Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two Read online

  MOANING MYRTLE

  He’s after saving a dishy boy. A certain Cedric Diggory.

  HARRY immediately realises what’s happened, and is horrified.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL

  But Cedric Diggory died years ago . . .

  MOANING MYRTLE

  He seemed quite confident he could get around that fact. He’s very confident Harry, just like you.

  HARRY

  He heard me talking – to Amos Diggory . . . could he have . . . the Ministry’s Time-Turner. No, that’s impossible.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL

  The Ministry has a Time-Turner? I thought they were destroyed?

  MOANING MYRTLE

  Isn’t everyone so naughty?

  DRACO

  Can someone please explain what’s going on?

  HARRY

  Albus and Scorpius are not disappearing and reappearing – they’re travelling. Travelling in time.

  ACT TWO SCENE TWENTY

  TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT, LAKE, 1995

  LUDO BAGMAN

  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you – the greatest – the fabulous – the one – and the only TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT! If you’re from Hogwarts. Give me a cheer.

  There’s a loud cheer.

  And now ALBUS and SCORPIUS are swimming through the lake. Descending through the water with graceful ease.

  If you’re from Durmstrang – give me a cheer.

  There’s a loud cheer.

  AND IF YOU’RE FROM BEAUXBATONS GIVE ME A CHEER.

  There’s a slightly less limp cheer.

  The French are getting into this.

  And they’re off . . . Viktor’s a shark, of course he is, Fleur looks remarkable, ever plucky Harry is using Gillyweed, clever Harry, very clever – and Cedric – well, Cedric, what a treat ladies and gentlemen, Cedric is using a Bubble Charm to cruise through the lake.

  CEDRIC DIGGORY approaches them through the water, a bubble over his head. ALBUS and SCORPIUS raise their wands together and fire an Engorgement Charm through the water.

  He turns and looks at them confused. And it hits him.

  And around him the water glows gold.

  And then CEDRIC starts to grow – and grow again – and grow some more.

  He looks around himself – entirely panicked. And the boys watch as CEDRIC ascends helplessly through the water.

  But no, what’s this . . . Cedric Diggory is ascending out of the water and seemingly out of the competition. Oh, ladies and gentlemen, we don’t have our winner but we certainly have our loser. Cedric Diggory is turning into a balloon and this balloon wants to fly. Fly, ladies and gentlemen, fly. Fly out of the task and out of the tournament and – oh my, it gets wilder still, around Cedric fireworks explode declaiming – ‘Ron loves Hermione’ – and the crowd love that – oh, ladies and gentlemen, the look on Cedric’s face. It’s quite some picture, it’s quite some sight, it’s quite some tragedy. This is a humiliation, there’s no other word for it.

  And ALBUS smiles widely and high-fives SCORPIUS in the water.

  And ALBUS points up, and SCORPIUS nods, and they start to swim ever upward. And as CEDRIC ascends people start to laugh, and everything changes.

  The world becomes darker. The world becomes almost black in fact.

  And there’s a flash. And a bang. And the Time-Turner ticks to a stop. And we’re back in the present.

  SCORPIUS suddenly emerges, shooting up through the water. And he’s triumphant.

  SCORPIUS

  Woooo – hoooooo!

  He looks around, surprised. Where’s Albus? He puts his arms into the air.

  We did it!

  He waits another beat.

  Albus?

  Albus still doesn’t emerge. SCORPIUS treads water, he thinks and then he ducks back into the water.

  He emerges back up again. Now thoroughly panicked. He looks around.

  Albus . . . ALBUS . . . ALBUS.

  And there’s a whisper in Parseltongue. Which travels fast around the audience. He’s coming. He’s coming. He’s coming.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  Scorpius Malfoy. Get out of the lake. Get out of the lake. Right now.

  She pulls him out of the water.

  SCORPIUS

  Miss. I need help. Please, Miss.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  Miss? I’m Professor Umbridge, the Headmistress of your school, I’m no Miss.

