PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Minister — this is quite unexpected . . .
GINNY: That may be my fault — I persuaded them to put out an emergency edition of the Daily Prophet. Asking for volunteers.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Right. Very sensible. I expect . . . there will be quite a few.
RON bursts in. Covered in soot. Wearing a gravy-stained dinner napkin.
RON: Have I missed anything — I couldn’t work out which Floo to travel to. Ended up in the kitchen somehow. (HERMIONE glares as he pulls the napkin off himself.) What?
Suddenly there is another rumble in the chimney and DRACO comes down hard, surrounded by cascading soot and dust.
Everyone looks at him, surprised. He stands and brushes the soot off himself.
DRACO: Sorry about your floor, Minerva.
PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: I dare say it’s my fault for owning a chimney.
HARRY: Quite a surprise to see you, Draco. I thought you didn’t believe in my dreams.
DRACO: I don’t, but I do trust your luck. Harry Potter is always where the action is at. And I need my son back with me and safe.
GINNY: Then let’s get to the Forbidden Forest and find them both.
ACT TWO, SCENE FOUR
EDGE OF THE FORBIDDEN FOREST
ALBUS and DELPHI face each other, holding wands.
ALBUS: Expelliarmus!
DELPHI’s wand flies through the air.
DELPHI: You’re getting it now. You’re good at this.
She takes her wand back from him.
(In a posh voice.) “You’re a positively disarming young man.”
ALBUS: Expelliarmus!
Her wand flies back again.
DELPHI: And we have a winner.
The two high-five.
ALBUS: I’ve never been good at spells.
SCORPIUS appears at the back of the stage. He looks at his friend talking to a girl — and part of him likes it and part of him doesn’t.
DELPHI: I was rubbish — and then something clicked. And it will for you too. Not that I’m a super witch or anything but — I think you’re becoming quite some wizard, Albus Potter.
ALBUS: Then you should stick around, teach me more . . .
DELPHI: Of course I’m sticking around, we’re friends, aren’t we?
ALBUS: Yes. Yes. Definitely friends. Definitely.
DELPHI: Great. Wizzo!
SCORPIUS: What’s wizzo?
SCORPIUS steps forward decisively.
ALBUS: Cracked the spell. I mean, it’s pretty basic, but I was — well, I cracked it.
SCORPIUS (over-enthusiastic, trying to join in): And I’ve found our way through to the school. Listen, are we sure this will work . . .
DELPHI: Yes!
ALBUS: It’s a brilliant plan. The secret to not getting Cedric killed is to stop him winning the Triwizard Tournament. If he doesn’t win, he can’t be killed.
SCORPIUS: And I understand that, but . . .
ALBUS: So we just need to mess up his chances supremely badly in task one. The first task is getting a golden egg from a dragon, how did Cedric distract the dragon —
DELPHI puts her hand in the air. ALBUS grins and points at her. These two are getting on really well now.
Diggory.
DELPHI: — by transfiguring a stone into a dog.
ALBUS: — well, a little Expelliarmus and he won’t be able to do that.
SCORPIUS isn’t enjoying the DELPHI-ALBUS double act.
SCORPIUS: Okay, two points, first point, we’re certain the dragon won’t kill him?
DELPHI: It’s always two points with him, isn’t it? Of course it won’t. This is Hogwarts. They won’t let damage happen to any of the champions.
SCORPIUS: Okay, second point — more significant point — we’re going back without any knowledge of whether we can travel back afterwards. Which is exciting. Maybe we should just — try going back an hour, say, first and then . . .
DELPHI: I’m sorry, Scorpius, we’ve no time to waste. Waiting here this close to the school is just too dangerous — I’m sure they’ll be looking for you and . . .
ALBUS: She’s right.
DELPHI: Now, you’re going to need to wear these.
She pulls out two large paper bags. The boys pull robes from them.
ALBUS: But these are Durmstrang robes.
DELPHI: My uncle’s idea. If you are in Hogwarts robes people will expect to know who you are. But there are two other schools competing at the Triwizard Tournament — and if you’re in Durmstrang robes — well, you can fade into the background, can’t you?
ALBUS: Good thinking! Hang on, where are your robes?
DELPHI: Albus, I’m flattered, but I don’t think I can pretend to be a student, do you? I’ll just keep in the background and pretend to be a — ooh, maybe I could pretend to be a dragon tamer. You’re doing all the spell stuff anyway.
SCORPIUS looks at her and then at ALBUS.
SCORPIUS: You shouldn’t come.
DELPHI: What?
SCORPIUS: You’re right. We don’t need you for the spell. And if you can’t wear student robes — you’re too big a risk. Sorry, Delphi, you shouldn’t come.
DELPHI: But I have to — he’s my cousin. Albus?
ALBUS: I think he’s right. I’m sorry.
DELPHI: What?
ALBUS: We won’t mess up.
DELPHI: But without me — you won’t be able to work the Time-Turner.