanket is all I have, you know . . . of that Hallows' Eve. This is all I have to remember them. And whilst --

  He picks up the blanket. He discovers it has holes in it. He looks at it, dismayed.

  This has got holes in it. Ron's idiotic love potion has burnt through it, right through it. Look at this. It's ruined. Ruined.

  He opens up the blanket. He sees writing burnt through it. He's surprised.

  What?

  GINNY: Harry, it has -- something -- written --

  On another part of the stage, ALBUS and SCORPIUS appear.

  ALBUS: "Dad . . ."

  SCORPIUS: We're starting with "Dad"?

  ALBUS: So he'll kno
w it's from me.

  SCORPIUS: Harry is his name. We should start with "Harry."

  ALBUS (firm): We're starting with "Dad."

  HARRY: "Dad," does it say, "Dad"? It's not that distinct . . .

  SCORPIUS: "Dad, HELP."

  GINNY: "Hello"? Does that say "Hello"? And then . . . "Good."

  HARRY: "Dad Hello Good Hello"? No. This is . . . a strange joke.

  ALBUS: "Dad. Help. Godric's Hollow."

  GINNY: Give me that. My eyesight is better than yours. Yes. "Dad Hello Good" -- that's not "Hello" again -- that's "Hallow" or "Hollow"? And then some numbers -- these are clearer -- "3 -- 1 -- 1 -- 0 -- 8 -- 1." Is this one of those Muggle telephone numbers? Or a grid reference or a . . .

  HARRY looks up, several thoughts smashing through his brain at once.

  HARRY: No. It's a date. 31st October, 1981. The date my parents were killed.

  GINNY looks at HARRY, and then back at the blanket.

  GINNY: That doesn't say "Hello." It says "Help."

  HARRY: "Dad. Help. Godric's Hollow. 31/10/81." It's a message. Clever boy left me a message.

  HARRY kisses GINNY hard.

  GINNY: Albus wrote this?

  HARRY: And he's told me where they are and when they are and now we know where she is, we know where we can fight her.

  He kisses her hard again.

  GINNY: We haven't got them back again yet.

  HARRY: I'll send an owl to Hermione. You send one to Draco. Tell them to meet us at Godric's with the Time-Turner.

  GINNY: And it is "us," okay? Don't even think about going back without me, Harry.

  HARRY: Of course you're coming. We have a chance, Ginny, and by Dumbledore -- that's all that we need -- a chance.

  ACT FOUR, SCENE SEVEN

  GODRIC'S HOLLOW

  RON, HERMIONE, DRACO, HARRY, and GINNY walk through a present-day Godric's Hollow. A busy market town (it's expanded over the years).

  HERMIONE: Godric's Hollow. It must be twenty years . . .

  GINNY: Is it just me or are there more Muggles about . . .

  HERMIONE: It's become quite popular as a weekend break.

  DRACO: I can see why -- look at the thatched roofs. And is that a farmers' market?

  HERMIONE approaches HARRY -- who is looking around himself, overwhelmed by all that he's seeing.

  HERMIONE: You remember when we were last here? This feels just like old times.

  RON: Old times with a few unwelcome ponytails added to the mix.

  DRACO knows a barb when he hears one.

  DRACO: Can I just say --

  RON: Malfoy, you may be all chummy chummy with Harry, and you may have produced a relatively nice child, but you've said some very unfair things to and about my wife . . .

  HERMIONE: And your wife doesn't need you fighting her battles for her.

  HERMIONE looks witheringly at RON. RON takes the hit.

  RON: Fine. But if you say one thing about her or me . . .

  DRACO: You'll do what, Weasley?

  HERMIONE: He'll hug you. Because we're all on the same team, aren't we, Ron?

  RON (hesitating in the face of her unwavering gaze): Fine. I, um, I think you've got really nice hair. Draco.

  HERMIONE: Thank you, husband. Now this seems a good spot. Let's do this.

  DRACO takes out the Time-Turner -- it begins spinning wildly as the others take their places around it.

  And there is a giant whoosh of light. A smash of noise.

  And time stops. And then it turns over, thinks a bit, and begins spooling backwards, slow at first . . .

  And then it speeds up.

  They look around themselves.

  RON: So? Has it worked?

  ACT FOUR, SCENE EIGHT

  GODRIC'S HOLLOW, A SHED, 1981

  ALBUS looks up, amazed to see GINNY and then HARRY, and then he takes in the rest of the happy band (RON, DRACO, and HERMIONE).

  ALBUS: MUM?

  HARRY: Albus Severus Potter. Are we pleased to see you.

  ALBUS runs and throws himself into GINNY's arms. GINNY receives him, delighted.

  ALBUS: You got our note . . . ?

  GINNY: We got your note.

  SCORPIUS trots up to his dad.

  DRACO: We can hug too if you like . . .

  SCORPIUS looks at his dad, unsure for a moment. And then they sort of half hug in a very awkward way. DRACO smiles.

  RON: Now, where's this Delphi?

  SCORPIUS: You know about Delphi?

  ALBUS: She's here -- she's trying to kill you, we think. Before Voldemort curses himself she's going to kill you and so break the prophecy and . . .

  HERMIONE: Yes, we thought that might be it too. Do you know where specifically she is now?

  SCORPIUS: She's disappeared. How did you -- how did you, without the Time-Turner --

  HARRY (interrupting): That's a long and complicated story, Scorpius. And we don't have time for it.

