JAMES appears at the door, he has pink hair.
GINNY: That’s not why your dad gave you that Cloak!
LILY: Who’s seen my Potions book?
GINNY: Lily Potter, don’t think you’re wearing those to school tomorrow . . .
LILY appears at ALBUS’s door. She’s wearing fairy wings that flutter.
LILY: I love them. They’re fluttery.
She exits as HARRY appears in ALBUS’s doorway. He looks through.
HARRY: Hi.
There’s an awkward pause between them. GINNY appears in the doorway. She sees what’s happening, she stays a moment.
Just delivering a pre-Hogwarts gift — gifts — Ron’s sent this . . .
ALBUS: Okay. A love potion. Okay.
HARRY: I think it’s a joke about — I don’t know what. Lily got farting gnomes, James got a comb that’s made his hair turn a shade of pink. Ron — well, Ron’s Ron, you know?
HARRY puts down ALBUS’s love potion on his bed.
I also — this is from me . . .
He reveals a small blanket. GINNY looks at it, she sees HARRY is trying, and then she softly walks away.
ALBUS: An old blanket?
HARRY: I thought a lot about what to give you this year. James — well, James has been going on about the Invisibility Cloak since time itself, and Lily — I knew she’d love wings — but you. You’re fourteen years old now, Albus, and I wanted to give you something which — meant something. This . . . is the last thing I had from my mum. The only thing. I was given to the Dursleys wrapped in it. I thought it had gone forever and then, when your great-aunt Petunia died, hidden amongst her possessions, surprisingly, Dudley found this and he kindly sent it on to me, and ever since then — well, anytime I’ve wanted luck I’ve found it and just tried to hold it and I wondered if you . . .
ALBUS: Wanted to hold it too? Okay. Done. Let’s hope it brings me luck. I certainly need some.
He touches the blanket.
But you should keep it.
HARRY: I think — believe — Petunia wanted me to have it, that’s why she kept it, and now I want you to have it from me. I didn’t really know my mother — but I think she’d have wanted you to have it too. And maybe — I could come find you — and it — on Hallows’ Eve. I’d like to be with it on the night they died — and that could be good for the two of us . . .
ALBUS: Listen, I’ve got quite a lot of packing to do, and you undoubtedly have Ministry work coming out of your ears, so . . .
HARRY: Albus, I want you to have the blanket.
ALBUS: And do what with it? Fairy wings make sense, Dad, invisibility cloaks, they also make sense — but this — really?
HARRY is slightly heartbroken. He looks at his son, desperate to reach out.
HARRY: Do you want a hand? Packing. I always loved packing. It meant I was leaving Privet Drive and going back to Hogwarts. Which was . . . well, I know you don’t love it but . . .
ALBUS: For you, it’s the greatest place on earth. I know. The poor orphan, bullied by his uncle and aunt Dursley . . .
HARRY: Albus, please — can we just —
ALBUS: . . . traumatized by his cousin, Dudley, saved by Hogwarts. I know it all, Dad. Blah, blah, blah.
HARRY: I’m not going to rise to your bait, Albus Potter.
ALBUS: The poor orphan who went on to save us all. So may I say — on behalf of wizarding kind — how grateful we are for your heroism. Should we bow now or will a curtsy do?
HARRY: Albus, please — you know, I’ve never wanted gratitude.
ALBUS: But right now I’m overflowing with it — it must be the kind gift of this moldy blanket that did it . . .
HARRY: Moldy blanket?
ALBUS: What did you think would happen? We’d hug. I’d tell you I always loved you. What? What?
HARRY (finally losing his temper): You know what? I’m done with being made responsible for your unhappiness. At least you’ve got a dad. Because I didn’t, okay?
ALBUS: And you think that was unlucky? I don’t.
HARRY: You wish me dead?
ALBUS: No! I just wish you weren’t my dad.
HARRY (seeing red): Well, there are times I wish you weren’t my son.
There’s a silence. ALBUS nods. Pause. HARRY realizes what he’s said.
No, I didn’t mean that . . .
ALBUS: Yes. You did.
HARRY: Albus, you just know how to get under my skin . . .
ALBUS: You meant it, Dad. And, honestly, I don’t blame you.
There’s a horrible pause.
You should probably leave me alone now.
HARRY: Albus, please . . .
ALBUS picks up the blanket and throws it. It collides with RON’s love potion, which spills all over the blanket and the bed, producing a small puff of smoke.
ALBUS: No luck or love for me, then.
ALBUS runs out of the room. HARRY goes after him.
HARRY: Albus. Albus . . . Please . . .
ACT ONE, SCENE EIGHT
DREAM, HUT-ON-THE-ROCK
There’s a LARGE BOOM. Then there’s a LARGE CRASH. DUDLEY DURSLEY, AUNT PETUNIA, and UNCLE VERNON are cowering behind a bed.
DUDLEY DURSLEY: Mum, I don’t like this.