EVERYONE (bar ROSE, YANN and ALBUS)
YES!
ALBUS
Up. UP. UP.
His broom doesn’t move. Not even a millimetre. He stares at it with disbelieving desperation. There’s giggling from the rest of the class.
POLLY CHAPMAN
Oh Merlin’s beard, how humiliating! He really isn’t like his father at all is he?
KARL JENKINS
Albus Potter, the Slytherin Squib.
MADAM HOOCH
Okay. Children. Time to fly.
And suddenly HARRY appears from nowhere beside ALBUS as steam expands all over the stage. We’re back on platform nine and three-quarters and time has ticked on mercilessly. ALBUS is now a year older (as is HARRY, but less noticeably).
ALBUS
I’m just asking you Dad if you’ll – if you’ll just stand a little away from me.
HARRY (amused)
Second-years don’t like to be seen with their dads is that it?
An OVER-ATTENTIVE WIZARD begins to circle them.
ALBUS
No. It’s just – you’re you and – and I’m me and—
HARRY
It’s just people looking okay? People look. And they’re looking at me, not you.
The OVER-ATTENTIVE WIZARD proffers something for HARRY to sign – he signs it.
ALBUS
At Harry Potter and his disappointing son.
HARRY
What does that mean?
ALBUS
At Harry Potter and his Slytherin son.
JAMES rushes past them carrying his bag.
JAMES
Slythering Slytherin, stop with your dithering, time to get on to the train.
HARRY
Unnecessary, James.
JAMES (long gone)
See you at Christmas, Dad.
HARRY looks at ALBUS, concerned.
HARRY
Al—
ALBUS
My name is Albus, not Al.
HARRY
Are the other kids being unkind? Is that it? Maybe if you tried making a few more friends – without Hermione and Ron I wouldn’t have survived Hogwarts, I wouldn’t have survived at all.
ALBUS
But I don’t need a Ron and Hermione – I’ve – I’ve got a friend, Scorpius, and I know you don’t like him but he’s all I need.
HARRY
Look, as long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters to me.
ALBUS
You didn’t need to bring me to the station, Dad.
ALBUS picks up his case and makes hard away.
HARRY
But I wanted to be here . . .
But ALBUS is gone. DRACO MALFOY, his robes perfect, his blond ponytail precisely placed, emerges from within the crowds to be beside HARRY.
DRACO
I need a favour.
HARRY
Draco.
DRACO
These rumours – about my son’s parentage – they don’t seem to be going away. The other Hogwarts students tease Scorpius about it relentlessly – if the Ministry could release a statement reaffirming that all Time-Turners were destroyed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries . . .
HARRY
Draco, just let it blow over – they’ll soon move on.
DRACO
My son is suffering and – Astoria hasn’t been well recently – so he needs all the support he can get.
HARRY
If you answer the gossip, you feed the gossip. There’ve been rumours Voldemort had a child for years, Scorpius is not the first to be accused. The Ministry, for your sake as well as ours, needs to steer well clear.
DRACO frowns, annoyed, as the stage clears and ROSE and ALBUS stand ready with their cases.
ALBUS
As soon as the train leaves you don’t have to talk to me.
ROSE
I know. We just need to keep the pretence up in front of the grown-ups.
SCORPIUS runs on – with big hopes and an even bigger case.
SCORPIUS (hopeful)
Hi Rose.
ROSE (definitive)
Bye Albus.
SCORPIUS (still hopeful)
She’s melting.
And suddenly we’re in the Great Hall and PROFESSOR McGONAGALL is standing at the front, with a big smile on her face.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
And I’m pleased to announce Gryffindor’s newest member of the Quidditch team – our – (she realises she can’t be partial) your superb new Chaser – Rose Granger-Weasley.
The Hall erupts into cheers. SCORPIUS claps alongside them all.
Are you clapping her too? We hate Quidditch and she’s playing for another house.
SCORPIUS
She’s your cousin, Albus.
ALBUS
Do you think she’d clap for me?
SCORPIUS
I think she’s brilliant.
The students circle ALBUS again as suddenly a Potions class begins.
POLLY CHAPMAN
Albus Potter. An irrelevance. Even portraits turn the other way when he comes up the stairs.
ALBUS hunches over a potion.
ALBUS
And now we add – is it horn of Bicorn?
KARL JENKINS
Leave him and Voldemort’s child to it, I say.
ALBUS
With just a little salamander blood . . .
The potion explodes loudly.
SCORPIUS
Okay. What’s the counter-ingredient? What do we need to change?
ALBUS
Everything.
And with that, time moves ever onwards – ALBUS’s eyes become darker, his face grows more sallow. He’s still an attractive boy, but he’s trying not to admit it.
And suddenly he’s back on platform nine and three-quarters with his dad – who is still trying to persuade his son (and himself) that everything is okay. Both have aged another year.
HARRY
Third year. Big year. Here is your permission form for Hogsmeade.
ALBUS
I hate Hogsmeade.
HARRY
How can you hate a place you haven’t actually visited yet?
ALBUS
Because I know it’ll be full of Hogwarts students.
ALBUS screws up the paper.
