Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

’s place under the

SORTING HAT

’s glare.

SORTING HAT: Scorpius Malfoy.

He puts his hat on

SCORPIUS

’s head.

SLYTHERIN!

SCORPIUS

was expecting this, he nods and half smiles. There’s cheering from the Slytherins as he joins them.

POLLY CHAPMAN: Well, that makes sense.

ALBUS

walks swiftly to the front of the stage.

SORTING HAT: Albus Potter.

He puts his hat on

ALBUS

’s head — and this time he seems to take longer — almost as if he too is confused.

SLYTHERIN!

There’s a silence.

A perfect, profound silence.

One that sits low, twists a bit, and has damage within it.

POLLY CHAPMAN: Slytherin?

CRAIG BOWKER JR.: Whoa! A Potter? In Slytherin.

ALBUS

looks out, unsure.

SCORPIUS

smiles, delighted, as he shouts across to him.

SCORPIUS: You can stand next to me!

ALBUS (thoroughly discombobulated): Right. Yes.

YANN FREDERICKS: I suppose his hair isn’t that similar.

ROSE: Albus? But this is wrong, Albus. This is not how it’s supposed to be.

And suddenly a flying lesson is happening with

MADAM HOOCH

.

MADAM HOOCH: Well, what are you all waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.

The kids all hurry into position beside their brooms.

Stick out your hands out over your broom, and say, “Up!”

EVERYONE: UP!

ROSE

’s and

YANN

’s brooms sail into their hands.

ROSE and YANN: Yes!

MADAM HOOCH: Come on, now, I’ve no time for shirkers. Say “UP.” “UP” like you mean it.

EVERYONE (bar

ROSE and YANN): UP!

Brooms sail up, including

SCORPIUS

’s. Only

ALBUS

is left with his broom on the floor.

EVERYONE (bar ROSE, YANN, and ALBUS): YES!

ALBUS: Up. UP. UP.

His broom doesn’t move. Not even a millimeter. 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 onto 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