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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two may not be performed in whole or in part and no use may be made of it whatsoever except under express licence from the rights holders of the work, J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions Limited.
Please email [email protected] with any enquiries.
J.K. ROWLING
To Jack Thorne who entered my world and did beautiful things there.
JOHN TIFFANY
For Joe, Louis, Max, Sonny and Merle… wizards all…
JACK THORNE
To Elliott Thorne, born 7 April 2016. As we rehearsed, he gurgled.
PART ONE
PART ONE
ACT ONE
ACT ONE
SCENE ONE
A busy and crowded station, full of people trying to go somewhere. Amongst the hustle and bustle, two large cages rattle on top of two laden trolleys. They’re being pushed by two boys, JAMES POTTER and ALBUS POTTER. Their mother, GINNY, follows after. A thirty-seven-year-old man, HARRY, has his daughter LILY on his shoulders.
ALBUS
Dad. He keeps saying it.
HARRY
James, give it a rest.
JAMES
I only said he might be in Slytherin. And he might, so. . (off his dad’s glare) fine.
ALBUS (looking up at his mum)
You’ll write to me, won’t you?
GINNY
Every day if you want us to.
ALBUS
No. Not every day. James says most people only get letters from home about once a month. I don’t want to. .
HARRY
We wrote to your brother three times a week last year.
ALBUS
What? James!
ALBUS looks accusingly at JAMES.
GINNY
Yes. You may not want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts. He likes a laugh, your brother.
JAMES (with a grin)
Can we go now please?
ALBUS looks at his dad, and then his mum.
GINNY
All you have to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten.
LILY
I’m so excited.
HARRY
Don’t stop and don’t be scared you’ll crash into it, that’s very important. Best to do it at a run if you’re nervous.
ALBUS
I’m ready.
HARRY and LILY put their hands on ALBUS’s trolley — GINNY joins JAMES’s trolley – and together, the family run hard into the barrier.
ACT ONE
SCENE TWO
Which is covered in thick white steam pouring from the HOGWARTS EXPRESS.
And which is also busy – but instead of people in sharp suits going about their day, it’s now wizards and witches in robes mostly trying to work out how to say goodbye to their beloved progeny.
ALBUS
This is it.
LILY
Wow!
ALBUS
Platform nine and three-quarters.
LILY
Where are they? Are they here? Maybe they didn’t come?
HARRY points out RON, HERMIONE and their daughter ROSE. LILY runs hard up to them.
Uncle Ron. Uncle Ron!!!
RON turns towards them as LILY goes barrelling up to him. He picks her up into his arms.
RON
If it isn’t my favourite Potter.
LILY
Have you got my trick?
RON
Are you aware of the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes certified nose-stealing breath?
ROSE
Mum! Dad’s doing that lame thing again.
HERMIONE
You say lame, he says glorious, I say. . somewhere in between.
RON
Hang on. Let me just munch this. . air. And now it’s just a simple matter of. . excuse me if I smell slightly of garlic. .
He breathes on her face. LILY giggles.
LILY
You smell of porridge.
RON
Bing. Bang. Boing. Young lady, get ready to not being able to smell at all. .
He lifts her nose off.
LILY
Where’s my nose?
RON
Tada!
His hand is empty. It’s a lame trick. Everyone enjoys its lameness.
LILY
You are silly.
ALBUS
Everyone’s staring at us again.
RON
Because of me! I’m extremely famous. My nose experiments are legendary!
HERMIONE
They’re certainly something.
HARRY
Parked all right then?
RON
I did. Hermione didn’t believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I’d have to Confund the examiner.
HERMIONE
I thought nothing of the kind, I have complete faith in you.
ROSE
And I have complete faith he did Confund the examiner.
RON
Oi!
ALBUS
Dad. .
ALBUS pulls on HARRY’s robes. HARRY looks down.
Do you think – what if I am – what if I’m put in Slytherin. .
HARRY
And what would be wrong with that?
ALBUS
Slytherin is the house of the snake, of Dark Magic. . it’s not a house of brave wizards.
HARRY
Albus Severus, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.
ALBUS
But just say. .
HARRY
If it matters to you, you, the Sorting Hat will take your feelings into account.
ALBUS
Really?
HARRY
It did for me.
This is something he’s never said before,