Thinking you can escape me.
ALBUS (astonished): You’re not — even on a broom.
DELPHI: Brooms — such unwieldy, unnecessary objects. Three minutes gone. We have two minutes left. And you will do what you’re told.
SCORPIUS: No. We won’t.
DELPHI: You think you can fight me?
SCORPIUS: No. But we can defy you. If we lay down our lives to do so.
DELPHI: The prophecy must be fulfilled. We will fulfill it.
SCORPIUS: Prophecies can be broken.
DELPHI: You’re mistaken, child, prophecies are the future.
SCORPIUS: But if the prophecy is inevitable why are we here trying to influence it? Your actions contradict your thoughts — you’re dragging us through this maze because you believe this prophecy needs to be enabled — and by that logic prophecies can also be broken — prevented.
DELPHI: You talk too much, child. Crucio!
SCORPIUS is racked with pain.
ALBUS: Scorpius!
SCORPIUS: You wanted a test, Albus, this is it, and we’re going to pass it.
ALBUS looks at SCORPIUS, finally aware what he has to do. He nods.
DELPHI: Then you will die.
ALBUS (full of strength): Yes. We will. And we’ll do so gladly knowing it’s stopped you.
DELPHI rises up — full of fury.
DELPHI: We don’t have time for this. Cru — MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Expelliarmus!
Bang. DELPHI’s wand is pulled away from her. SCORPIUS looks on in astonishment.
Brachiabindo!
And DELPHI is bound. SCORPIUS and ALBUS then turn as one and stare in astonishment at where the bolt came from: a young, good-looking lad of seventeen or so, CEDRIC.
CEDRIC: Come no further.
SCORPIUS: But you’re . . .
CEDRIC: Cedric Diggory. I heard screaming, I had to come. Name yourselves, beasts. I can fight you.
ALBUS wheels around, astonished.
ALBUS: Cedric?
SCORPIUS: You saved us.
CEDRIC: Are you also a task? An obstacle? Speak. Do I have to defeat you too?
There’s a silence.
SCORPIUS: No. You just have to free us. That’s the task.
CEDRIC thinks, trying to work out whether it’s a trap, and then waves his wand.
CEDRIC: Emancipare! Emancipare!
The boys are freed.
And now I can go on? Finish the maze?
The boys look at CEDRIC — they are heartbroken.
ALBUS: I’m afraid you have to finish the maze.
CEDRIC: Then I shall.
CEDRIC walks confidently away. ALBUS looks after him — desperate to say something, unsure what to say.
ALBUS: Cedric —
CEDRIC turns towards him.
Your dad loves you very much.
CEDRIC: What?
Behind them, DELPHI’s body creeps into movement. She crawls along the ground.
ALBUS: Just thought you should know that.
CEDRIC: Okay. Um. Thank you.
CEDRIC looks at ALBUS a moment more, and then walks on. DELPHI pulls out the Time-Turner from within her robes.
SCORPIUS: Albus.
ALBUS: No. Wait . . .
SCORPIUS: The Time-Turner is spinning . . . Look at what she’s doing . . . She can’t leave us behind.
ALBUS and SCORPIUS both scramble to grab part of the Time-Turner.
And there is a giant whoosh of light. A smash of noise.
And time stops. And then it turns over, thinks a bit, and begins spooling backwards, slow at first . . .
And then it speeds up.
Albus . . .
ALBUS: What have we done?
SCORPIUS: We had to go with the Time-Turner, we had to try to stop her.
DELPHI: Stop me? How do you think you’ve stopped me? I am done with this. You may have destroyed my chances of using Cedric to darken the world but maybe you’re right, Scorpius — maybe prophecies can be prevented, maybe prophecies can be broken. What is undoubtedly true is: I’m done with trying to use you annoying, incompetent creatures for anything. No more wasting precious seconds on either of you. Time to try something new.
She crushes the Time-Turner. It explodes in a thousand pieces.
DELPHI ascends again into the air. She laughs in delight as she sets off hard away.
The boys try to chase her, but they’ve not the slightest chance. She flies, they run.
ALBUS: No . . . No . . . You can’t . . .
SCORPIUS turns back and tries to pick up the Time-Turner pieces.
The Time-Turner? It’s destroyed?
SCORPIUS: Utterly. We’re stuck here. In time. Wherever in time we are. Whatever it is she’s planning to do.
ALBUS: Hogwarts looks the same.
SCORPIUS: Yes. And we can’t be seen here. Let’s get out of here before we’re spotted.
ALBUS: We need to stop her, Scorpius.
SCORPIUS: I know we do — but how?
ACT THREE, SCENE TWENTY-ONE
ST. OSWALD’S HOME FOR OLD WITCHES AND WIZARDS, DELPHI’S ROOM
HARRY, HERMIONE, RON, DRACO, and GINNY look around a simple oak-paneled room.
HARRY: It must have been a Confundus Charm she used on him. Used on them all. She faked being a nurse, she faked being his niece.
HERMIONE: I’ve just checked in with the Ministry — but there’s no record of her. She’s a shadow.
DRACO: Specialis Revelio!
Everyone turns to look at DRACO.