Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Rewrite

ACT ONE, SCENE FOUR

TRANSITION SCENE 

And now we enter a never-world of time change. And this scene is all about magic. The changes arerapid as we leap between worlds. There are no individual scenes, but fragments, shards that show theconstant progression of time. 

Initially we're inside Hogwarts, in the Great Hall, and everyone is dancing around ALBUS. 

POLLY CHAPMAN: Albus Potter. 

KARL JENKINS: A Potter. In our year. 

YANN FREDERICKS: He's got his hair. He's got hair just like him. 

ROSE: And he's my cousin. (As they turn.) Rose Granger-Weasley. Nice to meet you. 

The SORTING HAT walks through the students, who spring into their Houses. 

It becomes quickly apparent he's approaching ROSE, who is tense as she awaits her fate.

SORTING HAT: 

I've done this job for centuries 

On every student's head I've sat

Of thoughts I take inventories

For I'm the famous Sorting Hat

I've sorted high, I've sorted low,

I've done the job through thick and thin

So put me on and you will know

Which House you should be in . . .

Rose Granger-Weasley.

He puts his hat on ROSE's head.

GRYFFINDOR!

There's cheering from the Gryffindors as ROSE joins them.

ROSE: Thank Dumbledore.

OLVIA runs to take ROSE's place under the SORTING HAT's glare.

SORTING HAT: Olivia Malfoy.

He puts his hat on OLVIA's head.

SLYTHERIN!

OLIVIA was expecting this, she nods and half smiles. 

There's cheering from the Slytherins as she joins them.

POLLY CHAPMAN: Well, that makes sense.

ALBUS walks swiftly to the front of the stage.

SORTING HAT: Albus Potter.

He puts his hat on ALBUS's head — and this time he seems to take longer — almost as if he too is confused.

SLYTHERIN!

There's a silence. A perfect, profound silence. One that sits low, twists a bit, and has damage within it. 

POLLY CHAPMAN: Slytherin?

CRAIG BOWKER JR.: Whoa! A Potter? In Slytherin.

ALBUS looks out, unsure. OLIVIA smiles, delighted, as she shouts across to him.

OLIVIA: You can stand next to me!

ALBUS (thoroughly discombobulated): Right. Yes.

YANN FREDERICKS: I suppose his hair isn't that similar.

ROSE: Albus? But this is wrong, Albus. This is not how it's supposed to be.