Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (10 page)

He climbs up the bookcase, which is horrifying as it rises up at him. Grabbing at him with his every step.

He pulls the book from the shelf. It comes out and the noise and chaos suddenly stop.

Is that —

Suddenly there’s a smashing and
ALBUS
and
DELPHI
fall out of the shelves and down to the floor.

We beat it. We beat the library.

ALBUS:
Delphi, are you . . . ?

DELPHI:
Wow. Quite a ride.

ALBUS
notices the book
SCORPIUS
is holding to his chest.

ALBUS:
Is that? Scorpius? What’s inside that book?

DELPHI:
I think we should find out, don’t you?

SCORPIUS
opens the book. In the center of it — a spinning Time-Turner.

SCORPIUS:
We’ve found the Time-Turner — I never thought we’d get this far.

ALBUS:
Mate, now we’ve got this, the next stop is saving Cedric. Our journey has only just begun.

SCORPIUS:
Only just begun and it’s almost half killed us. Good. This is going to be good.

Whispers rise to a roar. And we cut to black.

DREAM, PRIVET DRIVE, CUPBOARD UNDER THE STAIRS

AUNT PETUNIA:
Harry. Harry. These pots aren’t clean. THESE POTS ARE A DISGRACE. HARRY POTTER. Wake up.

YOUNG HARRY
wakes to see
AUNT PETUNIA
bearing down on him.

YOUNG HARRY:
Aunt Petunia. What time is it?

AUNT PETUNIA:
Time enough. You know, when we agreed to take you in, we hoped we could improve you — build you — make you a decent human
being. So I suppose it’s only ourselves we’ve got to blame that you’ve turned out . . . such a limp disappointment.

YOUNG HARRY:
I try —

AUNT PETUNIA:
Trying is not succeeding though, is it? There are grease smears on the glasses. There are scuff marks on the pots. Now get up and go to
the kitchen and get scrubbing.

He gets out of bed. There’s a wet smear down the back of his trousers.

Oh no. Oh no. What have you done? You’ve wet the bed, again.

She pulls back the covers.

This is very unacceptable.

YOUNG HARRY:
I’m — sorry, I think I was having a nightmare.

AUNT PETUNIA:
You disgusting boy. Only animals wet themselves. Animals and disgusting little boys.

YOUNG HARRY:
It was about my mum and dad. I think I saw them — I think I saw them — die?

AUNT PETUNIA:
And why would I have the slightest bit of interest in that?

YOUNG HARRY:
There was a man shouting Adkava Ad-something Acabra — Ad — and the noise of a snake hissing. I could hear my mum scream.

AUNT PETUNIA
takes a moment to reset herself.

AUNT PETUNIA:
If you were really reliving their death, all you’d hear would be a screech of brakes and a horrific thud. Your parents died in a
car accident. You know that. I don’t think your mother had even time to scream. Lord spare you the details more than that. Now strip those sheets, get in the kitchen, and get scrubbing. I
don’t want to have to tell you again.

She exits with a bang.

And
YOUNG HARRY
is left holding the sheets.

And the stage contorts and trees rise as the dream twists into something else entirely.

Suddenly,
ALBUS
appears and stands looking at
YOUNG HARRY
.

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

He’s coming. He’s coming.

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

Haaarry Pottttter.

HARRY AND GINNY POTTER’S HOUSE, STAIRCASE

HARRY
wakes in the darkness, breathing deeply. His exhaustion palpable, his fear overwhelming.

HARRY:
Lumos
.

GINNY
enters, surprised by the light.

GINNY:
Okay . . . ?

HARRY:
I was sleeping.

GINNY:
You were.

HARRY:
You weren’t. Any — news? Any owls or . . . ?

GINNY:
None.

HARRY:
I was dreaming — I was under the stairs and then I — I heard him — Voldemort — so clearly.

GINNY:
Voldemort?

HARRY:
And then I saw — Albus. In red — he was wearing Durmstrang robes.

GINNY:
Durmstrang robes?

HARRY
thinks.

HARRY:
Ginny, I think I know where he is . . .

HOGWARTS, HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE

HARRY
and
GINNY
stand in
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
’s office.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL:
And we don’t know where in the Forbidden Forest?

HARRY:
I haven’t had a dream like it for years. But Albus was there. I know he was.

GINNY:
We need to get searching as quickly as possible.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL:
I can give you Professor Longbottom — his knowledge of plants might be useful — and —

Suddenly there is a rumble in the chimney.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
looks at it, concerned. Then
HERMIONE
tumbles out.

HERMIONE:
Is it true? Can I help?

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL:
Minister — this is quite unexpected . . .

GINNY:
That may be my fault — I persuaded them to put out an emergency edition of the
Daily Prophet
. Asking for volunteers.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL:
Right. Very sensible. I expect . . . there will be quite a few.

RON
bursts in. Covered in soot. Wearing a gravy-stained dinner napkin.

RON:
Have I missed anything — I couldn’t work out which Floo to travel to. Ended up in the kitchen somehow.
(
HERMIONE
glares as he pulls the napkin off himself.)
What?

Suddenly there is another rumble in the chimney and
DRACO
comes down hard, surrounded by cascading soot and dust.

Everyone looks at him, surprised. He stands and brushes the soot off himself.

DRACO:
Sorry about your floor, Minerva.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL:
I dare say it’s my fault for owning a chimney.

HARRY:
Quite a surprise to see you, Draco. I thought you didn’t believe in my dreams.

DRACO:
I don’t, but I do trust your luck. Harry Potter is always where the action is at. And I need my son back with me and safe.

GINNY:
Then let’s get to the Forbidden Forest and find them both.

EDGE OF THE FORBIDDEN FOREST

ALBUS
and
DELPHI
face each other, holding wands.

ALBUS:
Expelliarmus!

DELPHI
’s wand flies through the air.

DELPHI:
You’re getting it now. You’re good at this.

She takes her wand back from him.

(In a posh voice.)
“You’re a positively disarming young man.”

ALBUS:
Expelliarmus!

Her wand flies back again.

DELPHI:
And we have a winner.

The two high-five.

ALBUS:
I’ve never been good at spells.

SCORPIUS
appears at the back of the stage. He looks at his friend talking to a girl — and part of him likes it and part of him
doesn’t.

DELPHI:
I was rubbish — and then something clicked. And it will for you too. Not that I’m a super witch or anything but — I think
you’re becoming quite some wizard, Albus Potter.

ALBUS:
Then you should stick around, teach me more . . .

DELPHI:
Of course I’m sticking around, we’re friends, aren’t we?

ALBUS:
Yes. Yes. Definitely friends. Definitely.

DELPHI:
Great. Wizzo!

SCORPIUS:
What’s wizzo?

SCORPIUS
steps forward decisively.

ALBUS:
Cracked the spell. I mean, it’s pretty basic, but I was — well, I cracked it.

SCORPIUS
(over-enthusiastic, trying to join in)
:
And I’ve found our way through to the school. Listen, are we sure
this will work . . .

DELPHI:
Yes!

ALBUS:
It’s a brilliant plan. The secret to not getting Cedric killed is to stop him winning the Triwizard Tournament. If he doesn’t win,
he can’t be killed.