Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, #8)(43)

The news reverberates around the room.

We don’t know the full details. We’re only just investigating — questioning those with a Death Eater connection . . . And as yet no record has been found either of the child or of the prophecy — but, it does look like there’s some truth to it. This child was kept hidden from the wizarding world, and now she’s — well now she’s . . .

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: She? A daughter? He had a daughter?

HERMIONE: Yes. A daughter.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: And is she now in custody?

HARRY: Professor, she did ask for no questions.

HERMIONE: It’s fine, Harry. No, Professor, that’s where this gets worse. I’m afraid we’ve no means of taking her into custody. Or indeed, stopping her doing anything. She’s out of our reach.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: We can’t — look for her?

HERMIONE: We have good reason to believe — she’s hidden herself — in time.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Of all the reckless stupid things, you kept the Time-Turner even now?

HERMIONE: Professor, I assure you —

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Shame on you, Hermione Granger.

HERMIONE flinches in the face of the anger.

HARRY: No, she doesn’t deserve that. You have a right to be angry. You all do. But this is not all Hermione’s fault. We don’t know how the witch got hold of the Time-Turner. Whether my son gave it to her.

GINNY: Whether our son gave it her. Or whether it was stolen from him.

GINNY joins HARRY on the stage.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: Your solidarity is admirable, but it doesn’t make your negligence negligible.

DRACO: Then it’s a negligence I too should face.

DRACO walks up to the stage and stands beside GINNY. This is almost a Spartacus moment. There are gasps.

Hermione and Harry have done nothing wrong but try and protect us all. If they’re guilty then I am too.

HERMIONE looks across at her cohort — moved. RON joins them on the stage.

RON: Just to say — I didn’t know about much of it so can’t take responsibility — and I’m pretty sure my kids had nothing to do with it — but if this lot are standing up here then so am I.

GINNY: No one can know where they are — whether they’re together or apart. I trust that our sons will be doing all they can to stop her, but . . .

HERMIONE: We haven’t given up. We’ve gone to the giants. The trolls. Everyone we can find. The Aurors are out flying, searching, talking to those who know secrets, following those who won’t reveal secrets.

HARRY: But there is one truth we can’t escape: That somewhere in our past a witch is trying to rewrite everything we ever knew — and all we can do is wait — wait for the moment she either succeeds or fails.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL: And if she succeeds?

HARRY: Then — just like that — most of the people in this room will be gone. We’ll no longer exist and Voldemort will rule again.





ACT FOUR, SCENE TWO





SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS, AVIEMORE TRAIN STATION, 1981

ALBUS and SCORPIUS are looking at a STATIONMASTER, apprehensively.

ALBUS: One of us should talk to him, don’t you think?

SCORPIUS: Hello, Mr. Stationmaster. Mr. Muggle. Question: Did you see a flying witch passing here? And by the way, what year is it? We just ran away from Hogwarts because we were frightened of upsetting things, but this is okay?

ALBUS: You know what annoys me most of all? Dad will think we did it deliberately.

SCORPIUS: Albus. Really? I mean, really really? We’re — trapped — lost — in time — probably permanently — and you’re worrying what your dad might think about it? I will never understand the two of you.

ALBUS: There’s a lot to understand. Dad’s pretty complicated.

SCORPIUS: And you’re not? Not to question your taste in women, but you fancied . . . well . . .

They both know who he’s talking about.

ALBUS: I did, didn’t I? I mean, what she did to Craig . . .

SCORPIUS: Let’s not think about that. Let’s focus on the fact that we have no wands, no brooms, no means of returning to our time. All we have is our wits and — no, that’s all, our wits — and we have to stop her.

STATIONMASTER (in very strong Scots): Ye ken th’ auld reekie train is running late, boys?

SCORPIUS: Sorry?

STATIONMASTER: If you’re waiting oan th’ auld reekie train, you’ll need tae ken it’s running late. Train wirks oan th’ line. It’s a’ oan th’ amended time buird.

He looks at them, they look back bewildered. He frowns and hands them an amended timetable. He points to the right bit of it.

Late.

ALBUS takes it and examines it. His face changes as he takes in enormous information. SCORPIUS just stares at the STATIONMASTER.

ALBUS: I know where she is.

SCORPIUS: You understood that?

ALBUS: Look at the date. On the timetable.

SCORPIUS leans in and reads.

SCORPIUS: The 30th October, 1981. Day before Hallows’ Eve, thirty-nine years ago. But — why is she? Oh.

SCORPIUS’s face falls as he realizes.

ALBUS: The death of my grandparents. The attack on my dad as a baby . . . The moment when Voldemort’s curse rebounded on himself. She’s not trying to bring about her prophecy — she’s trying to prevent the big one.