  DRACO smiles at HARRY gratefully.

  HERMIONE: Harry's right. Time is of the essence. We need to get people into position. Now, Godric's Hollow is not a large place but she could be coming from any direction. So we need somewhere that gives us good views of the town -- that allows for multiple and clear observation points -- and that will, most importantly, keep us hidden, because we cannot risk being seen.

  They all frown, thinking.

  I'd say St. Jerome's Church ticks all those boxes, wouldn't you?

  ACT FOUR, SCENE NINE

  GODRIC'S HOLLOW, ST. JEROME'S CHURCH, SANCTUARY, 1981

  ALBUS is sleeping in a pew. GINNY watches him carefully. HARRY is looking out the opposite window.

  HARRY: No. Nothing. Why isn't she here?

  GINNY: We're together, your mum and dad are alive -- we can turn time, Harry, we can't speed it up. She'll come when she's ready, and we'll be ready for her.

  She looks at ALBUS's sleeping form.

  Or some of us will be.

  HARRY: Poor kid thought he had to save the world.

  GINNY: Poor kid has saved the world. That blanket was masterful. I mean, he also almost destroyed the world, but probably best not to focus on that bit.

  HARRY: You think he's okay?

  GINNY: He's getting there, it just might take him a bit of time -- and you a bit of time too.

  HARRY smiles. She looks back at ALBUS. HARRY does too.

  You know, after I'd opened the Chamber of Secrets -- after Voldemort had bewitched me with that terrible diary and I'd almost destroyed everything --

  HARRY: I remember.

  GINNY: After I came out of hospital -- everyone ignored me, shut me out -- other than, that is, the boy who had everything -- who came across the Gryffindor common room and challenged me to a game of Exploding Snap. People think they know all there is to know about you, but the best bits of you are -- have always been -- heroic in really quiet ways. My point is -- after this is over, just remember if you could that sometimes people -- but particularly children -- just want someone to play Exploding Snap with.

  HARRY: You think that's what we're missing -- Exploding Snap?

  GINNY: No. But the love I felt from you that day -- I'm not sure Albus feels that.

  HARRY: I'd do anything for him.

  GINNY: Harry, you'd do anything for anybody. You were pretty happy to sacrifice yourself for the world. He needs to feel specific love. It'll make him stronger, and you stronger too.

  HARRY: You know, it wasn't until we thought Albus had gone that I truly understood what my mother was able to do for me. A countercharm so powerful that it was able to repel the spell of death.

  GINNY: And the only spell Voldemort couldn't understand -- love.

  HARRY: I do love him specifically, Ginny.

  GINNY: I know, but he needs to feel it.

  HARRY: I'm lucky to have you, aren't I?

  GINNY: Extremely. And I'd be delighted to discuss just how lucky at another time. But for now -- let's focus on stopping Delphi.

  HARRY: We are running out
of time.

  A thought occurs to GINNY.

  GINNY: Unless -- Harry, has anyone thought -- why has she picked now? Today?

  HARRY: Because this is the day that everything changed . . .

  GINNY: Right now you're over a year old, am I right?

  HARRY: A year and three months.

  GINNY: That's a year and three months she could have killed you in. Even now, she's been in Godric's Hollow for twenty-four hours. What's she waiting for?

  HARRY: I'm still not entirely following --

  GINNY: What if she's not waiting for you -- she's waiting for him . . . to stop him.

  HARRY: What?

  GINNY: Delphi's picked tonight because he's here -- because her father is coming. She wants to meet him. Be with him, the father she loves. Voldemort's problems started when he attacked you. If he hadn't done that . . .

  HARRY: He'd have only got more powerful -- the darkness would only have got darker.

  GINNY: The best way to break the prophecy is not to kill Harry Potter, it's to stop Voldemort doing anything at all.

  ACT FOUR, SCENE TEN

  GODRIC'S HOLLOW, ST. JEROME'S CHURCH, 1981

  The group are gathered and full of confusion.

  RON: So let me get this right -- we're fighting to protect Voldemort?

  ALBUS: Voldemort killing my grandparents. Voldemort trying to kill my dad?

  HERMIONE: Of course, Ginny. Delphi's not trying to kill Harry -- she's stopping Voldemort trying to kill Harry. Brilliant.

  DRACO: So -- we just wait? Until Voldemort turns up?

  ALBUS: Does she know when he does turn up? Hasn't she come here twenty-four hours early because she isn't sure when he'll arrive and in what direction? The history books -- correct me if I'm wrong, Scorpius -- show nothing about when and how he arrived in Godric's Hollow?

  SCORPIUS and HERMIONE: You're not wrong.

  RON: Blimey! There are two of them!

  DRACO: So how can we use this to our advantage?

  ALBUS: Do you know what I'm really good at?

  HARRY: There's plenty you're good at, Albus.

  ALBUS: Polyjuicing. And I think Bathilda Bagshot may have all the ingredients for Polyjuice in her basement. We can Polyjuice into Voldemort and bring her to us.

  RON: To use Polyjuice you need a bit of someone. We don't have a bit of Voldemort.

  HERMIONE: But I like the concept, a pretend mouse for her cat.

  HARRY: How close can we get through Transfiguration?

  HERMIONE: We know what he looks like. We've got some excellent wizards and witches here.

  GINNY: You want to transfigure into Voldemort?