  SCORPIUS

  You’re the Headmistress? But I . . .

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  I am the Headmistress and however important your family may be – it doesn’t give you an excuse to dilly-dally, to mess about.

  SCORPIUS

  There’s a boy in this lake. You need to get help. I’m looking for my friend, Miss. Professor. Headmaster. One of Hogwarts’s students, Miss. I’m looking for Albus Potter.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  Potter? Albus Potter? There’s no such student. In fact, there hasn’t been a Potter at Hogwarts for years – and that boy didn’t turn out so well. Not so much rest in peace, Harry Potter, more rest in perpetual despair. Total troublemaker.

  SCORPIUS

  Harry Potter’s dead?

  Suddenly from around the auditorium, the feel of a breath of the wind. Some black robes arise around people. Black robes that become black shapes. That become Dementors.

  Flying Dementors through the auditorium. These black deadly shapes, these black deadly forces. They are everything to be feared. And they suck the spirit from the room.

  The wind continues. This is Hell. And then right from the back of the room and whispering around everyone. Words said with an unmistakeable voice. The voice of VOLDEMORT . . .

  Haaarry Pottttter . . .

  Harry’s dream has come to life.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  Have you swallowed something funny in there? Become a Mudblood without any of us noticing? Harry Potter died over twenty years ago as part of that failed coup on the school – he was one of those Dumbledore terrorists we bravely overthrew at the Battle of Hogwarts. Now come along – I don’t know what game you’re playing but you’re upsetting the Dementors and entirely ruining Voldemort Day.

  And the Parseltongue whispers grow louder and louder. Grow monstrously loud. And giant banners with snake symbols upon them descend over the stage.

  SCORPIUS

  Voldemort Day?

  We cut to black.

  END OF PART ONE

  PART TWO

  ACT THREE

  ACT THREE SCENE ONE

  HOGWARTS, HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE

  SCORPIUS enters the office of DOLORES UMBRIDGE. He is dressed in darker, blacker robes. He has a pensive look on his face. He remains coiled and alert.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  Scorpius. Thank you so much for coming to see me.

  SCORPIUS

  Headmistress.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  Scorpius, I’ve thought for a long time that you have Head Boy potential, as you know. Pure-blooded, a natural leader, wonderfully athletic . . .

  SCORPIUS

  Athletic?

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  No need to be modest, Scorpius. I’ve seen you on the Quidditch pitch, there’s rarely a Snitch you don’t catch. You are a highly valued student. Valued by the faculty. Valued especially by me. I’ve positively glowed about you in dispatches to the Augurey. Our work together, flushing out the more dilettante students has made this school a safer – purer – place.

  SCORPIUS

  Has it?

  There is the sound of a scream from off. SCORPIUS turns towards it. But he dismisses the thought. He must and he will control himself.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  But in the three days since I found you in that lake on Voldemort Day, you’ve become . . . odder and odder – in particular, this sudden obsession with Harry Potter . . .

  SCORPIUS

  I don’t . . .

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  Quest
ioning everyone you can about the Battle of Hogwarts. How Potter died. Why Potter died. And this ludicrous fascination with Cedric Diggory. Scorpius – we’ve checked you for hexes and curses – there were none we can see – so I’m asking if there’s anything I can do – to restore you to what you were . . .

  SCORPIUS

  No. No. Consider me restored. Temporary aberration. That’s all.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  So we can continue our work together?

  SCORPIUS

  We can.

  She puts her hand to her heart, and touches her wrists together.

  DOLORES UMBRIDGE

  For Voldemort and Valour.

  SCORPIUS (trying to copy)

  For – um – yes.

  ACT THREE SCENE TWO

  HOGWARTS, GROUNDS

  KARL JENKINS

  Hey Scorpion King.

  SCORPIUS is high-fived. It’s painful, he takes it.

  YANN FREDERICKS

  We’re still on right, tomorrow night?

  KARL JENKINS

  Because we are ready to spill some proper Mudblood guts.

  POLLY CHAPMAN

  Scorpius.

