Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, #8)

GINNY: And Albus is missing. Again.

DRACO: Scorpius too. We’ve had McGonagall check the entire school. They’re gone.

HERMIONE: I’ll get the Aurors summoned immediately, I’ll — RON: No, you won’t, it’s all fine. Albus — I saw him last night. It’s all good.

DRACO: Where?

They all turn to look at RON, he’s briefly disconcerted but batters on.

RON: I was having a couple of firewhiskies with Neville in Hogsmeade — as you do — setting the world to rights — as we do — and we were coming back — quite late, very late, and trying to work out which Floo I could use because when you’ve had a drink sometimes you don’t want to use the tight ones — or the turny ones or —

GINNY: Ron, if you could get to the point before we all strangle you?

RON: He hasn’t run away — he’s having a quiet moment — he’s got himself an older girlfriend — HARRY: An older girlfriend?

RON: And a cracking one at that — gorgeous silver hair. Saw them on the roof together, near the Owlery with Scorpius playing the gooseberry. Nice to see my love potion being used well, I thought.

HARRY has a thought.

HARRY: Her hair — was it silver and blue?

RON: That’s it — silver, blue — yup.

HARRY: He’s talking about Delphi Diggory. Niece of — Amos Diggory.

GINNY: This is about Cedric again?

HARRY says nothing, thinking fast. HERMIONE looks around the room, concerned, and then shouts out of the door.

HERMIONE: Ethel! Cancel the goblins.





ACT THREE, SCENE EIGHTEEN





ST. OSWALD’S HOME FOR OLD WITCHES AND WIZARDS, AMOS’S ROOM

HARRY walks in, wand outstretched, with DRACO.

HARRY: Where are they?

AMOS: Harry Potter, and what can I do for you, sir? And Draco Malfoy. I am blessed.

HARRY: I know how you’ve used my son.

AMOS: I’ve used your son? No. You, sir — you used my beautiful son.

DRACO: Tell us — now — where are Albus and Scorpius? Or face the profoundest consequences.

AMOS: But why would I know where they are?

DRACO: Don’t play the senility card with us, old man. We know you’ve been sending him owls.

AMOS: I’ve done nothing of the kind.

HARRY: Amos, you’re not too old for Azkaban. They were last seen on the Hogwarts tower with your niece when they disappeared.

AMOS: I have no idea what you are . . . (He stops, a beat, confused.) My niece?

HARRY: There are no depths to which you won’t sink, are there — yes, your niece, are you denying she was there under your express instructions?

AMOS: Yes, I am — I don’t have a niece.

This stops HARRY.

DRACO: Yes, you do, a nurse, works here. Your niece . . . Delphini Diggory.

AMOS: I know I don’t have a niece because I never had any brothers and sisters. And nor did my wife.

DRACO: We need to find out who she is — now.





ACT THREE, SCENE NINETEEN





HOGWARTS, QUIDDITCH PITCH

We open on DELPHI, enjoying every second of her changed identity. Where there was discomfort and insecurity, now there’s just power.

ALBUS: What are we doing on the Quidditch pitch?

DELPHI says nothing.

SCORPIUS: The Triwizard Tournament. The third task. The maze. This is where the maze was. We’re going back for Cedric.

DELPHI: Yes, it is time to spare the spare once and for all. We will go back for Cedric and in doing so we will resurrect the world you saw, Scorpius . . .

SCORPIUS: Hell. You want to resurrect hell?

DELPHI: I want a return to pure and strong magic. I want to rebirth the Dark.

SCORPIUS: You want Voldemort’s return?

DELPHI: The one true ruler of the wizarding world. He will return. Now, you’ve ensured the first two tasks are a little clogged up with magic — there are at least two visits from the future in both of them and I will not risk being revealed or distracted. The third task is clean, so let’s start there, shall we?

ALBUS: We won’t stop him — whatever you force us to do — we know he needs to win the tournament with my dad.

DELPHI: I don’t just want you to stop him. I want you to humiliate him. He needs to fly out of that maze naked on a broomstick made of purple feather dusters. Humiliation got you there before and it’ll get us there again. And the prophecy will be fulfilled.

SCORPIUS: Wasn’t aware that there was a prophecy, what prophecy?

DELPHI: You have seen the world as it should be, Scorpius, and today we’re going to ensure its return.

ALBUS: We won’t. We won’t obey you. Whoever you are. Whatever you want us to do.

DELPHI: Of course you will.

ALBUS: You’ll have to use Imperio. You’ll have to control me.

DELPHI: No. To fulfill the prophecy, this has to be you, not a puppet of you. You have to be the one to humiliate Cedric, so Imperio just won’t do — I’ll have to force you by other means.

She takes out her wand. She points it at ALBUS, who sticks his chin out.

ALBUS: Do your worst.

DELPHI looks at him. And then turns her wand on SCORPIUS.

DELPHI: I will.

ALBUS: No!