SCORPIUS
But it didn’t. And you’re to thank for that as much as me.
When the Dementors were – inside my head – Severus Snape told me to think of you. You may not have been there Albus, but you were fighting – fighting alongside me.
ALBUS nods. Touched by this.
And saving Cedric – that wasn’t such a bad idea – not in my head anyway – though, you know right – that we definitely can’t try again.
ALBUS
Yes. I do. I do know that.
SCORPIUS
Good. Then you can help me destroy this.
SCORPIUS reveals the Time-Turner to ALBUS.
ALBUS
I’m pretty sure you told everyone that was on the bottom of a lake.
SCORPIUS
Turns out Malfoy the Unanxious is a pretty good liar.
ALBUS
Scorpius, we should tell someone about this . . .
SCORPIUS
Who? The Ministry kept it before, do you really trust them not to keep it again? Only you and I have experienced how dangerous this is, that means you and I have to destroy it. No one can do what we did Albus. No one. No, (slightly grandly) it’s time that time-turning became a thing of the past.
ALBUS
You’re quite proud of that phrase, aren’t you?
SCORPIUS
Been working on it all day.
ACT THREE SCENE FIFTEEN
HOGWARTS, SLYTHERIN DORMITORY
HARRY and GINNY move quickly through the dormitory. CRAIG BOWKER JR trails after them.
CRAIG BOWKER JR
Can I repeat again? This is against the rules and it’s the middle of the night.
HARRY
I need to find my son.
CRAIG BOWKER JR
I know who you are, Mr Potter, but even you must understand that it’s against school covenant for parents or professors to enter a house quarters without express permission from . . .
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL charges in behind them.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
Please don’t be tiresome, Craig.
HARRY
You got our message? Good.
CRAIG BOWKER JR (shocked)
Headmistress. I’m – I was just—
HARRY pulls open a bed curtain.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
He’s gone?
HARRY
Yes.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
And young Malfoy?
GINNY pulls open another.
GINNY
Oh no.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL
Then let’s turn this school upside down. Craig, we’ve work to do . . .
GINNY and HARRY stay looking at the bed.
GINNY
Haven’t we been here before?
HARRY
Something feels even worse this time.
GINNY looks at her husband, full of fear.
GINNY
You spoke to him earlier?
HARRY
Yes.
GINNY
You came to his dorm and talked to him?
HARRY
You know I did.
GINNY
What did you say to our son, Harry?
HARRY can hear the accusation in her voice.
HARRY
I tried to be honest like you said – I didn’t say anything.
GINNY
And you controlled yourself? How heated did it get?
HARRY
. . . I don’t think I . . . you think I’ve scared him away again?
GINNY
I can forgive you for one mistake Harry, maybe even two, but the more mistakes you make, the harder to forgive you it becomes.
ACT THREE SCENE SIXTEEN
HOGWARTS, OWLERY
SCORPIUS and ALBUS emerge on to a roof bathed in silver light. There’s soft hooting all around them.
SCORPIUS
So, I think a simple Confringo.
ALBUS
Definitely not. For something like this you need Expulso.
SCORPIUS
Expulso? Expulso and we’ll be clearing bits of Time-Turner from this owlery for days.
ALBUS
Bombarda?
SCORPIUS
ALBUS
Exactly, it’s been done before – let’s do something new, something fun.
SCORPIUS
Fun? Look, many wizards overlook the importance of choosing the right spell but this really matters. I think it’s a much-underestimated part of modern witchcraft.
DELPHI
‘A much-underestimated part of modern witchcraft’ – you two are the greatest, you know that?
SCORPIUS looks up, surprised to see DELPHI has emerged behind them.
SCORPIUS
Wow. You’re . . . um . . . what are you doing here?
ALBUS
It felt important to send an owl – let her know what we’re doing – you know?
SCORPIUS looks at his friend accusingly.
This concerns her too.
SCORPIUS thinks, and then nods, accepting this.
DELPHI
What concerns me? What’s this about?
ALBUS gets out the Time-Turner.
ALBUS
We need to destroy the Time-Turner. The things Scorpius saw after the second task . . . I’m so sorry. We can’t risk going back again. We can’t save your cousin.
DELPHI looks at it and then at them both.
DELPHI
Your owl said so little . . .
ALBUS
Imagine the worst possible world, and then double it. People being tortured – Dementors everywhere – a despotic Voldemort – my dad dead, me never born, the world surrounded by Dark Magic. We just – we can’t allow that to happen.
DELPHI hesitates. And then her face breaks.
DELPHI
Voldemort ruled? He was alive?
SCORPIUS
He ruled everything. It was terrible.
DELPHI
Because of what we did?
SCORPIUS
Humiliating Cedric turned him into a very angry young man and then he became a Death Eater and – and – it all went wrong. Really wrong.
DELPHI looks at SCORPIUS’s face carefully. Her face sinks.
DELPHI
A Death Eater?
