第4章 ACT ONE SCENE FOUR

TRANSITION SCENE

And now we enter a never-world of time change. And this scene is all about magic.

The changes are rapid as we leap between worlds. There are no individual scenes, but fragments, shards that show the constant progression of time.

Initially we're inside Hogwarts, in the Great Hall, and everyone is dancing around ALBUS.

POLLY CHAPMAN

Albus Potter.

KARL JENKINS

A Potter. In our year.

YANN FREDERICKS

He's got his hair. He's got hair just like him.

ROSE

And he's my cousin. (As they turn.) Rose Granger-Weasley. Nice to meet you.

The SORTING HAT walks through the students who spring into their houses.

It becomes quickly apparent he's approaching ROSE, who is tense as she awaits her fate.

SORTING HAT

I've done this job for centuries

On every student's head I've sat

Of thoughts I take inventories

For I'm the famous Sorting Hat.

I've sorted high, I've sorted low,

I've done the job through thick and thin

So put me on and you will know

Which house you should be in ...

Rose Granger-Weasley.

He puts his hat on ROSE's head.

GRYFFINDOR!

There's cheering from the Gryffindors as ROSE joins them.

ROSE

Thank Dumbledore.

SCORPIUS runs to take ROSE'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 like 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

Whoah! 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 millimetre. 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 on to 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, his robes perfect, his blond ponytail precisely placed, emerges from within the crowds to be beside HARRY.

DRACO

I need a favour.

HARRY

Draco.

DRACO

These rumours–about my son's parentage–they don't seem to be going away. The other Hogwarts students tease Scorpius about it relentlessly–if the Ministry could release a statement reaffirming that all Time-Turners were destroyed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries ...

HARRY

Draco, just let it blow over–they'll soon move on.

DRACO

My son is suffering and–Astoria hasn't been well recently–so he needs all the support he can get.

HARRY

If you answer the gossip, you feed the gossip. There've been rumours Voldemort had a child for years, Scorpius is not the first to be accused. The Ministry, for your sake as well as ours, needs to steer well clear.

DRACO frowns, annoyed, as the stage clears and ROSE and ALBUS stand ready with their cases.

ALBUS

As soon as the train leaves you don't have to talk to me.

ROSE

I know. We just need to keep the pretence up in front of the grown-ups.

SCORPIUS runs on–with big hopes and an even bigger case.

SCORPIUS (hopeful)

Hi Rose.

ROSE (definitive)

Bye Albus.

SCORPIUS (still hopeful)

She's melting.

And suddenly we're in the Great Hall and PROFESSOR McGONAGALL is standing at the front, with a big smile on her face.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL

And I'm pleased to announce Gryffindor's newest member of the Quidditch team–our–(she realises she can't be partial) your superb new Chaser–Rose Granger-Weasley.

The Hall erupts into cheers. SCORPIUS claps alongside them all.

ALBUS

Are you clapping her too? We hate Quidditch and she's playing for another house.

SCORPIUS

She's your cousin, Albus.

ALBUS

Do you think she'd clap for me?

SCORPIUS

I think she's brilliant.

The students circle ALBUS again as suddenly a Potions class begins.

POLLY CHAPMAN

Albus Potter. An irrelevance. Even portraits turn the other way when he comes up the stairs.

ALBUS hunches over a potion.

ALBUS

And now we add–is it horn of Bicorn?

KARL JENKINS

Leave him and Voldemort's child to it, I say.

ALBUS

With just a little salamander blood ...

The potion explodes loudly.

SCORPIUS

Okay. What's the counter-ingredient? What do we need to change?

ALBUS

Everything.

And with that, time moves ever onwards–ALBUS's eyes become darker, his face grows more sallow. He's still an attractive boy, but he's trying not to admit it.

And suddenly he's back on platform nine and three-quarters with his dad–who is still trying to persuade his son (and himself) that everything is okay. Both have aged another year.

HARRY

Third year. Big year. Here is your permission form for Hogsmeade.

ALBUS

I hate Hogsmeade.

HARRY

How can you hate a place you haven't actually visited yet?

ALBUS

Because I know it'll be full of Hogwarts students.

ALBUS screws up the paper.

HARRY

Just give it a go–come on–this is your chance to go nuts in Honeydukes without your mum knowing–no Albus, don't you dare.

ALBUS (pointing his wand)

Incendio!

The ball of paper bursts into flame, and ascends across the stage.

HARRY

Of all the stupid things!

ALBUS

The ironic thing is I didn't expect it to work. I'm terrible at that spell.

HARRY

Al–Albus, I've been exchanging owls with Professor McGonagall–she says you're isolating yourself–you're uncooperative in lessons–you're surly–you're–

ALBUS

So what would you like me to do? Magic myself popular? Conjure myself into a new house? Transfigure myself into a better student? Just cast a spell, Dad, and change me into what you want me to be, okay? It'll work better for both of us. Got to go. Train to catch. Friend to find.

ALBUS runs to SCORPIUS, who is sitting on his case–numb to the world.

(delighted) Scorpius ...

(concerned) Scorpius ... are you okay?

SCORPIUS says nothing. ALBUS tries to read his friend's eyes.

Your mum? It's got worse?

SCORPIUS

It's got the worst it can possibly get.

ALBUS sits down beside SCORPIUS.

ALBUS

I thought you'd send an owl ...

SCORPIUS

I couldn't work out what to say.

ALBUS

And now I don't know what to say ...

SCORPIUS

Say nothing.

ALBUS

Is there anything ...

SCORPIUS

Come to the funeral.

ALBUS

Of course.

SCORPIUS

And be my good friend.

And suddenly the SORTING HAT is centre stage and we're back in the Great Hall.

SORTING HAT

Are you afraid of what you'll hear?

Afraid I'll speak the name you fear?

Not Slytherin! Not Gryffindor!

Not Hufflepuff! Not Ravenclaw!

Don't worry, child, I know my job,

You'll learn to laugh, if first you sob.

Lily Potter. GRYFFINDOR!

LILY

Yes!

ALBUS

Great.

SCORPIUS

Did you really think she'd come to us? Potters don't belong in Slytherin.

ALBUS

This one does.

As he tries to melt into the background, the other students laugh. He looks up at them all.

I didn't choose, you know that? I didn't choose to be his son.