HARRY
Just give it a go – come on – this is your chance to go nuts in Honeydukes without your mum knowing – no Albus, don’t you dare.
ALBUS (pointing his wand)
Incendio!
The ball of paper bursts into flame, and ascends across the stage.
HARRY
Of all the stupid things!
ALBUS
The ironic thing is I didn’t expect it to work. I’m terrible at that spell.
HARRY
Al–Albus, I’ve been exchanging owls with Professor McGonagall – she says you’re isolating yourself – you’re uncooperative in lessons – you’re surly – you’re—
ALBUS
So what would you like me to do? Magic myself popular? Conjure myself into a new house? Transfigure myself into a better student? Just cast a spell, Dad, and change me into what you want me to be, okay? It’ll work better for both of us. Got to go. Train to catch. Friend to find.
ALBUS runs to SCORPIUS, who is sitting on his case – numb to the world.
(delighted) Scorpius . . .
(concerned) Scorpius . . . are you okay?
SCORPIUS says nothing. ALBUS tries to read his friend’s eyes.
Your mum? It’s got worse?
SCORPIUS
It’s got the worst it can possibly get.
ALBUS sits down beside SCORPIUS.
ALBUS
I thought you’d send an owl . . .
SCORPIUS
I couldn’t work out what to say.
ALBUS
And now I don’t know what to say . . .
SCORPIUS
Say nothi
ng.
ALBUS
Is there anything . . .
SCORPIUS
Come to the funeral.
ALBUS
Of course.
SCORPIUS
And be my good friend.
And suddenly the SORTING HAT is centre stage and we’re back in the Great Hall.
SORTING HAT
Are you afraid of what you’ll hear?
Afraid I’ll speak the name you fear?
Not Slytherin! Not Gryffindor!
Not Hufflepuff! Not Ravenclaw!
Don’t worry, child, I know my job,
You’ll learn to laugh, if first you sob.
Lily Potter. GRYFFINDOR!
LILY
Yes!
ALBUS
Great.
SCORPIUS
Did you really think she’d come to us? Potters don’t belong in Slytherin.
ALBUS
This one does.
As he tries to melt into the background, the other students laugh. He looks up at them all.
I didn’t choose, you know that? I didn’t choose to be his son.
ACT ONE SCENE FIVE
MINISTRY OF MAGIC, HARRY’S OFFICE
HERMIONE sits with piles of paper in front of her in HARRY’s messy office. She is slowly sorting through it all. HARRY enters in a rush. He is bleeding from a graze on his cheek.
HERMIONE
How did it go?
HARRY
It was true.
HERMIONE
Theodore Nott?
HARRY
In custody.
HERMIONE
And the Time-Turner itself?
HARRY reveals the Time-Turner. It shines out alluringly.
Is it genuine? Does it work? It’s not just an Hour-Reversal Turner – it goes back further?
HARRY
We don’t know anything yet. I wanted to try it out there and then but wiser heads prevailed.
HERMIONE
Well, now we have it.
HARRY
And you’re sure you want to keep it?
HERMIONE
I don’t think we’ve a choice. Look at it. It’s entirely different to the Time-Turner I had.
HARRY (dryly)
Apparently wizardry has moved on since we were kids.
HERMIONE
You’re bleeding.
HARRY checks his face in the mirror. He dabs at the wound with his robes.
Don’t worry, it’ll go with the scar.
HARRY (with a grin)
What you doing in my office, Hermione?
HERMIONE
I was anxious to hear about Theodore Nott and – thought I’d check whether you’d kept your promise and were on top of your paperwork.
HARRY
Ah. Turns out I’m not.
HERMIONE
No. You’re not. Harry, how can you get any work done in this chaos?
HARRY waves his wand and the papers and books transform into neat piles. HARRY smiles.
HARRY
No longer chaotic.
HERMIONE
But still ignored. You know there’s some interesting stuff in here . . . there are mountain trolls riding graphorns through Hungary, there are giants with winged tattoos on their backs walking through the Greek Seas, and the werewolves have gone entirely underground—
HARRY
Great, let’s get out there. I’ll get the team together.
HERMIONE
Harry, I get it. Paperwork’s boring . . .
HARRY
Not for you.
HERMIONE
I’m busy enough with my own. These are people and beasts that fought alongside Voldemort in the great wizarding wars. These are allies of darkness. This – combined with what we have just unearthed at Theodore Nott’s – could mean something. But if the Head of Magical Law Enforcement isn’t reading his files—
HARRY
But I don’t need to read it – I’m out there, hearing about it. Theodore Nott – it was me who heard the rumours about the Time-Turner and me who acted upon it. You really don’t need to tell me off.
HERMIONE looks at HARRY – this is tricky.
HERMIONE
Do you fancy a toffee? Don’t tell Ron.
HARRY
You’re changing the subject.
HERMIONE
I truly am. Toffee?
HARRY
Can’t. We’re off sugar at the moment.
Beat.
You know, you can get addicted to that stuff?
