Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Read online

  ALBUS: And you think that was unlucky? I don't.

  HARRY: You wish me dead?

  ALBUS: No! I just wish you weren't my dad.

  HARRY (seeing red): Well, there are times I wish you weren't my son.

  There's a silence. ALBUS nods. Pause. HARRY realizes what he's said.

  No, I didn't mean that . . .

  ALBUS: Yes. You did.

  HARRY: Albus, you just know how to get under my skin . . .

  ALBUS: You meant it, Dad. And, honestly, I don't blame you.

  There's a horrible pause.

  You should probably leave me alone now.

  HARRY: Albus, please . . .

  ALBUS picks up the blanket and throws it. It collides with RON's love potion, which spills all over the blanket and the bed, producing a small puff of smoke.

  ALBUS: No luck or love for me, then.

  ALBUS runs out of the room. HARRY goes after him.

  HARRY: Albus. Albus . . . Please . . .

  ACT ONE, SCENE EIGHT

  DREAM, HUT-ON-THE-ROCK

  There's a LARGE BOOM. Then there's a LARGE CRASH. DUDLEY DURSLEY, AUNT PETUNIA, and UNCLE VERNON are cowering behind a bed.

  DUDLEY DURSLEY: Mum, I don't like this.

  AUNT PETUNIA: I knew we made a mistake coming here. Vernon. Vernon. There's nowhere we can hide. Not even a lighthouse is far enough away!

  There's another LARGE BOOM.

  UNCLE VERNON: Hold on. Hold on. Whatever it is, it's not coming in here.

  AUNT PETUNIA: We're cursed! He's cursed us! The boy has cursed us! (Seeing YOUNG HARRY.) This is all your fault. Get back in your hole.

  YOUNG HARRY flinches away as UNCLE VERNON holds out his rifle.

  UNCLE VERNON: Whoever's there, I should warn you -- I'm armed.

  There's a MASSIVE SMASH. And the door falls off its hinges. HAGRID stands in the middle of the doorway. He looks at them all.

  HAGRID: Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey.

  DUDLEY DURSLEY: Look. At. Him.

  UNCLE VERNON: Stand back. Stand back. Behind me, Petunia. Behind me, Dudley. I'll soon see this scarramanger off.

  HAGRID: Scarrawhat?

  He picks up UNCLE VERNON's gun.

  Haven't seen one of these for a while.

  He twists the end of the gun and ties it in a knot.

  Oops-a-daisy.

  And then he gets distracted. He's seen YOUNG HARRY.

  Harry Potter.

  YOUNG HARRY: Hello.

  HAGRID: Las' time I saw yeh, yeh was only a baby. Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes.

  YOUNG HARRY: You knew my parents?

  HAGRID: Where's me manners? A very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here -- I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right.

  From inside his coat he pulls a slightly squashed chocolate cake with "Happy Birthday Harry" written on it in green icing.

  YOUNG HARRY: Who are you?

  HAGRID (laughing): True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. (He looks around himself.) What about that tea, then, eh? I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind.

  YOUNG HARRY: Hogwhere?

  HAGRID: Hogwarts. Yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course.

  YOUNG HARRY: Er -- no. Sorry.

  HAGRID: Sorry? It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learnt it all?

  YOUNG HARRY: Learnt what?

  HAGRID turns menacingly towards UNCLE VERNON.

  HAGRID: Do you mean ter tell me, that this boy -- this boy! -- knows nothin' abou' -- about ANYTHING?

  UNCLE VERNON: I forbid you to tell the boy anything more!

  YOUNG HARRY: Tell me what?

  HAGRID looks at UNCLE VERNON and then at YOUNG HARRY.

  HAGRID: Harry -- yer a wizard -- yeh changed everything. Yer the most famous wizard in the whole world.

  And then, right from the back of the room, whispering around everyone.

  Words said with an unmistakable voice. The voice of VOLDEMORT . . .

  Haaarry Pottttter.

  ACT ONE, SCENE NINE

  HARRY AND GINNY POTTER'S HOUSE, BEDROOM

  HARRY wakes suddenly. Breathing deeply in the night.

  He waits a moment. Calming himself. And then he feels intense pain in his forehead. In his scar. Around him, Dark Magic moves.

  GINNY: Harry . . .

  HARRY: It's fine. Go back to sleep.

  GINNY: Lumos.

  The room is filled with light from her wand. HARRY looks at her.

  A nightmare?

