Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

HAGRID: Where’s me manners? A very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it’ll taste all right.

From inside his coat he pulls a slightly squashed chocolate cake with “Happy Birthday Harry” written on it in green icing.

YOUNG HARRY: Who are you?

HAGRID (laughing): True, I haven’t introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. (He looks around himself.) What about that tea, then, eh? I’d not say no ter summat stronger if yeh’ve got it, mind.

YOUNG HARRY: Hogwhere?

HAGRID: Hogwarts. Yeh’ll know all about Hogwarts, o’ course.

YOUNG HARRY: Er — no. Sorry.

HAGRID: Sorry? It’s them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren’t gettin’ yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn’t even know abou’ Hogwarts, fer cryin’ out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learnt it all?

YOUNG HARRY: Learnt what?

HAGRID turns menacingly towards UNCLE VERNON.

HAGRID: Do you mean ter tell me, that this boy — this boy! — knows nothin’ abou’ — about ANYTHING?

UNCLE VERNON: I forbid you to tell the boy anything more!

YOUNG HARRY: Tell me what?

HAGRID looks at UNCLE VERNON and then at YOUNG HARRY.

HAGRID: Harry — yer a wizard — yeh changed everything. Yer the most famous wizard in the whole world.

And then, right from the back of the room, whispering around everyone.

Words said with an unmistakable voice. The voice of VOLDEMORT . . .

Haaarry Pottttter.

ACT ONE, SCENE NINE

HARRY AND GINNY POTTER’S HOUSE, BEDROOM

HARRY wakes suddenly. Breathing deeply in the night.

He waits a moment. Calming himself. And then he feels intense pain in his forehead. In his scar. Around him, Dark Magic moves.

GINNY: Harry . . .

HARRY: It’s fine. Go back to sleep.

GINNY: Lumos.

The room is filled with light from her wand. HARRY looks at her.

A nightmare?

HARRY: Yes.

GINNY: About what?

HARRY: The Dursleys — well, it started there — then it became something else.

Pause. GINNY looks at him — trying to work out where he is.

GINNY: Do you want a Sleeping Draught?

HARRY: No. I’ll be fine. Go back to sleep.

GINNY: You don’t seem fine.

HARRY says nothing.

(Seeing his agitation.) It can’t have been easy — with Amos Diggory.

HARRY: The anger I can cope with, the fact he’s right is harder. Amos lost his son because of me —

GINNY: That doesn’t seem particularly fair on yourself . . .

HARRY: — and there’s nothing I can say — nothing I can say to anyone — unless it’s the wrong thing, of course . . .

GINNY knows what — or rather who — he’s referring to.

GINNY: So that’s what’s upsetting you? The night before Hogwarts, it’s never a good night if you don’t want to go. Giving Al the blanket. It was a nice try.

HARRY: It went pretty badly wrong from there. I said some things, Ginny . . .

GINNY: I heard.

HARRY: And you’re still talking to me?

GINNY: Because I know that when the time is right you’ll say sorry. That you didn’t mean it. That what you said concealed . . . other things. You can be honest with him, Harry . . . That’s all he needs.

HARRY: I just wish he was more like James or Lily.

GINNY (dry): Yeah, maybe don’t be that honest.

HARRY: No, I wouldn’t change a thing about him . . . but I can understand them, and . . .

GINNY: Albus is different and isn’t that a good thing. And he can tell, you know, when you’re putting on your Harry Potter front. He wants to see the real you.

HARRY: “The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.”

GINNY looks at him, surprised.

Dumbledore.

GINNY: A strange thing to say to a child.

HARRY: Not when you believe that child will have to die to save the world.

HARRY gasps again — and does all he can not to touch his forehead.

GINNY: Harry. What’s wrong?

HARRY: Fine. I’m fine. I hear you. I’ll try to be —

GINNY: Does your scar hurt?

HARRY: No. No. I’m fine. Now, Nox that and let’s get some sleep.

GINNY: Harry. How long has it been since your scar hurt?

HARRY turns to GINNY, his face says it all.

HARRY: Twenty-two years.

ACT ONE, SCENE TEN

THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS

ALBUS walks quickly along the train.