Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

ALBUS: I’ll have some . . . Mum doesn’t let me have sweets. Which one would you start with?

ROSE

hits

ALBUS

out of sight of

SCORPIUS

.

SCORPIUS: Easy. I’ve always regarded the Pepper Imp as the king of the confectionery bag. They’re peppermint sweets that make you smoke at the ears.

ALBUS: Brilliant, then that’s what I’ll — (ROSE hits him again.) Rose, will you please stop hitting me?

ROSE: I’m not hitting you.

ALBUS: You are hitting me, and it hurts.

SCORPIUS

’s face falls.

SCORPIUS: She’s hitting you because of me.

ALBUS: What?

SCORPIUS: Listen, I know who you are, so it’s probably only fair you know who I am.

ALBUS: What do you mean you know who I am?

SCORPIUS: You’re Albus Potter. She’s Rose Granger-Weasley. And I am Scorpius Malfoy. My parents are Astoria and Draco Malfoy. Our parents — they didn’t get on.

ROSE: That’s putting it mildly. Your mum and dad are Death Eaters!

SCORPIUS (affronted): Dad was — but Mum wasn’t.

ROSE

looks away, and

SCORPIUS

knows why she does.

I know what the rumor is, and it’s a lie.

ALBUS

looks from an uncomfortable

ROSE

to a desperate

SCORPIUS

.

ALBUS: What — is the rumor?

SCORPIUS: The rumor is that my parents couldn’t have children. That my father and my grandfather were so desperate for a powerful heir, to prevent the end of the Malfoy line, that they . . . that they used a Time-Turner to send my mother back . . .

ALBUS: To send her back where?

ROSE: The rumor is that he’s Voldemort’s son, Albus.

A horrible, uncomfortable silence.

It’s probably rubbish. I mean . . . look, you’ve got a nose.

The tension is slightly broken.

SCORPIUS

laughs, pathetically grateful.

SCORPIUS: And it’s just like my father’s! I got his nose, his hair, and his name. Not that that’s a great thing either. I mean — father-son issues, I have them. But, on the whole, I’d rather be a Malfoy than, you know, the son of the Dark Lord.

SCORPIUS

and

ALBUS

look at each other and something passes between them.

ROSE: Yes, well, we probably should sit somewhere else. Come on, Albus.

ALBUS

is thinking deeply.

ALBUS: No. (Off ROSE’s look.) I’m okay. You go on . . .

ROSE: Albus. I won’t wait.

ALBUS: And I wouldn’t expect you to. But I’m staying here.

ROSE

looks at him a second and then leaves the compartment.

ROSE: Fine!

SCORPIUS

and

ALBUS

are left — looking at each other — unsure.

SCORPIUS: Thank you.

ALBUS: No. No. I didn’t stay — for you — I stayed for your sweets.

SCORPIUS: She’s quite fierce.

ALBUS: Yes. Sorry.

SCORPIUS: No. I like it. Do you prefer Albus or Al?

SCORPIUS

grins and pops two sweets into his mouth.

ALBUS (thinks): Albus.

SCORPIUS (as smoke comes out of his ears): THANK YOU FOR STAYING FOR MY SWEETS, ALBUS!

ALBUS (laughing): Wow.

ACT ONE, SCENE FOUR

TRANSITION SCENE

And now we enter a never-world of time change. And this scene is all about magic. The changes are rapid as we leap between worlds. There are no individual scenes, but fragments, shards that show the constant progression of time.

Initially we’re inside Hogwarts, in the Great Hall, and everyone is dancing around ALBUS.

POLLY CHAPMAN: Albus Potter.

KARL JENKINS: A Potter. In our year.

YANN FREDERICKS: He’s got his hair. He’s got hair just like him.

ROSE: And he’s my cousin. (As they turn.) Rose Granger-Weasley. Nice to meet you.

The

SORTING HAT

walks through the students, who spring into their Houses.

It becomes quickly apparent he’s approaching

ROSE

, who is tense as she awaits her fate.

SORTING HAT:

I’ve done this job for centuries

On every student’s head I’ve sat

Of thoughts I take inventories

For I’m the famous Sorting Hat

I’ve sorted high, I’ve sorted low,

I’ve done the job through thick and thin

So put me on and you will know

Which House you should be in . . .

Rose Granger-Weasley.

He puts his hat on

ROSE

’s head.

GRYFFINDOR!

There’s cheering from the Gryffindors as

ROSE

joins them.

ROSE: Thank Dumbledore.

SCORPIUS

runs to take

ROSE