Act three, scene eleven

HOGWARTS, SLYTHERIN DORMITORY

ALBUS is sitting in his room. HARRY enters and looks at his son — full of anger, but cautious to not let it spill.

HARRY: Thanks for letting me come up.

ALBUS turns, he nods at his dad. He’s being cautious too.

No luck, as yet, with the Time-Turner searching. They’re negotiating with the Merpeople to dredge the lake.

He sits down uncomfortably.

This is a nice room.

ALBUS: Green is a soothing color, isn’t it? I mean Gryffindor rooms are all well and good but the trouble with red is — it is said to send you a little mad — not that I’m casting aspersions...

HARRY: Can you explain why you tried to do this?

ALBUS: I thought I could — change things. I thought Cedric — it’s unfair.

HARRY: Of course it’s unfair, Albus, don’t you think I know that? I was there. I saw him die. But to do this... to risk all this...

ALBUS: I know.

HARRY (failing to contain his anger): If you were trying to do as I did, you went the wrong way about it. I didn’t volunteer for adventure, I was forced into it. You did something really reckless — something really stupid and dangerous — something that could have destroyed everything —

ALBUS: I know. Okay. I know.

Pause. ALBUS wipes away a tear, HARRY notices it and takes a breath. He pulls himself back from the brink.

HARRY: Well, I was wrong too — to think Scorpius was Voldemort’s son. He wasn’t a black cloud.

ALBUS: No.

HARRY: And I’ve locked away the map. You won’t see it again. Your mum left your room exactly as it was when you ran away — you know that? Wouldn’t let me go in — wouldn’t let anyone go in — you really scared her... And me.

ALBUS: Really scared you?

HARRY: Yes.

ALBUS: I thought Harry Potter wasn’t afraid of anything?

HARRY: Is that how I make you feel?

ALBUS looks at his dad, trying to figure him out.

ALBUS: I don’t think Scorpius said, but when we returned after failing to fix the first task, I was suddenly in Gryffindor House. Nothing was better between us then either — so — the fact that I’m in Slytherin — that’s not the reason for our problems. It’s not just about that.

HARRY: No. I know. It’s not just about that.

HARRY looks at ALBUS.

Are you okay, Albus?

ALBUS: No.

HARRY: No. Nor me.