The book release of the script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child marked the first full-fledged continuation of Harry’s story that fans have received in almost 10 years. For many, it was an occasion to celebrate but others felt disappointed by the play’s plot and many of its characterizations. I, for one, finished the script feeling mostly excited, and particularly connected to my 12-year-old self. It may seem obvious if you’re this far in, but there’s going to be spoilers ahead.
Don’t get me wrong. Cursed Child has a lot of flaws. Many of the Potter universe’s established rules seem to have suddenly disappeared. Time travel, which was established to be a closed-loop in Prisoner of Azkaban, is suddenly open-ended and leads to a variety of timelines that explore the butterfly effect. The Fidelius charm, which was said to make Harry’s parents’ home impossible to find to anyone who had not been told its location by one specific character, apparently has no effect on the characters when they go back in time. Polyjuice Potion, which formerly took a month to make, is seemingly brewed in less than a day. Harry’s ability to speak the snake language, Parseltongue, was said to be linked to the piece of Voldemort’s soul that was in him, but now seems to be connected to mere mentions of Voldemort instead since he regains the ability to speak it. The logistics of Voldemort somehow impregnating Bellatrix Lestrange, his most loyal follower, are dubious at best. The entire plot sometimes feels a little thrown together when you take a step back to really think about it.
But above all, the characterizations that we know and love shine through, and that’s what makes Cursed Child a win. The familiar characters are recognizable, albeit far matured as you would expect them to be 20 years on, and are now struggling with the altogether mundane business of parenting and getting their bureaucratic work done, and Jack Thorne, John Tiffany, and J.K. Rowling finally reward fans with a realistic yet altogether satisfying redemption arc for Draco Malfoy.
But the play’s real stars are the characters of Albus Potter, Harry’s moody middle-child, and Scorpius Malfoy, the only child of Harry’s former nemesis whose optimistic, nerdy personality is nothing like his father’s. These two best friends, both outcasts sorted into Slytherin house, set the main plot in motion, and are really the heart and soul of the play. Their relationship is one of the play’s most endearing features, and these new characters stole the hearts of even some of its harshest critics.
Thematically, Cursed Child explores a lot of interesting questions. Through its alternate timelines it explores how people can change, depending on their circumstances. Like the main series, it reinforces the idea that love and friendship are some of life’s most precious experiences, and that the absence of both can warp a person. It shows us that every choice, no matter how seemingly small, can have grandstanding consequences, and it shows us that the people we know and love, can have flaws, and that people’s life experiences can change them dramatically. Harry Potter can be a bad father. Hermione Granger can be bitter and mean. Kind, loyal, gentle Cedric Diggory can do unforgivable things.
It’s important to remember that because it is a rehearsal script, and not a novel, Cursed Child lacks a lot of the details and quirks that many readers expect from a Harry Potter book. It’s flawed yes, and some things are a little confusing when read, but I think it’s important to remember that Cursed Child is meant to be seen to be fully experienced, not read. We are getting the bare bones of something magical. But this Potterhead thinks even the bare bones are something wonderful to experience.
