Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, #8)(34)

SNAPE: You’re a king, and I’m a professor. They’ll only attack with good reason. Think about those you love, think about why you’re doing this.

SCORPIUS: I can hear my mother. She wants me — my help — but she knows I can’t — help.

SNAPE: Listen to me, Scorpius. Think about Albus. You’re giving up your kingdom for Albus, right?

SCORPIUS is helpless. Consumed by all the dementor is making him feel.

One person. All it takes is one person. I couldn’t save Harry for Lily. So now I give my allegiance to the cause she believed in. And it’s possible — that along the way I started believing in it myself.

SCORPIUS smiles at SNAPE. He steps decisively away from the dementor.

SCORPIUS: The world changes and we change with it. I am better off in this world. But the world is not better. And I don’t want that.

Suddenly DOLORES UMBRIDGE emerges in front of them.

DOLORES UMBRIDGE: Professor Snape!

SNAPE: Professor Umbridge.

DOLORES UMBRIDGE: Have you heard the news? We’ve caught that traitorous Mudblood Hermione Granger. She was just out here.

SNAPE: That’s — fantastic.

UMBRIDGE is staring at SNAPE. He looks back.

DOLORES UMBRIDGE: With you. Granger was with you.

SNAPE: With me? You’re mistaken.

DOLORES UMBRIDGE: With you and Scorpius Malfoy. A student I’m becoming increasingly concerned about.

SCORPIUS: Well . . .

SNAPE: Dolores, we’re late for class, so if you’ll excuse us . . .

DOLORES UMBRIDGE: If you’re late for class, why are you not heading back to the school? Why are you heading to the lake?

There’s a moment of pure silence. And then SNAPE does something hugely unusual — he smiles.

SNAPE: How long have you suspected?

UMBRIDGE rises off the ground. She opens her arms wide, full of Dark Magic. She takes out her wand.

DOLORES UMBRIDGE: Years. And I should have acted upon it far earlier.

SNAPE is faster with his wand.

SNAPE: Depulso!

UMBRIDGE is propelled backwards through the air.

She always was too grand for her own good. There’s no turning back now.

The sky turns even blacker still around them.

Expecto Patronum!

SNAPE sends forward a Patronus, and it’s a beautiful white shape of a doe.

SCORPIUS: A doe? Lily’s Patronus.

SNAPE: Strange, isn’t it? What comes from within.

Dementors start to appear all around them. SNAPE knows what this means.

You need to run. I will keep them at bay for as long as I can.

SCORPIUS: Thank you for being my light in the darkness.

SNAPE looks at him, every inch a hero, he softly smiles.

SNAPE: Tell Albus — tell Albus Severus — I’m proud he carries my name. Now go. Go.

The doe looks back at SCORPIUS, and then starts to run.

SCORPIUS thinks and then runs after the doe, and around him the world gets scarier. A bloodcurdling scream goes up at one side. He sees the lake and throws himself inside.

SNAPE readies himself.

SNAPE is pulled hard to the ground and then pushed high into the air as his soul is ripped from him. As the screams just seem to multiply.

The doe turns to him with beautiful eyes, and disappears.

There is a bang and a flash. And then silence. And then there’s more silence.

It’s so still, it’s so peaceful, it’s so perfectly tranquil.

And then — SCORPIUS ascends to the surface. Breathing deeply. He looks around himself. Breathing deep, panicked breaths. He looks up at the sky. The sky certainly seems — bluer than before.

And then ALBUS ascends after him. There’s a silence. SCORPIUS just looks at ALBUS, disbelieving. Both boys breathe in and out.

ALBUS: Whoa!

SCORPIUS: Albus!

ALBUS: That was close! Did you see that Merman? The guy with the — and then the thing with the — whoa!

SCORPIUS: It’s you.

ALBUS: It was weird though — I thought I saw Cedric start to expand — but then he sort of started shrinking again — and I looked at you and you had your wand out . . .

SCORPIUS: You have no idea how good it is to see you again.

ALBUS: You just saw me two minutes ago.

SCORPIUS hugs ALBUS in the water, a difficult task.

SCORPIUS: A lot has happened since then.

ALBUS: Careful. You’re drowning me. What are you wearing?

SCORPIUS: What am I wearing? (He pulls off his cloak.) What are you wearing? Yes! You’re in Slytherin.

ALBUS: Did it work? Did we do anything?

SCORPIUS: No. And it’s brilliant.

ALBUS looks at him — disbelieving.

ALBUS: What? We failed.

SCORPIUS: Yes. YES. AND IT’S AMAZING.

He splashes hard in the water. ALBUS pulls himself out to the bank.

ALBUS: Scorpius. Have you been eating too many sweets again?

SCORPIUS: There you go, you see — all dry humor and Albus-y. I love it.

ALBUS: Now I’m starting to get worried . . .

HARRY enters and sprints to the side of the water. Followed quickly by DRACO, GINNY, and PROFESSOR McGONAGALL.

HARRY: Albus. Albus. Are you okay?

SCORPIUS (overjoyed): Harry! It’s Harry Potter! And Ginny. And Professor McGonagall. And Dad. My dad. Hi. Dad.

DRACO: Hello, Scorpius.