"It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and the father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where...
HARRY POTTER'S HOUSE — UPSTAIRS HALL / MASTER BEDROOM
HARRY and ALBUS reach the top of the stairs and walk silently along the hallway. HARRY looks conflicted, his stomach sinking. ALBUS looks numb. They stop at ALBUS' bedroom door.
HARRY: I know you're angry. You said some things outside that I think you're going to regret. (beat) You know, son, I thought for a long time I wasn't a good enough dad for you because you didn't like me. It's only now I realize that I don't need you to like me — I need you to obey me because I'm your dad and I do know better. I'm sorry, Al. It has to be this way.
HARRY opens the door. ALBUS walks hesitantly into the room. And there are the bars on his window. He looks around distastefully at the prison he doesn't deserve. HARRY takes a skeleton key from his pocket and fits it into the keyhole. He looks distrustful of his son's surrender.
It's only temporary. I can't have you running off when I still don't understand the dangers facing you and your siblings. In a month's time, you'll hopefully be back at Hogwarts... Voldemort's sentence will be carried out... things will get easier. They have to. And then — we can get to work on figuring out — who the Potters are going to be — now that it's just the four of us.
ALBUS turns in place and stands at the doorway, staring back at his father with nothing close to affection. HARRY's stomach sinks further, he knows this is not what his dad would've done.
I was wrong before... I shouldn't be able to understand your head. (beat) This is for your own good, Al. You have to understand that. And I don't know how you managed to bypass the magic to unlock the safe, but I strongly advise that you don't go looking for your wand again.
HARRY is hesitant to close the door, expecting a fight to come. But it doesn't. ALBUS continues to stare blankly back at his father. There are no words, because he has nothing left to say. And the silence is unfortunate. HARRY closes the door and turns the key. He places a hand on the wall for a moment, as if to apologize without losing any ground.
Then, HARRY goes to his bedroom, takes his son's wand from his pocket, and stands before the enchanted portrait of his parents. A soothing melody plays like an echo as HARRY loses himself in their repetitive movements.
He blames me, Mum. I'm being too tough, I know I am. But it's so dangerous these days. And I'm doing this alone. Not that I'm blaming you, or anything, Dad, but I'm operating without wires here. Most people at least have a father to base themselves on — and either try to be or try not to be. I've got nothing — or very little. I could be more like my father-in-law, and yet I've become Vernon Dursley, and I hate myself for it.
HARRY unties his housecoat and drapes it over an open drawer.
So, I'm learning. And I'm going to try with everything I've got — to be a good dad for him. But Al and I never really got on. Ginny knew how to talk to him. He despises me. Truly. How does a parent connect with a child who doesn't want to love them?
HARRY takes down their portrait, revealing the safe in the wall. He whispers something only he can hear and the door eases open. HARRY places his son's wand on a shelf. Then, as he closes the safe and replaces the portrait of his parents, an invisible lock slams into place. HARRY gets into bed and the stage darkens as he lay down his head.
Unlike previous scenes, the set is not changing. HARRY remains under the covers, but it is hard to see anything. The stage has gone dark — almost black — except for a sliver of light through the window that lingers on HARRY.
Time has passed. HARRY stirs in bed. The lights come up slightly as he wakes. We learn from HARRY's suddenly alert expression that he sees something unexpected. It is still very dark, but we can gradually see what HARRY sees — he is not alone in the room. ALBUS is standing over HARRY's bed, wand pointed at his father.
He knew how to escape the room without a wand.
He knew how to retrieve his wand again from the safe.
He wants to kill his father.
The silent moment on stage between HARRY and ALBUS is the most powerful thus far. And then, when ALBUS is certain his father knows that he could have been killed in his sleep, he sets the wand down on HARRY's bedside table. ALBUS walks confidently away. HARRY looks after him — desperate to say something, unsure what to say.
Fade to black.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
