An yer gonna need friends.

Now yeh best come with me, dont yeh think?

As flashing blue lights fill the room giving it an almost ethereal glow - he lifts BABY HARRY gently into his arms.

And then - without looking back - he strides away through the house.

And we descend into soft black.

ACT FOUR, SCENE FOURTEEN.

HOGWARTS, CLASSROOM.

SCORPIUS and ALBUS run into a room, full of excitement. They slam the door after themselves.

SCORPIUS: I cant quite believe I did that.

ALBUS: I cant quite believe you did that either.

SCORPIUS: Rose Granger-Weasley. I asked out Rose Granger-Weasley.

ALBUS: And she said no.

SCORPIUS: But I asked her. I planted the acorn. The acorn that will grow into our eventual marriage.

ALBUS: You are aware that youre an utter fantasist.

SCORPIUS: And Id agree with you - only Polly Chapman did ask me to the school ball . . .

ALBUS: In an alternate reality where you were significantly - really significantly more popular - a different girl asked you out - and that means - SCORPIUS: And yes, logic would dictate I should be pursuing Polly - or allowing her to pursue me - shes a notorious beauty, after all - but a Rose is a Rose.

ALBUS: You know logic would dictate that youre a freak? Rose hates you.

SCORPIUS: Correction, she used to hate me, but did you see the look in her eyes when I asked? That wasnt hate, that was pity.

ALBUS: And pitys good?

SCORPIUS: Pity is a start, my friend, a foundation on which to build a palace - a palace of love.

ALBUS: I honestly thought Id be the first of us to get a girlfriend.

SCORPIUS: Oh, you will, undoubtedly, probably that new smoky-eyed Potions professor - shes old enough for you, right?

ALBUS: I dont have a thing about older women!

SCORPIUS: And youve got time - a lot of time - to seduce her. Because Rose is going to take years to persuade.

ALBUS: I admire your confidence.

ROSE comes past them on the stairs. She looks at them both.

ROSE: Hi.

Neither boy knows quite how to reply - she looks at SCORPIUS.

This is only going to be weird if you let it be weird.

SCORPIUS: Received and entirely understood.

ROSE: Okay. "Scorpion King."

She walks off with a smile on her face. SCORPIUS and ALBUS look at each other. ALBUS grins and punches SCORPIUS on the arm.

ALBUS: Maybe youre right - pity is a start.

SCORPIUS: Are you heading to Quidditch? Slytherin are playing Hufflepuff - its a big one - ALBUS: I thought we hated Quidditch?

SCORPIUS: People can change. Besides, Ive been practicing. I think I might make the team eventually. Come on.

ALBUS: I cant. My dads arranged to come up - SCORPIUS: Hes taking time away from the Ministry?

ALBUS: He wants to go on a walk - something to show me - share with me - something.

SCORPIUS: A walk?

ALBUS: I know, I think its a bonding thing or something similarly vomit-inducing. Still, you know, I think Ill go.

SCORPIUS reaches in and hugs ALBUS.

Whats this? I thought we decided we dont hug.

SCORPIUS: I wasnt sure. Whether we should. In this new version of us - I had in my head.

ALBUS: Better ask Rose if its the right thing to do.

SCORPIUS: Ha! Yeah. Right.

The two boys dislocate and grin at each other.

ALBUS: Ill see you at dinner.

ACT FOUR, SCENE FIFTEEN.

A BEAUTIFUL HILL.

HARRY and ALBUS walk up a hill on a beautiful summers day. They say nothing, enjoying the sun on their faces as they climb.

HARRY: So are you ready?

ALBUS: For what?

HARRY: Well, theres the fourth-year exams - and then the fifth year - big year - in my fifth year I did - He looks at ALBUS. He smiles. He talks quickly.

I did a lot of stuff. Some of it good. Some of it bad. A lot of it quite confusing.

ALBUS: Good to know.

HARRY smiles.

I got to watch them - you know - for a bit - your mum and dad. They were - you had fun together. Your dad used to love to do this smoke ring thing with you where you . . . well, you couldnt stop giggling.

HARRY: Yes?

ALBUS: I think youd have liked them. And I think me, Lily, and James would have liked them too.

HARRY nods. Theres a slightly uncomfortable silence. Both are trying to reach each other here, both are failing.

HARRY: You know, I thought Id lost him - Voldemort - I thought Id lost him - and then my scar started hurting again and I had dreams of him and I could even speak Parseltongue again and I started to feel like Id not changed at all - that hed never let me go - ALBUS: And had he?

HARRY: The part of me that was Voldemort died a long time ago, but it wasnt enough to be physically rid of him - I had to be mentally rid of him. And that - is a lot to learn for a forty-year-old man.

He looks at ALBUS.

That thing I said to you - it was unforgivable, and I cant ask you to forget it but I can hope we move past it. Im going to try to be a better dad for you, Albus. I am going to try and-be honest with you and . . .

ALBUS: Dad, you dont need to - HARRY: You told me you dont think Im scared of anything, and that - I mean, Im scared of everything. I mean, Im afraid of the dark, did you know that?

ALBUS: Harry Potter is afraid of the dark?

HARRY: I dont like small spaces and - Ive never told anyone this, but I dont much like - (he hesitates before saying it) pigeons.

ALBUS: You dont like pigeons?

HARRY (he scrunches up his face): Nasty, pecky, dirty things. They give me the creeps.

ALBUS: But pigeons are harmless!

HARRY: I know. But the thing that scares me most, Albus Severus Potter, is being a dad to you. Because Im operating without wires here. Most people at least have a dad to base themselves on - and either try to be or try not to be. Ive got nothing - or very little. So Im learning, okay? And Im going to try with everything Ive got - to be a good dad for you.

ALBUS: And Ill try and be a better son. I know Im not James, Dad, Ill never be like you two - HARRY: James is nothing like me.

ALBUS: Isnt he?

HARRY: Everything comes easy for James. My childhood was a constant struggle.

ALBUS: So was mine. So youre saying - am I - like you?

HARRY smiles at ALBUS.

HARRY: Actually youre more like your mum - bold, fierce, funny - which I like - which I think makes you a pretty great son.

ALBUS: I almost destroyed the world.

HARRY: Delphi wasnt going anywhere, Albus - you brought her out into the light and you found a way for us to fight her. You may not see it now, but you saved us.

ALBUS: But shouldnt I have done better?

HARRY: You dont think I ask myself the same questions?

ALBUS (stomach sinking further, he knows this is not what his dad would do): And then - when we caught her - I wanted to kill her.

HARRY: Youd watched her murder Craig, you were angry, Albus, and thats okay. And you wouldnt have done it.

ALBUS: How do you know that? Maybe thats my Slytherin side. Maybe thats what the Sorting Hat saw in me.

HARRY: I dont understand your head, Albus - actually, you know what, youre a teenager, I shouldnt be able to understand your head, but I do understand your heart. I didnt - for a long time - but thanks to this - "escapade" - I know what you got in there. Slytherin, Gryffindor, whatever label youve been given - I know - know - that heart is a good one - yeah, whether you like it or not, youre on your way to being some wizard.

ALBUS: Oh Im not going to be a wizard, Im going into pigeon racing. Im quite excited about it.

HARRY grins.

HARRY: Those names you have - they shouldnt be a burden. Albus Dumbledore had his trials too, you know - and Severus Snape, well, you know all about him - ALBUS: They were good men.

HARRY: They were great men, with huge flaws, and you know what - those flaws almost made them greater.

ALBUS looks around himself.

ALBUS: Dad? Why are we here?

HARRY: This is where I often come.

ALBUS: But this is a graveyard . . .