Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Rewrite

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 HogwartsExpress, 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 befriends 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 girl - OLIVIA - in an otherwise emptycompartment. ALBUS smiles. OLIVIA smiles back.

ALBUS: Hi. Is this compartment . . .

OLIVIA: It's free. It's just me.

ALBUS: Great. So we might just - come in - for a bit - if that's okay?

OLIVIA: That's okay. Hi.

ALBUS: Albus. Al. I'm - my name is Albus . . .

OLIVIA: Hi Olivia. I mean, I'm Oliva. You're Albus. I'm Olivia. And you must be . . .

ROSE's face is growing colder by the minute.

ROSE: Rose.

OLIVIA: Hi, Rose. Would you like some of my Fizzing Whizbees?

ROSE: I've just had breakfast, thanks.

OLIVIA: 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." (She 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 OLIVIA.

OLIVIA: Easy. I've always regarded the Pepper Imp as the king of the confectionery bag. They'repeppermint 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.

OLIVIA's face falls.

OLIVIA: She's hitting you because of me.

ALBUS: What?

OLIVIA: 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?

OLIVIA: You're Albus Potter. She's Rose Granger-Weasley. And I am Olivia Malfoy. My parents areAstoria and Draco Malfoy. Our parents - they didn't get on.

ROSE: That's putting it mildly. Your mum and dad are Death Eaters!

OLIVIA (affronted): Dad was - but Mum wasn't.

ROSE looks away, and OLIVIA knows why she does.

I know what the rumor is, and it's a lie.

ALBUS looks from an uncomfortable ROSE to a desperate OLIVIA.

ALBUS: What - is the rumor?

OLIVIA: 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 daughter, Albus.

A horrible, uncomfortable silence.

It's probably rubbish. I mean . . . look, you've got a nose.

The tension is slightly broken. Olivia laughs, pathetically grateful.

OLIVIA: And it's just like my mother's! I got her nose, her hair, and her name.

OLIVIA 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!

OLIVIA and ALBUS are left - looking at each other - unsure.

OLIVIA: Thank you.

ALBUS: No. No. I didn't stay - for you - I stayed for your sweets.

OLIVIA: She's quite fierce.

ALBUS: Yes. Sorry.

OLIVIA: No, it's cool. Do you prefer Albus or Al?

OLIVIA grins and pops two sweets into her mouth.

ALBUS (thinks): Albus.

OLIVIA (as smoke comes out of her ears): THANK YOU FOR STAYING FOR MY SWEETS, ALBUS!

ALBUS (laughing): Wow.