SCORPIUS
And a murderer. He killed Professor Longbottom.
DELPHI
Then – of course – we need to destroy it.
ALBUS
You understand?
DELPHI
I’ll go further than that – I’ll say Cedric would have understood. We’ll destroy it together, and then we’ll go to my uncle. Explain the situation.
ALBUS
Thank you.
DELPHI smiles at them sadly, and then takes the Time-Turner. She looks at it and her expression changes slightly.
Oh, nice mark.
DELPHI
What?
DELPHI’s cloak has loosened. An Augurey tattoo is visible on the back of her neck.
ALBUS
On your back. I hadn’t noticed it before. The wings. Is that what the Muggles call a tattoo?
DELPHI
Oh. Yes. Well, it’s an Augurey.
SCORPIUS
An Augurey?
DELPHI
Haven’t you met them in Care of Magical Creatures? They’re sinister-looking black birds that cry when rain’s coming. Wizards used to believe that the Augurey’s cry foretold death. When I was growing up, my guardian kept one in a cage.
SCORPIUS
Your . . . guardian?
DELPHI looks at SCORPIUS. Now she has the Time-Turner she’s enjoying this game.
DELPHI
She used to say it was crying because it could see I was going to come to a sticky end. She didn’t like me much. Euphemia Rowle . . . she only t
ook me in for the gold.
ALBUS
Why would you want a tattoo of her bird, then?
DELPHI
It reminds me that the future is mine to make.
ALBUS
Cool. I might get an Augurey tattoo.
SCORPIUS
The Rowles were pretty extreme Death Eaters.
A thousand thoughts whir inside SCORPIUS’s head.
ALBUS
Come on, let’s get destroying . . . Confringo? Stupefy? Bombarda? Which would you use?
SCORPIUS
Give it back. Give us back the Time-Turner.
DELPHI
What?
ALBUS
Scorpius? What are you doing?
SCORPIUS
I don’t believe you ever were ill. Why didn’t you come to Hogwarts? Why are you here now?
DELPHI
I’m trying to bring my cousin back!
SCORPIUS
They called you the Augurey. In – the other world – they called you the Augurey.
A slow smile grows on DELPHI’s face.
DELPHI
The Augurey? I rather like that.
ALBUS
Delphi?
She’s too quick. Levelling her wand, she repels SCORPIUS. And she is far stronger – SCORPIUS tries to keep her back, but she quickly overpowers him.
DELPHI
Fulgari!
SCORPIUS’s arms are bound in vicious, luminous cords.
SCORPIUS
Albus. Run.
ALBUS looks around, bewildered. And then starts to run.
DELPHI
Fulgari!
ALBUS is propelled to the floor, his hands tied by the same brutal binding.
And that is the first spell I’ve had to use on you. I thought I’d have to use plenty more. But you’re far easier to control than Amos – children, particularly male children, are so naturally pliant aren’t they? Now, let’s sort this mess out once and for all . . .
ALBUS
But why? But what? But who are you?
DELPHI
Albus. I am the new past.
She pulls ALBUS’s wand from him and snaps it.
I am the new future.
She pulls SCORPIUS’s wand from him and snaps it.
I am the answer this world has been looking for.
ACT THREE SCENE SEVENTEEN
MINISTRY OF MAGIC, HERMIONE’S OFFICE
RON is sitting on HERMIONE’s desk, eating porridge.
RON
I can’t get over it really. The fact that in some realities we aren’t even, you know, married.
HERMIONE
Ron whatever this is – I’ve got ten minutes until the goblins show up to talk security at Gringotts—
RON
I mean, we’ve been together so long – and married for so long – I mean, so long—
HERMIONE
If this is your way of saying you want a marital break Ron, then, to be clear, I will skewer you with this quill.
RON
Shut up. Will you shut up for once? I want to do one of those marriage renewal things I’ve read about. Marriage renewal. What do you think?
HERMIONE (melting slightly)
You want to marry me again?
RON
Well, we were only young when we did it the first time and I got very drunk and – well, to be honest, I can’t remember much of it and . . . the truth is – I love you Hermione Granger – and whatever time says – I’d like the opportunity to say so in front of lots of other people. Again. Sober.
She looks at him, she smiles, she pulls him to her, she kisses him.
HERMIONE
You’re sweet.
RON
And you taste of toffee.
HERMIONE laughs. HARRY, GINNY and DRACO walk in on them as they move to kiss again. They spring apart.
HERMIONE
Harry, Ginny and – I, uh – Draco – how lovely to see you—
HARRY
The dreams. They’ve started again, well, they haven’t stopped.
GINNY
And Albus is missing. Again.
DRACO
Scorpius too. We’ve had McGonagall check the entire school. They’re gone.
HERMIONE
I’ll get the Aurors summoned immediately, I’ll—
RON
No, you won’t, it’s all fine. Albus, I saw him last night. It’s all good.
DRACO
Where?
They all turn to look at RON, he’s briefly disconcerted but batters on.
