Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

ACT TWO, SCENE THREE

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.

ACT TWO, SCENE FOUR

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.

SCORPIUS: And I understand that, but . . .

ALBUS: So we just need to mess up his chances supremely badly in task one. The first task is getting a golden egg from a dragon, how did Cedric distract the dragon —

DELPHI

puts her hand in the air.

ALBUS

grins and points at her. These two are getting on really well now.

Diggory.

DELPHI: — by transfiguring a stone into a dog.

ALBUS: — well, a little Expelliarmus and he won’t be able to do that.

SCORPIUS

isn’t enjoying the

DELPHI

-

ALBUS

double act.

SCORPIUS: Okay, two points, first point, we’re certain the dragon won’t kill him?

DELPHI: It’s always two points with him, isn’t it? Of course it won’t. This is Hogwarts. They won’t let damage happen to any of the champions.

SCORPIUS: Okay, second point — more significant point — we’re going back without any knowledge of whether we can travel back afterwards. Which is exciting. Maybe we should just — try going back an hour, say, first and then . . .