Act two, scene sixteen

HOGWARTS, LIBRARY

SCORPIUS arrives in the library. He looks left and right. And then he sees ALBUS. And ALBUS sees him.

SCORPIUS: Hi.

ALBUS: Scorpius. I can’t...

SCORPIUS: I know. You’re in Gryffindor now. You don’t want to see me now. But here I am anyway. Talking to you.

ALBUS: Well, I can’t talk so...

SCORPIUS: You have to. You think you can just ignore everything that’s happened? The world has gone crazy, have you noticed?

ALBUS: I know, okay? Ron’s gone strange. Hermione’s a professor, it’s all wrong, but...

SCORPIUS: And Rose doesn’t exist.

ALBUS: I know. Look, I don’t understand everything but you can’t be here.

SCORPIUS: Because of what we did, Rose wasn’t even born. Do you remember being told about the Triwizard Tournament Yule Ball? All the four Triwizard champions took a partner. Your dad took Parvati Patil, Viktor Krum took —

ALBUS: Hermione. And Ron got jealous and behaved like a prat.

SCORPIUS: Only he didn’t. I found Rita Skeeter’s book about them. And it’s very different. Ron took Hermione to the ball.

ALBUS: What?

POLLY CHAPMAN: Sshhhh!

SCORPIUS looks at POLLY and drops his volume.

SCORPIUS: As friends. And they danced in a friendly way, and it was nice, and then he danced with Padma Patil and that was nicer, and they started dating and he changed a bit and then they got married and meanwhile Hermione became a —

ALBUS: — psychopath.

SCORPIUS: Hermione was supposed to go to that ball with Krum — do you know why she didn’t? Because she had suspicions the two strange Durmstrang boys she met before the first task were somehow involved in the disappearance of Cedric’s wand. She believed we — under Viktor’s orders — cost Cedric the first task...

ALBUS: Wow.

SCORPIUS: And without Krum, Ron never got jealous and that jealousy was all-important and so Ron and Hermione stayed very good friends but never fell in love — never got married — never had Rose.

ALBUS: So that’s why Dad’s so — did he change too?

SCORPIUS: I’m pretty sure your dad is exactly the same. Head of Magical Law Enforcement. Married to Ginny. Three kids.

ALBUS: So why is he being such a —

A LIBRARIAN enters at the back of the room.

SCORPIUS: Have you heard me, Albus? This is bigger than you and your dad. Professor Croaker’s law — the furthest someone can go back in time without the possibility of serious harm to the traveler or time itself is five hours. And we went back years. The smallest moment, the smallest change, it creates ripples. And we — we’ve created really bad ripples. Rose was never born because of what we did. Rose.

LIBRARIAN: Ssshhh!

ALBUS thinks quickly.

ALBUS: Fine, let’s go back — fix it. Get Cedric and Rose back.

SCORPIUS:... is the wrong answer.

ALBUS: You’ve still got the Time-Turner, right? No one found it?

SCORPIUS takes it out of his pocket.

SCORPIUS: Yes, but...

ALBUS snatches it from his hand.

No. Don’t... Albus. Don’t you understand how bad things could get?

SCORPIUS grabs for the Time-Turner, ALBUS pushes him back, they wrestle inexpertly.

ALBUS: Things need fixing, Scorpius. Cedric still needs saving. Rose needs bringing back. We’ll be more careful. Whatever Croaker says, trust me, trust us. We’ll get it right this time.

SCORPIUS: No. We won’t. Give it back, Albus! Give it back!

ALBUS: I can’t. This is too important.

SCORPIUS: Yes, it’s too important — for us. We’re not good at this stuff. We’ll get it wrong.

ALBUS: Who’s saying that we’ll get it wrong?

SCORPIUS: I say. Because that’s what we do. We mess things up. We lose. We’re losers, true and total losers. Haven’t you realized that yet?

ALBUS finally gets the upper hand and pins SCORPIUS to the ground.

ALBUS: Well, I wasn’t a loser before I met you.

SCORPIUS: Albus, whatever you’ve got to prove to your dad — this isn’t the way.

ALBUS: I don’t have anything to prove to my dad. I’ve got to save Cedric to save Rose. And maybe — without you holding me back — I can make a proper go of it.

SCORPIUS: Without me? Oh poor Albus Potter. With his chip on his shoulder. Poor Albus Potter. So sad.

ALBUS: What are you saying?

SCORPIUS (exploding): Try my life! People look at you because your dad’s the famous Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world. People look at me because they think my dad is Voldemort. Voldemort.

ALBUS: Don’t even —

SCORPIUS: Can you even slightly imagine what that’s like? Have you even ever tried? No. Because you can’t see beyond the end of your nose. Because you can’t see beyond the end of your stupid thing with your dad. He will always be Harry Potter, you know that, right? And you will always be his son. And I know it’s hard, and the other kids are awful, but you have to learn to be okay with that, because — there are worse things, okay?