  HARRY: Yes.

  GINNY: About what?

  HARRY: The Dursleys -- well, it started there -- then it became something else.

  Pause. GINNY looks at him -- trying to work out where he is.

  GINNY: Do you want a Sleeping Draught?

  HARRY: No. I'll be fine. Go back to sleep.

  GINNY: You don't seem fine.

  HARRY says nothing.

  (Seeing his agitation.) It can't have been easy -- with Amos Diggory.

  HARRY: The anger I can cope with, the fact he's right is harder. Amos lost his son because of me --

  GINNY: That doesn't seem particularly fair on yourself . . .

  HARRY: -- and there's nothing I can say -- nothing I can say to anyone -- unless it's the wrong thing, of course . . .

  GINNY knows what -- or rather who -- he's referring to.

  GINNY: So that's what's upsetting you? The night before Hogwarts, it's never a good night if you don't want to go. Giving Al the blanket. It was a nice try.

  HARRY: It went pretty badly wrong from there. I said some things, Ginny . . .

  GINNY: I heard.

  HARRY: And you're still talking to me?

  GINNY: Because I know that when the time is right you'll say sorry. That you didn't mean it. That what you said concealed . . . other things. You can be honest with him, Harry . . . That's all he needs.

  HARRY: I just wish he was more like James or Lily.

  GINNY (dry): Yeah, maybe don't be that honest.

  HARRY: No, I wouldn't change a thing about him . . . but I can understand them, and . . .

  GINNY: Albus is different and isn't that a good thing. And he can tell, you know, when you're putting on your Harry Potter front. He wants to see the real you.

  HARRY: "The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution."

  GINNY looks at him, surprised.

  Dumbledore.

  GINNY: A strange thing to say to a child.

  HARRY: Not when you believe that child will have to die to save the world.

  HARRY gasps again -- and does all he can not to touch his forehead.

  GINNY: Harry. What's wrong?

  HARRY: Fine. I'm fine. I hear you. I'll try to be --

  GINNY: Does your scar hurt?

  HARRY: No. No. I'm fine. Now, Nox that and let's get some sleep.

  GINNY: Harry. How long has it been since your scar hurt?

  HARRY turns to GINNY, his face says it all.

  HARRY: Twenty-two years.

  ACT ONE, SCENE TEN

  THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS

  ALBUS walks quickly along the train.

  ROSE: Albus, I've been looking for you . . .

  ALBUS: Me? Why?

  ROSE isn't sure how to phrase what she has to say.

  ROSE: Albus, it's the start of the fourth year, and so the start of a new year for us. I want to be friends again.

  ALBUS: We never were friends.

  ROSE: That's harsh! You were my best friend when I was six!

  ALBUS: That was a long time ago.

  He makes to walk away. She pulls him into an empty compartment.

  ROSE: Have you heard the rumors? Big Ministry raid a few days ago. Your dad apparently was incr
edibly brave.

  ALBUS: How do you always know about these things and I don't?

  ROSE: Apparently he -- the wizard they raided -- Theodore Nott, I think -- had all sorts of artifacts that broke all sorts of laws including -- and this has got them all gooey -- an illegal Time-Turner. And quite a superior one at that.

  ALBUS looks at ROSE, everything falling into place.

  ALBUS: A Time-Turner? Dad found a Time-Turner?

  ROSE: Shh! Yes. I know. Great, right?

  ALBUS: You're sure.

  ROSE: Entirely.

  ALBUS: Now I have to find Scorpius.

  He walks down the train. ROSE follows, still determined to say her piece.

  ROSE: Albus!

  ALBUS turns decisively.

  ALBUS: Who's told you that you have to talk to me?

  ROSE (sprung): Okay, maybe your mum owled my dad -- but only because she's worried about you. And I just think --

  ALBUS: Leave me alone, Rose.

  SCORPIUS is sitting in his usual compartment. ALBUS enters first, ROSE still tailing him.

  SCORPIUS: Albus! Oh hello, Rose, what do you smell of?

  ROSE: What do I smell of?

  SCORPIUS: No, I meant it as a nice thing, you smell like a mixture of fresh flowers and fresh -- bread.

  ROSE: Albus, I'm here, okay? If you need me.

  SCORPIUS: I mean, nice bread, good bread, bread . . . what's wrong with bread?

  ROSE walks away, shaking her head.

  ROSE: What's wrong with bread!

