DOLORES UMBRIDGE rises off the ground. She opens her arms wide, full of Dark Magic. She takes out her wand.
DOLORES UMBRIDGE
Years. And I should have acted upon it far earlier.
SNAPE is faster with his wand.
SNAPE
Depulso!
DOLORES is propelled backwards through the air.
She always was too grand for her own good. There’s no turning back now.
The sky turns even blacker still around them.
Expecto Patronum!
SNAPE sends forward a Patronus, and it’s a beautiful white shape of a doe.
SCORPIUS
A doe? Lily’s Patronus.
SNAPE
Strange isn’t it? What comes from within.
Dementors start to appear all around them. SNAPE knows what this means.
You need to run. I will keep them at bay for as long as I can.
SCORPIUS
Thank you for being my light in the darkness.
SNAPE looks at him, every inch a hero, he softly smiles.
SNAPE
Tell Albus – tell Albus Severus – I’m proud he carries my name. Now go. Go!
The doe looks back at SCORPIUS, and then starts to run. SCORPIUS thinks and then runs after the doe and around him the world gets scarier. A blood-curdling scream goes up at one side. He sees the lake and throws himself inside.
SNAPE readies himself.
SNAPE is pulled hard to the ground and then pushed high into the air as his soul is ripped from him. And the screams just seem to multiply.
The doe turns to him, with beautiful eyes and disappears.
There is a bang and a flash. And then silence. And then there’s more silence.
It’s so still, it’s so peaceful, it’s so perfectly tranquil.
And then SCORPIUS ascends to the surface. Breathing deeply. He looks around himself. Breathing deep, panicked breaths. He looks up at the sky. The sky certainly seems – bluer than before.
And then ALBUS ascends after him. There’s a silence. SCORPIUS just looks at ALBUS, disbelieving. Both boys breathe in and out.
ALBUS
Whoah!
SCORPIUS
Albus!
ALBUS
That was close! Did you see that Merman? The guy with the – and then the thing with the – whoah!
SCORPIUS
It’s you!
ALBUS
It was weird though – I thought I saw Cedric start to expand – but then he sort of started shrinking again – and I looked at you and you had your wand out . . .
SCORPIUS
You have no idea how good it is to see you again.
ALBUS
You just saw me two minutes ago.
SCORPIUS hugs ALBUS in the water, a difficult task.
SCORPIUS
A lot has happened since then.
ALBUS
Careful. You’re drowning me. What are you wearing?
SCORPIUS
What am I wearing? (He pulls off his cloak.) What are you wearing? Yes! You’re in Slytherin.
ALBUS
Did it work? Did we do anything?
SCORPIUS
No. And it’s brilliant.
ALBUS looks at him – disbelieving.
ALBUS
What? We failed.
SCORPIUS
Yes. YES. AND IT’S AMAZING.
He splashes hard in the water. ALBUS pulls himself out to the bank.
ALBUS
Scorpius. Have you been eating too many sweets again?
SCORPIUS
There you go you see – all dry humour and Albus-y. I love it.
ALBUS
Now I’m starting to get worried . . .
HARRY enters and sprints to the side of the water. Followed quickly by DRACO, GINNY and PROFESSOR McGONAGALL.
HARRY
Albus. Albus. Are you okay?
SCORPIUS (overjoyed)
Harry! It’s Harry Potter! And Ginny. And Professor McGonagall. And Dad. My dad. Hi. Dad.
DRACO
Hello, Scorpius.
ALBUS
You’re all here.
GINNY
And Myrtle told us everything.
ALBUS
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
You’re the one who’s just returned from time. Why don’t you tell us?
SCORPIUS immediately registers what they know.
SCORPIUS
Oh no. Oh bother. Where is it?
ALBUS
Just returned from where?
SCORPIUS
I’ve lost it! I’ve lost the Time-Turner.
ALBUS (looking at SCORPIUS, deeply annoyed)
You’ve lost what?
HARRY
Time to cut the pretence, Albus.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
I think you’ve got some explaining to do.
ACT THREE SCENE TEN
HOGWARTS, HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE
DRACO, GINNY and HARRY stand behind a contrite-looking SCORPIUS and ALBUS. PROFESSOR McGONAGALL is fuming.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
So to be clear – you illegally jumped off the Hogwarts Express, you invaded and stole from the Ministry of Magic, you took it upon yourself to change time, whereupon you disappeared two people—
ALBUS
I agree it doesn’t sound good.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
And your response to disappearing Hugo and Rose Granger-Weasley was to go back in time again – and this time – instead of losing two people you lost a huge number of people and killed your father – and in doing so you resurrected the worst wizard the world has ever known and heralded in a new age of Dark Magic. (Dry.) You’re correct, Mr Potter, it doesn’t sound good does it? Are you aware how stupid you’ve been?
SCORPIUS
Yes, Professor.
ALBUS hesitates a moment. He looks at HARRY.
ALBUS
Yes.
HARRY
Professor, if I may—
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
You may not. What you choose to do as parents is your matter, but this is my school, and these are my students, and I will choose what punishment they will face.
