Act four, scene thirteen

GODRIC’S HOLLOW, INSIDE JAMES AND LILY POTTER’S HOUSE, 1981

And we’re in the ruins of a house. A house that has undergone a vicious attack.

HAGRID walks through the ruins.

HAGRID: James?

He looks about himself.

Lily?

He walks slowly, unwilling to see too much too soon. He is entirely overwhelmed.

And then he sees them, and he stops, and he says nothing.

Oh. Oh. That’s not — that’s not — I weren’t — They told me, but — I were hoping for better...

He looks at them and bows his head. He mutters a few words, and then he takes some crumpled flowers from his deep pockets and lays them on the floor.

I’m sorry, they told me, he told me, Dumbledore told me, I can’t wait with yeh. Them Muggles are coming, yeh see, with their flashing blues and they won’t ’preciate a big lummox like me, would they?

He lets out a sob.

Hard though it is to leave yeh.

I want yeh to know — yeh won’t be forgotten — not by me — not by anyfolk.

And then he hears a sound — the sound of a baby snuffling. HAGRID turns towards it, walking with more intensity now.

He looks down and stands over the crib. Which seems to radiate light.

Well. Hello. Yeh must be Harry.

Hello, Harry Potter.

I’m Rubeus Hagrid.

And I’m gonna be yer friend whether yeh like it or not.

’Cos yeh’ve had it tough, not that yeh know it yet.

An’ yer gonna need friends.

Now yeh best come with me, don’t yeh think?

As flashing blue lights fill the room giving it an almost ethereal glow — he lifts BABY HARRY gently into his arms.

And then — without looking back — he strides away through the house.

And we descend into soft black.