  ALBUS: I've been looking for you everywhere . . .

  SCORPIUS: And now you've found me. Ta-da! I was hardly hiding. You know how I like to -- get on early. Stops people staring. Shouting. Writing "son of Voldemort" on my trunk. That one never gets old. She really doesn't like me, does she?

  ALBUS hugs his friend. With fierceness. They hold for a beat. SCORPIUS is surprised by this.

  Okay. Hello. Um. Have we hugged before? Do we hug?

  The two boys awkwardly dislocate.

  ALBUS: Just a slightly weird twenty-four hours.

  SCORPIUS: What's happened in them?

  ALBUS: I'll explain later. We have to get off this train.

  There's the sound of whistles from off. The train starts moving.

  SCORPIUS: Too late. The train is moving. Hogwarts ahoy!

  ALBUS: Then we have to get off a moving train.

  TROLLEY WITCH: Anything from the trolley, dears?

  ALBUS opens a window and makes to climb out.

  SCORPIUS: A moving magical train.

  TROLLEY WITCH: Pumpkin Pasty? Cauldron Cake?

  SCORPIUS: Albus Severus Potter, get that strange look out of your eye.

  ALBUS: First question. What do you know about the Triwizard Tournament?

  SCORPIUS (happy): Ooooh, a quiz! Three schools pick three champions to compete in three tasks for one Cup. What's that got to do with anything?

  ALBUS: You really are an enormous geek, you know that?

  SCORPIUS: Ya-huh.

  ALBUS: Second question. Why has the Triwizard Tournament not been run in over twenty years?

  SCORPIUS: The last competition included your dad and a boy called Cedric Diggory -- they decided to win together but the Cup was a Portkey -- and they were transported to Voldemort. Cedric was killed. They canceled the competition immediately after.

  ALBUS: Good. Third question: Did Cedric need to be killed? Easy question, easy answer: No. The words Voldemort said were "Kill the spare." The spare. He died only because he was with my father and my father couldn't save him -- we can. A mistake has been made and we're going to right it. We're going to use a Time-Turner. We're going to bring him back.

  SCORPIUS: Albus, for obvious reasons, I'm not a massive fan of Time-Turners . . .

  ALBUS: When Amos Diggory asked for the Time-Turner my father denied they even existed. He lied to an old man who just wanted his son back -- who just loved his son. And he did it because he didn't care -- because he doesn't care. Everyone talks about all the brave things Dad did. But he made some mistakes too. Some big mistakes, in fact. I want to set one of those mistakes right. I want us to save Cedric.

  SCORPIUS: Okay, whatever was holding your brain together seems to have snapped.

  ALBUS: I'm going to do this, Scorpius. I need to do this. And you know as well as I do, I'll entirely mess it up if you don't come with me. Come on.

  He grins. And then disappears ever up. SCORPIUS hesitates for a moment. He makes a face. And then hoists himself up and disappears after ALBUS.

  ACT ONE, SCENE ELEVEN

  ROOF OF THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS

  The wind whistles from all angles and it's a fierce wind at that.

  SCORPIUS: Okay, now we're on the roof of a train, it's fast, it's scary, this has been great, I feel like I've learnt a lot about me, something about you, but --

  ALBUS: As I calculate it we should be approaching the viaduct soon and then it'll be a short hike to St. Oswald's Home for Old Witches and Wizards . . .

  SCORPIUS: The what? The where? Look, I am as excited as you are to be a rebel for the first time in my life -- yay -- train roof -- fun -- but now -- oh.

  SCORPIUS sees something he doesn't want to see.

  ALBUS: The water will be an extremely useful backup if our Cushioning Charm doesn't work.

  SCORPIUS: Albus. The Trolley Witch.

  ALBUS: You want a snack for the journey?

  SCORPIUS: No. Albus. The Trolley Witch is coming towards us.

  ALBUS: No, she can't be, we're on top of the train . . .

  SCORPIUS points ALBUS in the right direction, and now he can see the TROLLEY WITCH, who approaches nonchalantly, pushing her trolley.

  TROLLEY WITCH: Anything from the trolley, dears? Pumpkin Pasty? Chocolate Frog? Cauldron Cake?

  ALBUS: Oh.

  TROLLEY WITCH: People don't know much about me. They buy my Cauldron Cakes -- but they never really notice me. I don't remember the last time someone asked my name.

  ALBUS: What is your name?

