ALBUS: But just say . . .
HARRY: If it matters to you, you, the Sorting Hat will take your feelings into account.
ALBUS: Really?
HARRY: It did for me.
This is something he’s never said before, it resonates around his head a moment.
Hogwarts will be the making of you, Albus. I promise you, there is nothing to be frightened of there.
JAMES: Apart from the Thestrals. Watch out for the Thestrals.
ALBUS: I thought they were invisible!
HARRY: Listen to your professors, don’t listen to James, and remember to enjoy yourself. Now, if you don’t want this train to leave without you, you should leap on . . .
LILY: I’m going to chase the train out.
GINNY: Lily, come straight back.
HERMIONE: Rose. Remember to send Neville our love.
ROSE: Mum, I can’t give a professor love!
ROSE exits for the train. And then ALBUS turns and hugs GINNY and HARRY one last time before following after her.
ALBUS: Okay, then. Bye.
He climbs on board. HERMIONE, GINNY, RON, and HARRY stand watching the train — as whistles blow up and down the platform.
GINNY: They’re going to be okay, right?
HERMIONE: Hogwarts is a big place.
RON: Big. Wonderful. Full of food. I’d give anything to be going back.
HARRY: Strange, Al being worried he’ll be sorted into Slytherin.
HERMIONE: That’s nothing, Rose is worried whether she’ll break the Quidditch scoring record in her first or second year. And how early she can take her O.W.L.s.
RON: I have no idea where she gets her ambition from.
GINNY: And how would you feel, Harry, if Al — if he is?
RON: You know, Gin, we always thought there was a chance you could be sorted into Slytherin.
GINNY: What?
RON: Honestly, Fred and George ran a book.
HERMIONE: Can we go? People are looking, you know.
GINNY: People always look when you three are together. And apart. People always look at you.
The four exit. GINNY stops HARRY.
Harry . . . He’ll be all right, won’t he?
HARRY: Of course he will.
ACT ONE, SCENE THREE
THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS
ALBUS and ROSE walk along the carriage of the train.
The TROLLEY WITCH approaches, pushing her trolley.
TROLLEY WITCH: Anything from the trolley, dears? Pumpkin Pasty? Chocolate Frog? Cauldron Cake?
ROSE (spotting ALBUS’s loving look at the Chocolate Frogs): Al. We need to concentrate.
ALBUS: Concentrate on what?
ROSE: On who we choose to be friends with. My mum and dad met your dad on their first Hogwarts Express, you know . . .
ALBUS: So we need to choose now who to be friends with for life? That’s quite scary.
ROSE: On the contrary, it’s exciting. I’m a Granger-Weasley, you’re a Potter — everyone will want to be friends with us, we’ve got the pick of anyone we want.
ALBUS: So how do we decide — which compartment to go in . . .
ROSE: We rate them all and then we make a decision.
ALBUS opens a door — to look in on a lonely blond kid — SCORPIUS — in an otherwise empty compartment. ALBUS smiles. SCORPIUS smiles back.
ALBUS: Hi. Is this compartment . . .
SCORPIUS: It’s free. It’s just me.
ALBUS: Great. So we might just — come in — for a bit — if that’s okay?
SCORPIUS: That’s okay. Hi.
ALBUS: Albus. Al. I’m — my name is Albus . . .
SCORPIUS: Hi Scorpius. I mean, I’m Scorpius. You’re Albus. I’m Scorpius. And you must be . . .
ROSE’s face is growing colder by the minute.
ROSE: Rose.
SCORPIUS: Hi, Rose. Would you like some of my Fizzing Whizbees?
ROSE: I’ve just had breakfast, thanks.
SCORPIUS: I’ve also got some Shock-o-Choc, Pepper Imps, and some Jelly Slugs. Mum’s idea — she says (sings), “Sweets, they always help you make friends.” (He realizes that singing was a mistake.) Stupid idea, probably.
ALBUS: I’ll have some . . . Mum doesn’t let me have sweets. Which one would you start with?
ROSE hits ALBUS out of sight of SCORPIUS.
SCORPIUS: Easy. I’ve always regarded the Pepper Imp as the king of the confectionery bag. They’re peppermint sweets that make you smoke at the ears.
ALBUS: Brilliant, then that’s what I’ll — (ROSE hits him again.) Rose, will you please stop hitting me?
ROSE: I’m not hitting you.
ALBUS: You are hitting me, and it hurts.
SCORPIUS’s face falls.
SCORPIUS: She’s hitting you because of me.
ALBUS: What?
SCORPIUS: Listen, I know who you are, so it’s probably only fair you know who I am.
ALBUS: What do you mean you know who I am?
SCORPIUS: You’re Albus Potter. She’s Rose Granger-Weasley. And I am Scorpius Malfoy. My parents are Astoria and Draco Malfoy. Our parents — they didn’t get on.
ROSE: That’s putting it mildly. Your mum and dad are Death Eaters!
SCORPIUS (affronted): Dad was — but Mum wasn’t.
ROSE looks away, and SCORPIUS knows why she does.
I know what the rumor is, and it’s a lie.
ALBUS looks from an uncomfortable ROSE to a desperate SCORPIUS.
ALBUS: What — is the rumor?
SCORPIUS: The rumor is that my parents couldn’t have children. That my father and my grandfather were so desperate for a powerful heir, to prevent the end of the Malfoy line, that they . . . that they used a Time-Turner to send my mother back . . .
ALBUS: To send her back where?
ROSE: The rumor is that he’s Voldemort’s son, Albus.
A horrible, uncomfortable silence.
It’s probably rubbish. I mean . . . look, you’ve got a nose.
The tension is slightly broken. SCORPIUS laughs, pathetically grateful.
SCORPIUS: And it’s just like my father’s! I got his nose, his hair, and his name. Not that that’s a great thing either. I mean — father-son issues, I have them. But, on the whole, I’d rather be a Malfoy than, you know, the son of the Dark Lord.
SCORPIUS and ALBUS look at each other and something passes between them.
ROSE: Yes, well, we probably should sit somewhere else. Come on, Albus.
ALBUS is thinking deeply.
ALBUS: No. (Off ROSE’s look.) I’m okay. You go on . . .
ROSE: Albus. I won’t wait.
ALBUS: And I wouldn’t expect you to. But I’m staying here.
ROSE looks at him a second and then leaves the compartment.
ROSE: Fine!
SCORPIUS and ALBUS are left — looking at each other — unsure.
SCORPIUS: Thank you.
ALBUS: No. No. I didn’t stay — for you — I stayed for your sweets.
SCORPIUS: She’s quite fierce.
ALBUS: Yes. Sorry.
SCORPIUS: No. I like it. Do you prefer Albus or Al?
SCORPIUS grins and pops two sweets into his mouth.
ALBUS (thinks): Albus.
SCORPIUS (as smoke comes out of his ears): THANK YOU FOR STAYING FOR MY SWEETS, ALBUS!
ALBUS (laughing): Wow.
ACT ONE, SCENE FOUR