You were a little too surprised to see me. How?
SCORPIUS: Bravely.
SNAPE: Who?
SCORPIUS: Voldemort.
SNAPE: How very irritating.
There’s a silence as SNAPE digests.
Still, there’s glory in being taken down by the Dark Lord himself, I suppose.
HERMIONE: I’m sorry, Severus.
SNAPE looks at her, and then swallows the pain. He indicates RON with a flick of his head.
SNAPE: Well, at least I’m not married to him.
HERMIONE: Which spells did you use?
SCORPIUS: Expelliarmus in the first task and Engorgio in the second.
RON: Simple Shield Charms should set both of those right.
SNAPE: And then you left?
SCORPIUS: The Time-Turner took us back, yes. That’s the thing — this Time-Turner, you only get five minutes in the past.
HERMIONE: And can you still only move in time, not space?
SCORPIUS: Yes, yes, it’s — uh — you travel back in the same spot you stand in —
HERMIONE: Interesting.
SNAPE and HERMIONE both know what this means.
SNAPE: Then it’s just me and the boy.
HERMIONE: No offense, Snape, but I’m not trusting this to anyone, it’s too important.
SNAPE: Hermione, you’re the most wanted rebel in the wizarding world. Doing this will require you to go outside. When was the last time you were outside?
HERMIONE: Not for a long time, but —
SNAPE: If you’re found outside, the dementors will kiss you — they’ll suck out your soul.
HERMIONE: Severus, I’m done with living off scraps, making failed attempts at coups. This is our chance to reset the world.
She nods at RON, who pulls down a map.
The first task of the tournament took place at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. We turn time here, get to the tournament, block the spell, and then return safely. With precision — it can be done and it won’t require us to show our faces outside in our time at all. Then we’ll turn time again, make our way to the lake, and reverse the second task.
SNAPE: You’re risking everything —
HERMIONE: We get this right, Harry’s alive, Voldemort’s dead, and the Augurey is gone, for that no risk is too great. Though I am sorry what it will cost you.
SNAPE: Sometimes costs are made to be borne.
The two look at each other, SNAPE nods, HERMIONE nods back, SNAPE’s face crumbles slightly.
I didn’t just quote Dumbledore, did I?
HERMIONE (with a smile): No, I’m pretty sure that’s pure Severus Snape.
She turns to SCORPIUS, she indicates the Time-Turner.
Malfoy—
SCORPIUS brings her the Time-Turner. She smiles at it, excited to use a Time-Turner again, excited to use it for this.
Let’s hope this works.
She takes the Time-Turner. It begins to vibrate, and then explodes into a storm of movement.
And there is a giant whoosh of light. A smash of noise.
And time stops. And then it turns over, thinks a bit, and begins spooling backwards, slow at first . . .
There is a bang and a flash and our gang disappear.
ACT THREE, SCENE EIGHT
EDGE OF THE FORBIDDEN FOREST, 1994
And we watch our scene from Part One replayed, but at the back of the stage rather than the front. We pick out ALBUS and SCORPIUS in their Durmstrang robes. And through it all we hear the “brilliant” (his words again, his words) LUDO BAGMAN.
SCORPIUS, HERMIONE, RON, and SNAPE watch out anxiously.
LUDO BAGMAN: And Cedric Diggory has entered the stage. And he seems ready. Scared but ready. He dodges this way. He dodges that. The girls swoon as he dives for cover. They cry as one: Don’t damage our Diggory, Mr. Dragon! And Cedric skirts left and he dives right — and he readies his wand —
SNAPE: This is taking too long. The Time-Turner is spinning.
LUDO BAGMAN: What has this young, brave, handsome man got up his sleevies now?
As ALBUS attempts to summon CEDRIC’s wand, HERMIONE blocks his spell. He looks at his wand — disconsolate, unsure why it hasn’t worked.
And then the Time-Turner spins and they look at it and panic as they’re pulled into it.
A dog — he’s transfigured a stone into a dog — dog diggity, Cedric Diggory — you are a doggy dynamo.
ACT THREE, SCENE NINE
EDGE OF THE FORBIDDEN FOREST
They are returned from time, at the edge of the woods, and RON is in a lot of pain. SNAPE looks around, immediately aware of the mess they’re in.
RON: Ow. Ow. Owwwwwww.
HERMIONE: Ron . . . Ron . . . What has it done to you?
SNAPE: Oh no. I knew it.
SCORPIUS: The Time-Turner did something to Albus too. The first time we went back.
RON: Useful — time to — ow — tell us.
SNAPE: We’re aboveground. We need to move. Now.
HERMIONE: Ron, you can still walk, come on . . .
RON does stand up, shouting in pain. SNAPE raises his wand.
SCORPIUS: Did it work?
HERMIONE: We blocked the spell. Cedric kept his wand. Yes. It worked.
SNAPE: But we came back to the wrong place — we are outside. You are outside.
RON: We need to use the Time-Turner again — get out of here —
SNAPE: We need to find shelter. We’re horribly exposed.
Suddenly from around the auditorium, the feel of the breath of an icy wind.
Some black robes arise around people. Black robes that become black shapes. That become dementors.
HERMIONE: Too late.
SNAPE: This is a disaster.
HERMIONE (she realizes what she has to do): They’re after me, not any of you. Ron. I love you and I always have. But the three of you need to run. Go. Now.
RON: What?
SCORPIUS: What?
RON: Can we talk about the love thing first?
HERMIONE: This is still Voldemort’s world. And I am done with it. Reversing the next task will change everything.
SCORPIUS: But they’ll kiss you. They’ll suck out your soul.
HERMIONE: And then you’ll change the past. And then they won’t. Go. Now.
The dementors sense them. From all sides, screaming shapes descend.
SNAPE: Go. We go.
He pulls on SCORPIUS’s arm. SCORPIUS reluctantly goes with him.
HERMIONE looks at RON.
HERMIONE: You’re supposed to be going too.
RON: Well, they are after me a bit and I really am in quite a lot of pain. And, you know, I’d rather be here. Expecto —
As he reaches up to cast the spell, HERMIONE stops his arm.
HERMIONE: Let’s keep them here and give the boy the best chance we can.
RON looks at her and then nods sadly.
A daughter.
RON: And a son. I liked that idea too.
He looks around — he knows his fate.
I’m scared.
HERMIONE: Kiss me.
RON thinks and then does. And then the two are yanked apart. And pinned to the ground. And we watch as a golden-whitish haze is pulled from their bodies. They have their souls sucked from them. And it is terrifying.