Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, #8)(53)

SCORPIUS: I can’t quite believe I did that.

ALBUS: I can’t quite believe you did that either.

SCORPIUS: Rose Granger-Weasley. I asked out Rose Granger-Weasley.

ALBUS: And she said no.

SCORPIUS: But I asked her. I planted the acorn. The acorn that will grow into our eventual marriage.

ALBUS: You are aware that you’re an utter fantasist.

SCORPIUS: And I’d agree with you — only Polly Chapman did ask me to the school ball . . .

ALBUS: In an alternate reality where you were significantly — really significantly more popular — a different girl asked you out — and that means —

SCORPIUS: And yes, logic would dictate I should be pursuing Polly — or allowing her to pursue me — she’s a notorious beauty, after all — but a Rose is a Rose.

ALBUS: You know logic would dictate that you’re a freak? Rose hates you.

SCORPIUS: Correction, she used to hate me, but did you see the look in her eyes when I asked? That wasn’t hate, that was pity.

ALBUS: And pity’s good?

SCORPIUS: Pity is a start, my friend, a foundation on which to build a palace — a palace of love.

ALBUS: I honestly thought I’d be the first of us to get a girlfriend.

SCORPIUS: Oh, you will, undoubtedly, probably that new smoky-eyed Potions professor — she’s old enough for you, right?

ALBUS: I don’t have a thing about older women!

SCORPIUS: And you’ve got time — a lot of time — to seduce her. Because Rose is going to take years to persuade.

ALBUS: I admire your confidence.

ROSE comes past them on the stairs. She looks at them both.

ROSE: Hi.

Neither boy knows quite how to reply — she looks at SCORPIUS.

This is only going to be weird if you let it be weird.

SCORPIUS: Received and entirely understood.

ROSE: Okay. “Scorpion King.”

She walks off with a smile on her face. SCORPIUS and ALBUS look at each other. ALBUS grins and punches SCORPIUS on the arm.

ALBUS: Maybe you’re right — pity is a start.

SCORPIUS: Are you heading to Quidditch? Slytherin are playing Hufflepuff — it’s a big one — ALBUS: I thought we hated Quidditch?

SCORPIUS: People can change. Besides, I’ve been practicing. I think I might make the team eventually. Come on.

ALBUS: I can’t. My dad’s arranged to come up —

SCORPIUS: He’s taking time away from the Ministry?

ALBUS: He wants to go on a walk — something to show me — share with me — something.

SCORPIUS: A walk?

ALBUS: I know, I think it’s a bonding thing or something similarly vomit-inducing. Still, you know, I think I’ll go.

SCORPIUS reaches in and hugs ALBUS.

What’s this? I thought we decided we don’t hug.

SCORPIUS: I wasn’t sure. Whether we should. In this new version of us — I had in my head.

ALBUS: Better ask Rose if it’s the right thing to do.

SCORPIUS: Ha! Yeah. Right.

The two boys dislocate and grin at each other.

ALBUS: I’ll see you at dinner.





ACT FOUR, SCENE FIFTEEN





A BEAUTIFUL HILL


HARRY and ALBUS walk up a hill on a beautiful summer’s day. They say nothing, enjoying the sun on their faces as they climb.

HARRY: So are you ready?

ALBUS: For what?

HARRY: Well, there’s the fourth-year exams — and then the fifth year — big year — in my fifth year I did — He looks at ALBUS. He smiles. He talks quickly.

I did a lot of stuff. Some of it good. Some of it bad. A lot of it quite confusing.

ALBUS: Good to know.

HARRY smiles.

I got to watch them — you know — for a bit — your mum and dad. They were — you had fun together. Your dad used to love to do this smoke ring thing with you where you . . . well, you couldn’t stop giggling.

HARRY: Yes?

ALBUS: I think you’d have liked them. And I think me, Lily, and James would have liked them too.

HARRY nods. There’s a slightly uncomfortable silence. Both are trying to reach each other here, both are failing.

HARRY: You know, I thought I’d lost him — Voldemort — I thought I’d lost him — and then my scar started hurting again and I had dreams of him and I could even speak Parseltongue again and I started to feel like I’d not changed at all — that he’d never let me go — ALBUS: And had he?

HARRY: The part of me that was Voldemort died a long time ago, but it wasn’t enough to be physically rid of him — I had to be mentally rid of him. And that — is a lot to learn for a forty-year-old man.

He looks at ALBUS.

That thing I said to you — it was unforgivable, and I can’t ask you to forget it but I can hope we move past it. I’m going to try to be a better dad for you, Albus. I am going to try and—be honest with you and . . .

ALBUS: Dad, you don’t need to —

HARRY: You told me you don’t think I’m scared of anything, and that — I mean, I’m scared of everything. I mean, I’m afraid of the dark, did you know that?

ALBUS: Harry Potter is afraid of the dark?

HARRY: I don’t like small spaces and — I’ve never told anyone this, but I don’t much like — (he hesitates before saying it) pigeons.