Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

DELPHI: You will keep up or face the consequences.

LUDO BAGMAN: The perils are plentiful, but the prizes are palpable. Who will fight their way through? Who will fall at the final hurdle? What heroes do we have within our midst? Only time will tell, ladies and gentlemen, only time will tell.

They move through the maze,

SCORPIUS

and

ALBUS

being compelled by

DELPHI

. As she moves ahead, the boys have a chance to talk.

SCORPIUS: Albus, we need to do something.

ALBUS: I know, but what? She has snapped our wands, we’re bound, and she’s threatening to kill you.

SCORPIUS: I’m ready to die if it’ll stop Voldemort returning.

ALBUS: Are you?

SCORPIUS: You won’t have to mourn me for long, she’ll kill me and quickly kill you too.

ALBUS (desperate): The flaw in the Time-Turner, the five-minute rule. We do all we can to run down the clock.

SCORPIUS: It won’t work.

As another hedge changes direction,

DELPHI

pulls

ALBUS

and

SCORPIUS

in after her. They continue through this maze of despair.

LUDO BAGMAN: Now let me remind you of the current standings! Tied in first place — Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter. In second place — Mr. Viktor Krum! And in third place — sacré bleu, Miss Fleur Delacour.

Suddenly,

ALBUS

and

SCORPIUS

emerge from behind a hedge, they’re running.

ALBUS: Where did she go?

SCORPIUS: Does it matter? Which way do you think?

DELPHI

rises up after them. She’s flying, and without a broom.

DELPHI: You poor creatures.

She throws the boys to the ground.

Thinking you can escape me.

ALBUS (astonished): You’re not — even on a broom.

DELPHI: Brooms — such unwieldy, unnecessary objects. Three minutes gone. We have two minutes left. And you will do what you’re told.

SCORPIUS: No. We won’t.

DELPHI: You think you can fight me?

SCORPIUS: No. But we can defy you. If we lay down our lives to do so.

DELPHI: The prophecy must be fulfilled. We will fulfill it.

SCORPIUS: Prophecies can be broken.

DELPHI: You’re mistaken, child, prophecies are the future.

SCORPIUS: But if the prophecy is inevitable why are we here trying to influence it? Your actions contradict your thoughts — you’re dragging us through this maze because you believe this prophecy needs to be enabled — and by that logic prophecies can also be broken — prevented.

DELPHI: You talk too much, child. Crucio!

SCORPIUS

is racked with pain.

ALBUS: Scorpius!

SCORPIUS: You wanted a test, Albus, this is it, and we’re going to pass it.

ALBUS

looks at

SCORPIUS

, finally aware what he has to do. He nods.

DELPHI: Then you will die.

ALBUS (full of strength): Yes. We will. And we’ll do so gladly knowing it’s stopped you.

DELPHI

rises up — full of fury.

DELPHI: We don’t have time for this. Cru —

MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Expelliarmus!

Bang.

DELPHI

’s wand is pulled away from her.

SCORPIUS

looks on in astonishment.

Brachiabindo!

And

DELPHI

is bound.

SCORPIUS

and

ALBUS

then turn as one and stare in astonishment at where the bolt came from: a young, good-looking lad of seventeen or so,

CEDRIC

.

CEDRIC: Come no further.

SCORPIUS: But you’re . . .

CEDRIC: Cedric Diggory. I heard screaming, I had to come. Name yourselves, beasts. I can fight you.

ALBUS

wheels around, astonished.

ALBUS: Cedric?

SCORPIUS: You saved us.

CEDRIC: Are you also a task? An obstacle? Speak. Do I have to defeat you too?

There’s a silence.

SCORPIUS: No. You just have to free us. That’s the task.

CEDRIC

thinks, trying to work out whether it’s a trap, and then waves his wand.

CEDRIC: Emancipare! Emancipare!

The boys are freed.

And now I can go on? Finish the maze?

The boys look at

CEDRIC

— they are heartbroken.

ALBUS: I’m afraid you have to finish the maze.

CEDRIC: Then I shall.

CEDRIC

walks confidently away.

ALBUS

looks after him — desperate to say something, unsure what to say.

ALBUS: Cedric —

CEDRIC

turns towards him.

Your dad loves you very much.

CEDRIC: What?

Behind them,

DELPHI

’s body creeps into movement. She crawls along the ground.