DRACO
Seems fair.
HARRY looks at GINNY, who shakes her head.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
I should expel you but (with a look to HARRY) all things considered – I think it might be safer for you to remain in my care. You are in detention for – well, you can consider yourself in detention for the rest of the year. Christmas is cancelled for you. You can forget visiting Hogsmeade ever again. And that’s just the start . . .
Suddenly HERMIONE bursts in. All action and resolve.
HERMIONE
What did I miss?
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL (fierce)
It is considered polite to knock when entering a room, Hermione Granger, maybe you missed that.
HERMIONE (realises she’s over-stepped)
Ah.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
If I could also give a detention to you, Minister, I would. Keeping hold of a Time-Turner, of all the stupid things!
HERMIONE
In my defence—
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
And in a bookcase. You kept it in a bookcase. It’s almost laughable.
HERMIONE
Minerva. (There is an intake of breath.) Professor McGonagall—
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
Your children didn’t exist!
HERMIONE has no reply to that.
This happened in my school, under my watch. After all that Dumbledore did, I couldn’t live with myself . . .
HERMIONE
I know.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL composes herself for a moment.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL (to ALBUS and SCORPIUS)
Your intentions to save Cedric were honourable if misguided. And it does sound as if you were brave, Scor
pius, and you, Albus, but the lesson even your father sometimes failed to heed is that bravery doesn’t forgive stupidity. Always think. Think what’s possible. A world controlled by Voldemort is—
SCORPIUS
A horrific world.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
You are so young. (She looks at HARRY, DRACO, GINNY and HERMIONE.) You’re all so young. You have no idea how dark the wizarding wars got. You were – reckless – with the world some people – some very dear friends of mine and yours – sacrificed a huge amount to create and sustain.
ALBUS
Yes, Professor.
SCORPIUS
Yes, Professor.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
Go on. Get out. The lot of you. And find me that Time-Turner.
ACT THREE SCENE ELEVEN
HOGWARTS, SLYTHERIN DORMITORY
ALBUS is sitting in his room. HARRY enters and looks at his son, full of anger, but cautious to not let it spill.
HARRY
Thanks for letting me come up.
ALBUS turns, he nods at his dad. He’s being cautious too.
No luck, as yet, with the Time-Turner searching. They’re negotiating with the Merpeople to dredge the lake.
He sits down, uncomfortably.
This is a nice room.
ALBUS
Green is a soothing colour isn’t it? I mean Gryffindor rooms are all well and good, but the trouble with red is – it is said to send you a little mad – not that I’m casting aspersions . . .
HARRY
Can you explain why you tried to do this?
ALBUS
I thought I could – change things – I thought Cedric – it’s unfair.
HARRY
Of course it’s unfair Albus, don’t you think I know that? I was there. I saw him die. But to do this . . . to risk all this . . .
ALBUS
I know.
HARRY (failing to contain his anger)
If you were trying to do as I did, you went the wrong way about it. I didn’t volunteer for adventure, I was forced into it. You did something really reckless – something really stupid and dangerous – something that could have destroyed everything—
ALBUS
I know. Okay, I know.
Pause. ALBUS wipes away a tear, HARRY notices it and takes a breath. He pulls himself back from the brink.
HARRY
Well, I was wrong too – to think Scorpius was Voldemort’s son. He wasn’t a black cloud.
ALBUS
No.
HARRY
And I’ve locked away the map. You won’t see it again. Your mum left your room exactly as it was when you ran away – you know that? Wouldn’t let me go in – wouldn’t let anyone go in – you really scared her . . . and me.
ALBUS
Really scared you?
HARRY
Yes.
ALBUS
I thought Harry Potter wasn’t afraid of anything?
HARRY
Is that how I make you feel?
ALBUS looks at his dad, trying to figure him out.
ALBUS
I don’t think Scorpius said, but when we returned after failing to fix the first task, I was suddenly in Gryffindor house, nothing was better between us then either – so the fact that I’m in Slytherin – that’s not the reason for our problems. It’s not just about that.
HARRY
No. I know. It’s not just about that.
HARRY looks at ALBUS.
Are you okay, Albus?
ALBUS
No.
HARRY
No. Nor me.
ACT THREE SCENE TWELVE
DREAM, GODRIC’S HOLLOW, GRAVEYARD
YOUNG HARRY stands looking at a gravestone covered in bunches of flowers. He has a small bunch of flowers in his hand.
AUNT PETUNIA
Go on then, lay down your grotty little flowers and then let’s go. I already hate this poxy little village, I don’t know why I even had the thought – Godric’s Hollow, Godless Hollow more like, the place is clearly a hive of filth – go on, chop chop.
YOUNG HARRY approaches the grave. He stands a moment more.
Now, Harry . . . I don’t have time for this. Duddy has his Cubs tonight and you know he hates to be late.
YOUNG HARRY
Aunt Petunia. We’re their last living relatives, right?
AUNT PETUNIA
Yes. You and I. Yes.
YOUNG HARRY
And – they weren’t popular? You said they didn’t have any friends?