  POLLY CHAPMAN is standing on the stairs, SCORPIUS turns towards her, surprised to hear her say his name.

  SCORPIUS

  Polly Chapman?

  POLLY CHAPMAN

  Shall we cut to it? I know everyone is waiting to know who you’re going to ask because, you know, you need to ask someone and I’ve been asked by three people already and I know I’m not alone in refusing them all. In case, you know, you were to ask me.

  SCORPIUS

  Right.

  POLLY CHAPMAN

  Which would be great. If you were interested. Which rumour is – you are. And I just want to make clear – at this moment – that I am also interested. And that isn’t a rumour. That’s a – f-a-c-t – fact.

  SCORPIUS

  That’s um – great, but – what are we talking about?

  POLLY CHAPMAN

  The Blood Ball of course – who you – the Scorpion King, are taking to the Blood Ball.

  SCORPIUS

  You – Polly Chapman – want me to take you to a – ball?

  There is the sound of screaming behind him.

  What is that screaming?

  POLLY CHAPMAN

  Mudbloods of course. In the dungeons. Your idea wasn’t it? What’s going on with you? Oh Potter, I’ve got blood on my shoes again . . .

  She bends and carefully cleans the blood off her shoes.

  Like the Augurey insists – the future is ours to make – so here I am – making a future – with you. For Voldemort and Valour.

  SCORPIUS

  For Voldemort it is.

  POLLY walks on, SCORPIUS looks agonised after her. What is this world – and what is he within it?

  ACT THREE SCENE THREE

  MINISTRY OF MAGIC, OFFICE OF THE HEAD OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

  DRACO is impressive in a way we haven’t seen. He has the smell of power about him. Flying down either side of the room are Augurey flags – with the bird emblazoned in a fascistic manner.

  DRACO

  You are late.

  SCORPIUS

  This is your office?

  DRACO

  You are late and unapologetic. Maybe you are determined to compound the problem.

  SCORPIUS

  You’re Head of Magical Law Enforcement?

  DRACO

  How dare you! How dare you embarrass me and keep me waiting and then not apologise for it!

  SCORPIUS

  Sorry.

  DRACO

  Sir.

  SCORPIUS

  Sorry, sir.

  DRACO

  I did not bring you up to be sloppy, Scorpius. I did not bring you up to humiliate me at Hogwarts.

  SCORPIUS

  Humiliate you, sir?

  DRACO

  Harry Potter, asking questions about Harry Potter, of all the embarrassing things. How dare you disgrace the Malfoy name.

  SCORPIUS

  Oh no. Are you responsible? No. No. You can’t be.

  DRACO

  Scorpius . . .

  SCORPIUS

  The Daily Prophet today – three wizards blowing up bridges to see how many Muggles they can kill with one blast – is that you?

  DRACO

  Be very careful.

  SCORPIUS

  The ‘Mudblood’ death camps, the torture, the burning alive of those that oppose him. How much of that is you? Mum always told me that you were a better man than I could see, but this is what you really are isn’t it? A murderer, a torturer, a—

  DRACO rises up and pulls SCORPIUS hard on to the table. The violence is surprising and deadly.

  DRACO

  Do not use her name in vain, Scorpius. Do not score points that way. She deserves better than that.

  SCORPIUS says nothing. Horrified and scared. DRACO reads this. He lets go of SCORPIUS’s head. He doesn’t like hurting his son.

  And no, those idiots blasting Muggles, that’s not my doing, though it’ll be me the Augurey asks to bribe the Muggle Prime Minister with gold . . . Did your mother really say that of me?

  SCORPIUS

  She said that grandfather didn’t like her very much – opposed the match – thought she was too Muggle-loving – too weak – but that you defied him for her. She said it was the bravest thing she’d ever seen.

  DRACO

  She made being brave very easy, your mother.

  SCORPIUS

  But that was – another you.

  He looks at his dad, who looks back with a frown.

  I’ve done bad things, you’ve done worse. What have we become, Dad?

