Joanne Rowling - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

DUMBLEDORE: Not gossip. Concern. That you two are struggling. That he’s difficult. That he is angry with you. I have formed the impression that — perhaps — you are blinded by your love for him.

HARRY: Blinded?

DUMBLEDORE: You must see him as he is, Harry. You must look for what’s wounding him.

HARRY: Haven’t I seen him as he is? What’s wounding my son? (He thinks.) Or is it who’s wounding my son?

ALBUS (mumbles in his sleep) : Dad . . .

HARRY: This black cloud, it’s someone, isn’t it? Not something?

DUMBLEDORE: Ah really, what does my opinion matter anymore? I am paint and memory, Harry, paint and memory. And I never had a son.

HARRY: But I need your advice.

ALBUS: Dad?

HARRY looks at ALBUS and then back at DUMBLEDORE. But DUMBLEDORE is gone.

HARRY: No, where have you gone now?

ALBUS: We’re in — the hospital wing?

HARRY turns his attention back to ALBUS.

HARRY (discombobulated) : Yes. And you’re — you will be fine. For recuperation, Madam Pomfrey wasn’t sure what to prescribe and said you should probably eat lots of — chocolate. Actually, do you mind if I have some — ? I’ve got something to tell you and I don’t think you’ll like it.

ALBUS looks at his dad, what does he have to say? He decides not to engage.

ALBUS: Okay. I think.

HARRY takes some chocolate, he eats a big chunk. ALBUS looks at his dad, confused.

Better?

HARRY: Much.

He holds out the chocolate to his son. ALBUS takes a piece. Father and son munch together.

The arm, how does it feel?

ALBUS flexes his arm.

ALBUS: It feels great.

HARRY (soft) : Where did you go, Albus? I can’t tell you what it did to us. Your mum was worried sick . . .

ALBUS looks up, he is a great liar.

ALBUS: We decided we didn’t want to come to school. We thought we could start again — in the Muggle world. We discovered we were wrong. We were coming back to Hogwarts when you found us.

HARRY: In Durmstrang robes?

ALBUS: The robes were . . . The whole thing — Scorpius and I — we didn’t think.

HARRY: And why — why did you run? Because of me? Because of what I said?

ALBUS: I don’t know. Hogwarts isn’t actually that pleasant a place when you don’t fit in.

HARRY: And did Scorpius — encourage you to — go?

ALBUS: Scorpius? No.

HARRY looks at ALBUS, trying to see almost an aura around him, thinking deeply.

HARRY: I need you to stay away from Scorpius Malfoy.

ALBUS: What? Scorpius?

HARRY: I don’t know how you became friends in the first place, but you did, and now — I need you to —

ALBUS: My best friend? My only friend?

HARRY: He’s dangerous.

ALBUS: Scorpius? Dangerous? Have you met him? Dad, if you honestly think he’s the son of Voldemort . . .

HARRY: I don’t know what he is, I just know you need to stay away from him. Bane told me —

ALBUS: Who’s Bane?

HARRY: A centaur with profound Divination skills. He said there’s a black cloud around you and —

ALBUS: A black cloud?

HARRY: And I have very good reason to believe that Dark Magic is in a resurgence and I need to keep you safe from it. Safe from him. Safe from Scorpius.

ALBUS hesitates a moment, and then his face strengthens.

ALBUS: And if I won’t? Stay away from him?

HARRY looks at his son, thinking quickly.

HARRY: There’s a map. It used to be used for those wanting to get up to no good. Now we’re going to use it to keep an eye — a permanent eye — on you. Professor McGonagall will watch your every movement. Any time you are seen together — she’ll come flying — any time you attempt to leave Hogwarts — she’ll fly. I expect you to go to your lessons — none of which you will now share with Scorpius, and between times, you will stay in the Gryffindor common room!

ALBUS: You can’t make me go into Gryffindor! I’m Slytherin!

HARRY: Don’t play games, Albus, you know what House you are. If she finds you with Scorpius, I will fix you with a spell which will allow me eyes and ears into your every movement, your every conversation. In the meantime, investigations will begin in my department as to his true heritage.

ALBUS (starting to cry) : But, Dad — you can’t — that’s just not . . .

HARRY: I thought for a long time I wasn’t a good enough dad for you because you didn’t like me. It’s only now I realize that I don’t need you to like me, I need you to obey me because I’m your dad and I do know better. I’m sorry, Albus. It has to be this way.

ALBUS pursues HARRY across the stage.

ALBUS: What if I run? I’ll run.

HARRY: Albus, get back in bed.

ALBUS: I’ll run away again.

HARRY: No. You won’t.

ALBUS: I will — and this time I’ll make sure Ron can’t find us.

RON: Do I hear my name?

RON enters on a staircase, his side parting now super-aggressive, his robes just a little bit too short, his clothes now spectacularly staid.

ALBUS: Uncle Ron! Thank Dumbledore. If ever we needed one of your jokes it’s now . . .

RON frowns, confused.

RON: Jokes? I don’t know any jokes.

ALBUS: Of course you do. You run a joke shop.

RON (now supremely confused) : A joke shop? Well now. Anyway I’m pleased I caught you. I was going to bring some sweets — for a, uh, sort of, a, get well soon, but, uh . . . Actually Padma — she thinks about things a lot more — deeply — than I do — and she thought it’d be nicer for you to get something useful for school. So we got you a — set of quills. Yes. Yes. Yes. Look at these bad boys. Top of the range.

ALBUS: Who’s Padma?

HARRY frowns at ALBUS.

HARRY: Your aunt.

ALBUS: I have an Aunt Padma?

RON (to HARRY) : Taken a Confundus Charm to the head, has he? (To ALBUS.) My wife, Padma. You remember. Talks slightly too close to your face, smells a bit minty. (Leans in.) Padma, mother of Panju! (To HARRY.) That’s why I’m here, of course. Panju. He’s in trouble again. I wanted to just send a Howler but Padma insisted I come in person. I don’t know why. He just laughs at me.

ALBUS: But . . . you’re married to Hermione.

Beat. RON doesn’t understand this at all.

RON: Hermione. No. Nooooo. Merlin’s beard.

HARRY: Albus has also forgotten that he was sorted into Gryffindor. Conveniently.

RON: Yes, well, sorry, old chap, but you’re a Gryffindor.

ALBUS: But how did I get sorted into Gryffindor?

RON: You persuaded the Sorting Hat, don’t you remember? Panju bet you that you couldn’t get into Gryffindor if your life depended on it, so you chose Gryffindor to spite him. I can’t blame you, (dry) we’d all like to wipe the smile off his face sometimes, wouldn’t we? (Terrified.) Please don’t tell Padma I said that.

ALBUS: Who’s Panju?

RON and HARRY stare at ALBUS.

RON: Bloody hell, you’re really not yourself, are you? Anyway, better go, before I’m sent a Howler myself.

He stumbles on, not even an inch of the man he was.

ALBUS: But that doesn’t . . . make sense.

HARRY: Albus, whatever you’re feigning, it isn’t working. I will not change my mind.

ALBUS: Dad, you have two choices, either you take me to —

HARRY: No, you’re the one with the choice, Albus. You do this, or you get in deeper, much deeper trouble — do you understand?