And time stops. And then it turns over, thinks a bit, and begins spooling backwards, slow at first . . .
And then it speeds up.
Albus . . .
ALBUS: What have we done?
SCORPIUS: We had to go with the Time-Turner, we had to try to stop her.
DELPHI: Stop me? How do you think you’ve stopped me? I am done with this. You may have destroyed my chances of using Cedric to darken the world but maybe you’re right, Scorpius — maybe prophecies can be prevented, maybe prophecies can be broken. What is undoubtedly true is: I’m done with trying to use you annoying, incompetent creatures for anything. No more wasting precious seconds on either of you. Time to try something new.
She crushes the Time-Turner. It explodes in a thousand pieces.
DELPHI ascends again into the air. She laughs in delight as she sets off hard away.
The boys try to chase her, but they’ve not the slightest chance. She flies, they run.
ALBUS: No . . . No . . . You can’t . . .
SCORPIUS turns back and tries to pick up the Time-Turner pieces.
The Time-Turner? It’s destroyed?
SCORPIUS: Utterly. We’re stuck here. In time. Wherever in time we are. Whatever it is she’s planning to do.
ALBUS: Hogwarts looks the same.
SCORPIUS: Yes. And we can’t be seen here. Let’s get out of here before we’re spotted.
ALBUS: We need to stop her, Scorpius.
SCORPIUS: I know we do — but how?
ACT THREE, SCENE TWENTY-ONE
ST. OSWALD’S HOME FOR OLD WITCHES AND WIZARDS, DELPHI’S ROOM
HARRY, HERMIONE, RON, DRACO, and GINNY look around a simple oak-paneled room.
HARRY: It must have been a Confundus Charm she used on him. Used on them all. She faked being a nurse, she faked being his niece.
HERMIONE: I’ve just checked in with the Ministry — but there’s no record of her. She’s a shadow.
DRACO: Specialis Revelio!
Everyone turns to look at DRACO.
Well, it was worth a try, what are you waiting for? We know nothing, so we just have to hope this room reveals something.
GINNY: Where can she have hidden anything? It’s quite a spartan room.
RON: These panels, these panels must conceal something.
DRACO: Or the bed does.
DRACO starts examining the bed, GINNY a lamp, as the rest start examining the wooden wall panels.
RON (shouting as he hammers on the walls): What you hiding? What you got?
HERMIONE: Maybe we should all stop for a moment and have a think about what —
GINNY unscrews a chimney from an oil lamp. There’s a breathing-out noise. And then hissing words. They all turn towards it.
What was that?
HARRY: That’s — I’m not supposed to be understanding — that’s Parseltongue.
HERMIONE: And what does it say?
HARRY: How do I . . . ? I haven’t been able to understand Parseltongue since Voldemort died.
HERMIONE: And nor has your scar hurt.
HARRY looks at HERMIONE.
HARRY: It says “Welcome, Augurey.” I think I need to tell it to open . . .
DRACO: Then do it.
HARRY shuts his eyes. He speaks in Parseltongue.
The room transforms around them, becoming darker and more desperate. A writhing mass of painted snakes emerges on all the walls.
And on them, written in fluorescent paint, a prophecy.
What is this?
RON: “When spares are spared, when time is turned, when unseen children murder their fathers: Then will the Dark Lord return.”
GINNY: A prophecy. A new prophecy.
HERMIONE: Cedric — Cedric was called a spare.
RON: When time is turned — she has that Time-Turner, doesn’t she?
Their faces sink.
HERMIONE: She must do.
RON: But why does she need Scorpius or Albus?
HARRY: Because I’m a parent — who hasn’t seen his child. Hasn’t understood his child.
DRACO: Who is she? To be so obsessed with all this?
GINNY: I think I’ve got the answer to that.
They all turn to her. She points up . . . Their collective faces sink further and fill with fear.
Words are revealed on all the walls of the auditorium — dangerous words, horrible words.
“I will rebirth the Dark. I will bring my father back.”
RON: No. She can’t . . .
HERMIONE: How is it even — possible?
DRACO: Voldemort had a daughter?
They look up, terrified. GINNY takes HARRY’s hand.
HARRY: No, no, no. Not that. Anything but that.
Cut to black.
ACT FOUR, SCENE ONE
MINISTRY OF MAGIC, GRAND MEETING ROOM
Wizards and witches from all over cram into the grand meeting room. HERMIONE walks onto a hastily made stage. She raises her hand for silence. Silence falls. She’s surprised at the lack of effort it took. She looks around herself.
HERMIONE: Thank you. I’m so pleased so many of you were able to make my — second — Extraordinary General Meeting. I’ve got some things to say — I ask that we deal with questions — and there will be a lot of questions — after I speak.
As many of you know, a body has been found at Hogwarts. His name was Craig Bowker. He was a good boy. We have no firm information who was responsible for the act but yesterday we searched St. Oswald’s. A room there revealed two things — one, a prophecy that promised — the return of darkness — two, written on the ceiling, a proclamation — that the Dark Lord had a — that Voldemort had a child.
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.