AUNT PETUNIA
Lily tried – bless her – she tried – it wasn’t her fault, but she repelled people – by her very nature. It was her intensity, it was her – manner, it was her – way. And your father – obnoxious man – extraordinarily obnoxious. No friends. Neither of them.
YOUNG HARRY
So my question is – why are there so many flowers? Why are there flowers all over their grave?
AUNT PETUNIA looks around, she sees all the flowers as if for the first time and it moves her hugely. She approaches and then sits by her sister’s grave, trying hard to fight the emotions as they come to her but succumbing all the same.
AUNT PETUNIA
Oh. Yes. Well, I suppose there are a – few. Must have blown over from the other graves. Or someone’s playing a trick. Yes, I think that’s most likely, some young rapscallion with too much time on his hands, has gone around collecting flowers from all the other graves and deposited them here—
YOUNG HARRY
But they’re all marked with their names . . . Lily and James, what you did, we will never forget . . . Lily and James, your sacrifice—
VOLDEMORT
I smell guilt, there is a stench of guilt upon the air.
AUNT PETUNIA (to YOUNG HARRY)
Get away. Get away from there.
She pulls him back. VOLDEMORT’s hand rises into the air above the Potters’ gravestone, the rest of him rises after. We don’t see his face but his body provides a jagged, horrific shape.
I knew it. This place is dangerous. The sooner we leave Godric’s Hollow the better.
YOUNG HARRY is pulled from the stage, but turns to face VOLDEMORT.
VOLDEMORT
Do you still see with my eyes, Harry Potter?
YOUNG HARRY exits disturbed as ALBUS bursts from within VOLDEMORT’s cloak. He reaches out a desperate hand towards his dad.
ALBUS
Dad . . . Dad . . .
There’s some words spoken in Parseltongue.
He’s coming. He’s coming. He’s coming.
And then a scream.
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 . . .
ACT THREE SCENE THIRTEEN
HARRY AND GINNY POTTER’S HOUSE, KITCHEN
HARRY is in a horrible state. Petrified by what he thinks his dreams are telling him.
GINNY
Harry? Harry? What is it? You were screaming . . .
HARRY
They haven’t stopped. The dreams.
GINNY
They weren’t likely to stop immediately. It’s been a stressful time and—
HARRY
But I was never in Godric’s Hollow with Petunia. This doesn’t—
GINNY
Harry, you’re really scaring me.
HARRY
He’s still here, Ginny.
GINNY
Who’s still here?
HARRY
Voldemort. I saw Voldemort and Albus.
GINNY
And Albus . . . ?
HARRY
He said – Voldemort said – ‘I smell guilt, there is a stench of guilt upon the air.’ He was talking to me.
HARRY looks at her. He touches his scar. Her face falls.
GINNY
Harry, is Albus still in danger?
HARRY’s face grows white.
HARRY
I think we all are.
ACT THREE SCENE FOURTEEN
HOGWARTS, SLYTHERIN DORMITORY
SCORPIUS leans ominously over ALBUS’s bedhead.
SCORPIUS
Albus . . . Psst . . . Albus.
ALBUS doesn’t wake.
ALBUS!
ALBUS wakes with a shock. SCORPIUS laughs.
ALBUS
Pleasant. That’s a pleasant and not scary way to wake up.
SCORPIUS
You know it’s the strangest of things but ever since being in the scariest place imaginable I’m pretty much good with fear. I am – Scorpius the Dreadless. I am – Malfoy the Unanxious.
ALBUS
Good.
SCORPIUS
I mean, normally, being in lockdown, being in constant detention. It’d break me but now – what’s the worst they can do? Bring back Mouldy Voldy and have him torture me? Nope.
ALBUS
You’re scary when you’re in a good mood, you know that?
SCORPIUS
When Rose came up to me today in Potions and called me Bread Head, I almost hugged her. No, there’s no almost about it, I actually tried to hug her, and then she kicked me in the shin.
ALBUS
I’m not sure being fearless is going to be good for your health.
SCORPIUS looks at ALBUS; his face grows more contemplative.
SCORPIUS
You don’t know how good it is to be back here, Albus. I hated it there.
ALBUS
Apart from the Polly Chapman fancying you bits.
SCORPIUS
Cedric was a different person entirely – dark, dangerous. My dad – doing anything they wanted him to. And me? I discovered another Scorpius you know? Entitled, angry, mean – people were frightened of me. It feels like we were all tested and we all – failed.
ALBUS
But you changed things. You had a chance and you changed time back. Changed yourself back.
SCORPIUS
Only because I knew what I should be.
ALBUS digests this.
ALBUS
Do you think I’ve been tested too? I have, haven’t I?
SCORPIUS
No. Not yet.
ALBUS
You’re wrong. The stupid thing wasn’t going back once – anyone can make that mistake – the stupid thing was being arrogant enough to go back twice.
SCORPIUS
We both went back, Albus.
ALBUS
And why was I so determined to do this? Cedric? Really? No. I had something to prove. My dad’s right – he didn’t volunteer for adventure – me, this, it’s all my fault – and if it wasn’t for you everything could have gone Dark.