JACK THORNE

      To Elliott Thorne, born 7 April 2016. As we rehearsed, he gurgled.

      PART ONE

      PART ONE

      ACT ONE

      ACT ONE

      SCENE ONE

      A busy and crowded station, full of people trying to go somewhere. Amongst the hustle and bustle, two large cages rattle on top of two laden trolleys. They’re being pushed by two boys, JAMES POTTER and ALBUS POTTER. Their mother, GINNY, follows after. A thirty-seven-year-old man, HARRY, has his daughter LILY on his shoulders.

      ALBUS

      Dad. He keeps saying it.

      HARRY

      James, give it a rest.

      JAMES

      I only said he might be in Slytherin. And he might, so. . (off his dad’s glare) fine.

      ALBUS (looking up at his mum)

      You’ll write to me, won’t you?

      GINNY

      Every day if you want us to.

      ALBUS

      No. Not every day. James says most people only get letters from home about once a month. I don’t want to. .

      HARRY

      We wrote to your brother three times a week last year.

      ALBUS

      What? James!

      ALBUS looks accusingly at JAMES.

      GINNY

      Yes. You may not want to believe everything he tells you about Hogwarts. He likes a laugh, your brother.

      JAMES (with a grin)

      Can we go now please?

      ALBUS looks at his dad, and then his mum.

      GINNY

      All you have to do is walk straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten.

      LILY

      I’m so excited.

      HARRY

      Don’t stop and don’t be scared you’ll crash into it, that’s very important. Best to do it at a run if you’re nervous.

      ALBUS

      I’m ready.

      HARRY and LILY put their hands on ALBUS’s trolley — GINNY joins JAMES’s trolley – and together, the family run hard into the barrier.

      ACT ONE

      SCENE TWO

      Which is covered in thick white steam pouring from the HOGWARTS EXPRESS.

      And which is also busy – but instead of people in sharp suits going about their day, it’s now wizards and witches in robes mostly trying to work out how to say goodbye to their beloved progeny.

      ALBUS

      This is it.

      LILY

      Wow!

      ALBUS

      Platform nine and three-quarters.

      LILY

      Where are they? Are they here? Maybe they didn’t come?

      HARRY points out RON, HERMIONE and their daughter ROSE. LILY runs hard up to them.

      Uncle Ron. Uncle Ron!!!

      RON turns towards them as LILY goes barrelling up to him. He picks her up into his arms.

      RON

      If it isn’t my favourite Potter.

      LILY

      Have you got my trick?

      RON

      Are you aware of the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes certified nose-stealing breath?

      ROSE

      Mum! Dad’s doing that lame thing again.

      HERMIONE

      You say lame, he says glorious, I say. . somewhere in between.

      RON

      Hang on. Let me just munch this. . air. And now it’s just a simple matter of. . excuse me if I smell slightly of garlic. .

      He breathes on her face. LILY giggles.

      LILY

      You smell of porridge.

      RON

      Bing. Bang. Boing. Young lady, get ready to not being able to smell at all. .

      He lifts her nose off.

      LILY

      Where’s my nose?

      RON

      Tada!

      His hand is empty. It’s a lame trick. Everyone enjoys its lameness.

      LILY

      You are silly.

      ALBUS

      Everyone’s staring at us again.

      RON

      Because of me! I’m extremely famous. My nose experiments are legendary!

      HERMIONE

      They’re certainly something.

      HARRY

      Parked all right then?

      RON

      I did. Hermione didn’t believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I’d have to Confund the examiner.

      HERMIONE

      I thought nothing of the kind, I have complete faith in you.

      ROSE

      And I have complete faith he did Confund the examiner.

      RON

      Oi!

      ALBUS

      Dad. .

      ALBUS pulls on HARRY’s robes. HARRY looks down.

      Do you think – what if I am – what if I’m put in Slytherin. .

      HARRY

      And what would be wrong with that?

      ALBUS

      Slytherin is the house of the snake, of Dark Magic. . it’s not a house of brave wizards.

      HARRY

      Albus Severus, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.

      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,