RON
I was having a couple of Firewhiskies with Neville in Hogsmeade – as you do – setting the world to rights – as we do – and we were coming back – quite late, very late, and trying to work out which Floo I could use because when you’ve had a drink sometimes you don’t want to use the tight ones – or the turny ones or—
GINNY
Ron, if you could get to the point before we all strangle you?
RON
He hasn’t run away – he’s having a quiet moment – he’s got himself an older girlfriend—
HARRY
An older girlfriend?
RON
And a cracking one at that – gorgeous silver hair. Saw them on the roof together, near the owlery with Scorpius playing the gooseberry. Nice to see my love potion being used well, I thought.
HARRY has a thought.
HARRY
Her hair – was it silver and blue?
RON
That’s it – silver, blue – yup.
HARRY
He’s talking about Delphi Diggory. Niece of – Amos Diggory.
GINNY
This is about Cedric again?
HARRY says nothing, thinking fast. HERMIONE looks around the room, concerned, and then shouts out of the door.
HERMIONE
Ethel. Cancel the goblins.
ACT THREE SCENE EIGHTEEN
ST OSWALD’S HOME FOR OLD WITCHES AND WIZARDS, AMOS’S ROOM
HARRY walks in, wand outstretched, with DRACO.
HARRY
Where are they?
AMOS
Harry Potter, and what can I do for you sir? And Draco Malfoy. I am blessed.
HARRY
I know how you’ve used my son.
AMOS
I’ve used your son? No. You sir – you used my beautiful son.
DRACO
Tell us – now – where are Albus and Scorpius or face the profoundest consequences.
AMOS
But why would I know where they are?
DRACO
Don’t play the senility card with us, old man. We know you’ve been sending him owls.
AMOS
I’ve done nothing of the kind.
HARRY
Amos, you’re not too old for Azkaban. They were last seen on the Hogwarts tower with your niece when they disappeared.
AMOS
I have no idea what you are . . . (He stops, a beat, confused.) My niece?
HARRY
There are no depths to which you won’t sink are there – yes, your niece, are you denying she was there under your express instructions . . .
AMOS
Yes, I am – I don’t have a niece.
This stops HARRY.
DRACO
Yes, you do, a nurse, works here. Your niece . . . Delphini Diggory.
AMOS
I know I don’t have a niece because I never had any brothers and sisters. And nor did my wife.
DRACO
We need to find out who she is – now.
ACT THREE SCENE NINETEEN
HOGWARTS, QUIDDITCH PITCH
We open on DELPHI, enjoying every second of her changed identity. Where there was discomfort and insecurity, now there’s just power.
ALBUS
What are we doing on the Quidditch pitch?
DELPHI says nothing.
SCORPIUS
The Triwizard Tournament. The third task
. The maze. This is where the maze was. We’re going back for Cedric.
DELPHI
Yes, it is time to spare the spare once and for all. We will go back for Cedric and in doing so we will resurrect the world you saw Scorpius . . .
SCORPIUS
Hell. You want to resurrect hell?
DELPHI
I want a return to pure and strong magic. I want to rebirth the Dark.
SCORPIUS
You want Voldemort’s return?
DELPHI
The one true ruler of the wizarding world. He will return. Now you’ve ensured the first two tasks are a little clogged up with magic – there are at least two visits from the future in both of them and I will not risk being revealed or distracted. The third task is clean, so let’s start there, shall we?
ALBUS
We won’t stop him – whatever you force us to do – we know he needs to win the tournament with my dad.
DELPHI
I don’t just want you to stop him. I want you to humiliate him. He needs to fly out of that maze naked on a broomstick made of purple feather dusters. Humiliation got you there before and it’ll get us there again. And the prophecy will be fulfilled.
SCORPIUS
Wasn’t aware that there was a prophecy – what prophecy?
DELPHI
You have seen the world as it should be Scorpius, and today we’re going to ensure its return.
ALBUS
We won’t. We won’t obey you. Whoever you are. Whatever you want us to do.
DELPHI
Of course you will.
ALBUS
You’ll have to use Imperio. You’ll have to control me.
DELPHI
No. To fulfil the prophecy, this has to be you, not a puppet of you . . . you have to be the one to humiliate Cedric, so Imperio just won’t do – I’ll have to force you by other means.
She takes out her wand. She points it at ALBUS, who sticks his chin out.
ALBUS
Do your worst.
DELPHI looks at him. And then turns her wand on SCORPIUS.
DELPHI
I will.
ALBUS
No!
DELPHI
Yes, as I thought – this seems to frighten you more.
SCORPIUS
Albus, whatever she does to me – we can’t let her—
DELPHI
Crucio!
SCORPIUS yells out in pain.
ALBUS
I will . . .
DELPHI (laughing)
What? What on earth do you think you can do? A wizardwide disappointment? A sore on your family name? A spare? You want to stop me hurting your only friend? Then do what you’re told.