  DRACO

  We haven’t become anything – we simply are as we are.

  SCORPIUS

  The Malfoys. The family you can always rely on to make the world a murkier place.

  This hits home with DRACO, he looks carefully at SCORPIUS.

  DRACO

  This business at the school – what’s inspired it?

  SCORPIUS

  I don’t want to be who I am.

  DRACO

  And what’s brought that on?

  SCORPIUS desperately thinks for a way of describing his story.

  SCORPIUS

  I’ve seen myself in a different way.

  DRACO

  You know what I loved most about your mother? She could always help me find light in the darkness. She made the world – my world anyway – less – what was the word you used – ‘murky’.

  SCORPIUS

  Did she?

  DRACO studies his son.

  DRACO

  There’s more of her in there than I thought.

  Beat. He looks at SCORPIUS carefully.

  Whatever you’re doing – do it safely. I can’t lose you too.

  SCORPIUS

  Yes. Sir.

  DRACO looks at his son one last time – trying to understand his head.

  DRACO

  For Voldemort and Valour.

  SCORPIUS looks at him and backs out of the room.

  SCORPIUS

  For Voldemort and Valour.

  ACT THREE SCENE FOUR

  HOGWARTS, LIBRARY

  SCORPIUS enters the library and starts to desperately look through books. He finds a history book.

  SCORPIUS

  How did Cedric become a Death Eater? What have I missed? Find me some – light in the darkness.

  CRAIG BOWKER JR

  Why are you here?

  SCORPIUS turns to look at a rather desperate-looking CRAIG, his clothes tattered and worn.

  SCORPIUS

  Why can’t I be here?

  CRAIG BOWKER JR

  It’s not ready yet. I’m working as fast as I can. But Professor Snape sets so much of it, and writing the essay in two different ways. I mean, I’m not complaining . . . sorry.

  SCORPIUS

  Start again. From the begi
nning. What’s not ready?

  CRAIG BOWKER JR

  Your Potions homework. And I’m happy to do it – grateful even – and I know you hate homework and books, and I never let you down, you know that.

  SCORPIUS

  I hate homework?

  CRAIG BOWKER JR

  You’re the Scorpion King. Of course you hate homework. What are you doing with A History of Magic? I could do that assignment too?

  Pause. SCORPIUS looks at CRAIG a moment and then walks away. CRAIG exits.

  After a moment SCORPIUS returns with a frown.

  SCORPIUS

  Did he say Snape?

  ACT THREE SCENE FIVE

  HOGWARTS, POTIONS CLASSROOM

  SCORPIUS runs into the Potions classroom. Slamming back the door. SEVERUS SNAPE looks up at him.

  SNAPE

  Did no one teach you to knock, boy?

  SCORPIUS looks up at SNAPE, slightly breathless, slightly unsure, slightly exultant.

  SCORPIUS

  Severus Snape. This is an honour.

  SNAPE

  Professor Snape will do fine. You may behave like a king at this school Malfoy, but that doesn’t make us all your subjects.

  SCORPIUS

  But you’re the answer . . .

  SNAPE

  How very pleasant for me. If you’ve got something to say boy, then please say it . . . if not, close the door on your way out.

  SCORPIUS

  I need your help.

  SNAPE

  I exist to serve.

  SCORPIUS

  I just don’t know what help I – need. Are you still undercover now? Are you still working secretly for Dumbledore?

  SNAPE

  Dumbledore? Dumbledore’s dead. And my work for him was public – I taught in his school.

  SCORPIUS

  No. That’s not all you did. You watched the Death Eaters for him. You advised him. Everyone thought you’d murdered him – but it turned out you’d been supporting him. You saved the world.

  SNAPE

  These are very dangerous allegations, boy. And don’t think the Malfoy name will prevent me inflicting punishment.

  SCORPIUS

  What if I was to tell you there was another world – another world in which Voldemort was defeated at the Battle of Hogwarts, in which Harry Potter and Dumbledore’s Army won, how would you feel then . . .