HERMIONE
What can I say? My parents were dentists, I was bound to rebel at some point. Forty is leaving it a little late, but . . . you’ve just done a brilliant thing. You’re certainly not being told off – I just need you to look at your paperwork every now and again, that’s all. Consider this a gentle – nudge – from the Minister for Magic.
HARRY hears the implication in her emphasis; he nods.
How’s Ginny? How’s Albus?
HARRY
It seems I’m as good at fatherhood as I am at paperwork. How’s Rose? How’s Hugo?
HERMIONE (with a grin)
You know, Ron says he thinks I see more of my secretary Ethel (she indicates off) than him. Do you think there’s a point where we made a choice – parent of the year or – Ministry official of the year? Go on. Go home to your family Harry, the Hogwarts Express is about to depart for another year – enjoy the time you’ve got left – and then come back here with a fresh head and get these files read.
HARRY
You really think this could all mean something?
HERMIONE (with a smile)
It could do. But if it does, we’ll find a way to fight it, Harry. We always have.
She smiles once more – pops a toffee in her mouth and leaves the office. HARRY is left alone. He packs his bag. He walks out of the office and down a corridor. The weight of the world upon his shoulders.
He walks, tired, into a telephone box. He dials 62442.
TELEPHONE BOX
Farewell, Harry Potter.
He ascends away from the Ministry of Magic.
ACT ONE SCENE SIX
HARRY AND GINNY POTTER’S HOUSE
ALBUS can’t sleep. He is sitting at the top of the stairs. He hears voices below him. We hear HARRY’s voice before he’s revealed. An elderly man in a wheelchair is with him, AMOS DIGGORY.
HARRY
Amos, I understand, I really do – but I’m only just home and—
AMOS
I’ve tried to make appointments at the Ministry. They say ‘Ah, Mr Diggory, we have an appointment for you, let’s see, in two months.’ I wait. Very patiently.
HARRY
—and coming to my house in the middle of the night – when my kids are just getting ready for their new year at school – it’s not right.
AMOS
Two months pass, I receive an owl, ‘Mr Diggory, I’m awfully sorry, but Mr Potter has been called away on urgent business, we’re going to have to shift things around a little, are you available for an appointment in, let’s see, two months’ time.’ And then it repeats again, and again . . . You’re shutting me out.
HARRY
Of course I’m not. It’s just, I’m afraid, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement I’m responsible—
AMOS
There’s plenty you’re responsible for.
HARRY
Sorry?
AMOS
My son, Cedric, you do remember Cedric, don’t you?
HARRY (remembering Cedric hurts him)
Yes, I remember your son. His loss—
AMOS
Voldemort wanted you! Not my son! You told me yourself, the words he said were ‘kill the spare’. The spare. My son, my beautiful son, was a spare.
HARRY
Mr Diggory, as you know, I sympathise with your efforts to memorialise Cedric but—
AMOS
A memorial? I am not interested in a memoria
l – not any more. I am an old man – an old, dying man – and I am here to ask you – beg you – to help me get him back.
HARRY looks up, astonished.
HARRY
Get him back? Amos, that’s not possible.
AMOS
The Ministry has a Time-Turner does it not?
HARRY
The Time-Turners were all destroyed.
AMOS
The reason I’m here with such urgency is I’ve just heard rumour – strong rumour – that the Ministry seized an illegal Time-Turner from Theodore Nott and has kept it. For investigation. Let me use that Time-Turner. Let me have my son back.
There’s a long, deadly pause. HARRY is finding this extremely difficult. We watch as ALBUS moves closer, listening.
HARRY
Amos, playing with time? You know we can’t do that.
AMOS
How many people have died for the Boy Who Lived? I’m asking you to save one of them.
This hurts HARRY. He thinks, his face hardens.
HARRY
Whatever you’ve heard – the Theodore Nott story is a fiction, Amos. I’m sorry.
DELPHI
Hello.
ALBUS jumps a mile as DELPHI – a twenty-something determined-looking woman – is revealed looking through the stairs at him.
Oh. Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle. I used to be a big stair-listener myself. Sitting there. Waiting for someone to say something the tiniest bit interesting.
ALBUS
Who are you? Because this is sort of my house and . . .
DELPHI
I’m a thief of course. I’m about to steal everything you own. Give me your gold, your wand and your Chocolate Frogs! (She looks fierce and then smiles.) Either that or I’m Delphini Diggory. (She ascends the stairs and sticks out a hand.) Delphi. I look after him – Amos – well, I try. (She indicates AMOS.) And you are?
ALBUS (rueful grin)
Albus.
DELPHI
Of course! Albus Potter! So Harry is your dad? That’s a bit wow isn’t it?
ALBUS
Not really.
DELPHI
Ah. Have I just put my foot in it? It’s what they used to say about me at school. Delphini Diggory – there isn’t a hole she couldn’t dig herself into.
ALBUS
They do all sorts with my name too.
Pause. She looks at him carefully.
AMOS
Delphi.
She makes to depart and then hesitates. She smiles at ALBUS.
DELPHI
We don’t choose who we’re related to. Amos isn’t just my patient, he’s my uncle, it’s part of the reason I took the job at Upper Flagley. But that’s made it difficult. It’s tough to live with people stuck in the past, isn’t it?