  TROLLEY WITCH: I've forgotten. All I can tell you is that when the Hogwarts Express first came to be -- Ottaline Gambol herself offered me this job . . .

  SCORPIUS: That's -- one hundred and ninety years. You've been doing this job for one hundred and ninety years?

  TROLLEY WITCH: These hands have made over six million Pumpkin Pasties. I've got quite good at them. But what people haven't noticed about my Pumpkin Pasties is how easily they transform into something else . . .

  She picks up a Pumpkin Pasty. She throws it like a grenade. It explodes.

  And you won't believe what I can do with my Chocolate Frogs. Never -- never -- have I let anyone off this train before they reached their destination. Some have tried -- Sirius Black and his cronies, Fred and George Weasley. ALL HAVE FAILED. BECAUSE THIS TRAIN -- IT DOESN'T LIKE PEOPLE GETTING OFF IT . . .

  The TROLLEY WITCH's hands transfigure into very sharp spikes. She smiles.

  So please retake your seats for the remainder of the journey.

  ALBUS: You were right, Scorpius. This train is magical.

  SCORPIUS: At this precise moment in time, I take no pleasure in being right.

  ALBUS: But I was also right -- about the viaduct -- that's water down there, time to try the Cushioning Charm.

  SCORPIUS: Albus, this is a bad idea.

  ALBUS: Is it? (He has a moment's hesitation, then realizes the time for hesitation has passed.) Too late now. Three. Two. One. Molliare!

  He incants as he jumps.

  SCORPIUS: Albus . . . Albus . . .

  He looks down desperately after his friend. He looks at the approaching TROLLEY WITCH. Her hair wild. Her spikes particularly spiky.

  Well, as fun as you clearly look, I have to go after my friend.

  He pinches his nose, he jumps after ALBUS, incanting as he goes.

  Molliare!

  ACT ONE, SCENE TWELVE

  MINISTRY OF MAGIC, GRAND MEETING ROOM

  The stage is flo
oded with wizards and witches. They rattle and chatter like all true wizards and witches can. Amongst them, GINNY, DRACO, and RON. Above them, on a stage, HERMIONE and HARRY.

  HERMIONE: Order. Order. Do I have to conjure silence? (She pulls silence from the crowd using her wand.) Good. Welcome to this Extraordinary General Meeting. I'm so pleased so many of you could make it. The wizarding world has been living in peace now for many years. It's twenty-two years since we defeated Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts, and I'm delighted to say there is a new generation being brought up having known only the slightest conflict. Until now. Harry.

  HARRY: Voldemort's allies have been showing movement for a few months now. We've followed trolls making their way across Europe, giants starting to cross the seas, and the werewolves -- well, I'm distressed to say we lost sight of them some weeks ago. We don't know where they're going or who's encouraged them to move -- but we are aware they are moving -- and we are concerned what it might mean. So we're asking -- if anyone has seen anything? Felt anything? If you could raise a wand, we will hear everyone speak. Professor McGonagall -- thank you.

  PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: It did look like the potions stores had been interfered with when we returned from summer break, but not a huge amount of ingredients were missing, some Boomslang skin and lacewing flies, nothing on the Restricted Register. We put it down to Peeves.

  HERMIONE: Thank you, Professor. We shall investigate. (She looks around the room.) Nobody else? Fine, and -- gravest of all -- and this hasn't been the case since Voldemort -- Harry's scar is hurting again.

  DRACO: Voldemort is dead, Voldemort is gone.

  HERMIONE: Yes, Draco, Voldemort is dead, but these things all lead us to think that there is a possibility that Voldemort -- or some trace of Voldemort -- might be back.

  This gets a reaction.

  HARRY: Now this is difficult but we have to ask it to rule it out. Those of you with a Dark Mark . . . have you felt anything? Even a twinge?

  DRACO: Back to being prejudiced against those with a Dark Mark, are we, Potter?

  HERMIONE: No, Draco. Harry is simply trying to --

  DRACO: You know what this is about? Harry just wants his face back in the newspapers again. We've had rumors of Voldemort coming back from the Daily Prophet once a year every year --

  HARRY: None of those rumors came from me!

  DRACO: Really? Doesn't your wife edit the Daily Prophet?

  GINNY steps towards him, outraged.

  GINNY: The sports pages!

  HERMIONE: Draco. Harry brought this matter to the attention of the Ministry. And I -- as Minister for Magic --

  DRACO: A vote you only won because you are his friend.