Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, #8)(20)

DUMBLEDORE: A difficult thing, I imagine, to watch your child in pain.

HARRY looks up at DUMBLEDORE, and then down at ALBUS.

HARRY: I’ve never asked how you felt about me naming him after you, have I?

DUMBLEDORE: Candidly, Harry, it seemed a great weight to place upon the poor boy.

HARRY: I need your help. I need your advice. Bane says Albus is in danger. How do I protect my son, Dumbledore?

DUMBLEDORE: You ask me, of all people, how to protect a boy in terrible danger? We cannot protect the young from harm. Pain must and will come.

HARRY: So I’m supposed to stand and watch?

DUMBLEDORE: No. You’re supposed to teach him how to meet life.

HARRY: How? He won’t listen.

DUMBLEDORE: Perhaps he’s waiting for you to see him clearly.

HARRY frowns as he tries to digest this.

(With sensitivity.) It is a portrait’s curse and blessing to . . . hear things. At the school, at the Ministry, I hear people talking . . .

HARRY: And what is the gossip about me and my son?

DUMBLEDORE: Not gossip. Concern. That you two are struggling. That he’s difficult. That he is angry with you. I have formed the impression that — perhaps — you are blinded by your love for him.

HARRY: Blinded?

DUMBLEDORE: You must see him as he is, Harry. You must look for what’s wounding him.

HARRY: Haven’t I seen him as he is? What’s wounding my son? (He thinks.) Or is it who’s wounding my son?

ALBUS (mumbles in his sleep): Dad . . .

HARRY: This black cloud, it’s someone, isn’t it? Not something?

DUMBLEDORE: Ah really, what does my opinion matter anymore? I am paint and memory, Harry, paint and memory. And I never had a son.

HARRY: But I need your advice.

ALBUS: Dad?

HARRY looks at ALBUS and then back at DUMBLEDORE. But DUMBLEDORE is gone.

HARRY: No, where have you gone now?

ALBUS: We’re in — the hospital wing?

HARRY turns his attention back to ALBUS.

HARRY (discombobulated): Yes. And you’re — you will be fine. For recuperation, Madam Pomfrey wasn’t sure what to prescribe and said you should probably eat lots of — chocolate. Actually, do you mind if I have some — ? I’ve got something to tell you and I don’t think you’ll like it.

ALBUS looks at his dad, what does he have to say? He decides not to engage.

ALBUS: Okay. I think.

HARRY takes some chocolate, he eats a big chunk. ALBUS looks at his dad, confused.

Better?

HARRY: Much.

He holds out the chocolate to his son. ALBUS takes a piece. Father and son munch together.

The arm, how does it feel?

ALBUS flexes his arm.

ALBUS: It feels great.

HARRY (soft): Where did you go, Albus? I can’t tell you what it did to us. Your mum was worried sick . . .

ALBUS looks up, he is a great liar.

ALBUS: We decided we didn’t want to come to school. We thought we could start again — in the Muggle world. We discovered we were wrong. We were coming back to Hogwarts when you found us.

HARRY: In Durmstrang robes?

ALBUS: The robes were . . . The whole thing — Scorpius and I — we didn’t think.

HARRY: And why — why did you run? Because of me? Because of what I said?

ALBUS: I don’t know. Hogwarts isn’t actually that pleasant a place when you don’t fit in.

HARRY: And did Scorpius — encourage you to — go?

ALBUS: Scorpius? No.

HARRY looks at ALBUS, trying to see almost an aura around him, thinking deeply.

HARRY: I need you to stay away from Scorpius Malfoy.

ALBUS: What? Scorpius?

HARRY: I don’t know how you became friends in the first place, but you did, and now — I need you to —

ALBUS: My best friend? My only friend?

HARRY: He’s dangerous.

ALBUS: Scorpius? Dangerous? Have you met him? Dad, if you honestly think he’s the son of Voldemort . . .

HARRY: I don’t know what he is, I just know you need to stay away from him. Bane told me —

ALBUS: Who’s Bane?

HARRY: A centaur with profound Divination skills. He said there’s a black cloud around you and —

ALBUS: A black cloud?

HARRY: And I have very good reason to believe that Dark Magic is in a resurgence and I need to keep you safe from it. Safe from him. Safe from Scorpius.

ALBUS hesitates a moment, and then his face strengthens.

ALBUS: And if I won’t? Stay away from him?

HARRY looks at his son, thinking quickly.

HARRY: There’s a map. It used to be used for those wanting to get up to no good. Now we’re going to use it to keep an eye — a permanent eye — on you. Professor McGonagall will watch your every movement. Any time you are seen together — she’ll come flying — any time you attempt to leave Hogwarts — she’ll fly. I expect you to go to your lessons — none of which you will now share with Scorpius, and between times, you will stay in the Gryffindor common room!

ALBUS: You can’t make me go into Gryffindor! I’m Slytherin!

HARRY: Don’t play games, Albus, you know what House you are. If she finds you with Scorpius, I will fix you with a spell which will allow me eyes and ears into your every movement, your every conversation. In the meantime, investigations will begin in my department as to his true heritage.