Beat.

There was a moment I was excited, when I realized time was different, a moment when I thought maybe my mum hadn’t got sick. Maybe my mum wasn’t dead. But no, turns out, she was. I’m still the child of Voldemort, without a mother, giving sympathy to the boy who doesn’t ever give anything back. So I’m sorry if I’ve ruined your life because I tell you — you wouldn’t have a chance of ruining mine — it was already ruined. You just didn’t make it better. Because you’re a terrible — the most terrible — friend.

ALBUS digests this. He sees what he’s done to his friend.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL (from off): Albus? Albus Potter. Scorpius Malfoy. Are you in there — together? Because I advise you not to be.

ALBUS looks at SCORPIUS, he pulls a Cloak from his bag.

ALBUS: Quick. We need to hide.

SCORPIUS: What?

ALBUS: Scorpius, look at me.

SCORPIUS: That’s the Invisibility Cloak? Isn’t it James’s?

ALBUS: If she finds us, we’ll be forced apart forever. Please. I didn’t understand. Please.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL (from off — trying to give them every chance): I am about to enter.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL comes into the room, the Marauder’s Map in her hands. The boys disappear beneath the Cloak. She looks around, exasperated.

Well, where have they — I never wanted this thing and now it’s playing tricks on me.

She thinks. She looks back at the map. She identifies where they should be. She looks around the room. Objects move as the boys invisibly move past them. She sees where they’re heading, she makes to block them. But they skirt around her.

Unless. Unless... Your father’s Cloak.

She looks back at the map, she looks at the boys. She smiles to herself.

Well, if I didn’t see you, I didn’t see you.

She exits. The two boys remove the Cloak. They sit in silence for a moment.

ALBUS: Yes, I stole this from James. He’s remarkably easy to steal from; his trunk combination is the date he got his first broom. I’ve found the Cloak made avoiding bullies... easier.

SCORPIUS nods.

I’m sorry — about your mum. I know we don’t talk about her enough — but I hope you know — I’m sorry — it’s rubbish — what happened to her — to you.

SCORPIUS: Thanks.

ALBUS: My dad said — said that you were this dark cloud around me. My dad started to think — and I just knew I had to stay away, and if I didn’t, Dad said he would —

SCORPIUS: Your dad thinks the rumors are true — I am the son of Voldemort?

ALBUS (nods): His department are currently investigating it.

SCORPIUS: Good. Let them. Sometimes — sometimes I find myself thinking — maybe they’re true too.

ALBUS: No. They’re not true. And I’ll tell you why. Because I don’t think Voldemort is capable of having a kind son — and you’re kind, Scorpius. To the depths of your belly, to the tips of your fingers. I truly believe Voldemort — Voldemort couldn’t have a child like you.

Beat. SCORPIUS is moved by this.

SCORPIUS: That’s nice — that’s a nice thing to say.

ALBUS: And it’s something I should have said a long time ago. In fact, you’re probably the best person I know. And you don’t — you couldn’t — hold me back. You make me stronger — and when Dad forced us apart — without you —

SCORPIUS: I didn’t much like my life without you in it either.

ALBUS: And I know I’ll always be Harry Potter’s son — and I will sort that out in my head — and I know compared to you my life is pretty good, really, and that he and I are comparatively lucky and —

SCORPIUS (interrupting): Albus, as apologies go this is wonderfully fulsome, but you’re starting to talk more about you than me again, so probably better to quit while you’re ahead.

ALBUS smiles and stretches out a hand.

ALBUS: Friends?

SCORPIUS: Always.

SCORPIUS extends his hand, ALBUS pulls SCORPIUS up into a hug.

That’s the second time you’ve done that.

The two boys break apart and smile.

ALBUS: But I’m pleased we had this argument because it’s given me a really good idea.

SCORPIUS: About what?

ALBUS: It involves the second task. And humiliation.

SCORPIUS: You’re still talking about going back in time? Have we been having the same conversation?

ALBUS: You’re right — we are losers. We’re brilliant at losing and so we should be using our own knowledge here. Our own powers. Losers are taught to be losers. And there’s only one way to teach a loser — and we know that better than anyone — humiliation. We need to humiliate him. So in the second task that’s what we’ll do.

SCORPIUS thinks — for a long time — and then smiles.

SCORPIUS: That’s a really good strategy.

ALBUS: I know.

SCORPIUS: I mean, quite spectacular. Humiliate Cedric to save Cedric. Clever. And Rose?

ALBUS: That I’m saving as a sparkly surprise. I can do it without you — but I want you there. Because I want us to do this together. Set things right together. So... Will you come?

SCORPIUS: But, just a minute, isn’t — wasn’t — the second task took place in the lake, and you’re not allowed to leave the school building.

ALBUS grins.

ALBUS: Yes. About that... We need to find the girls’ bathroom on the first floor.