19 Years Later



19 Years Later

Review by Madelyn Buxton

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Rehearsal Edition Script), J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
“Harry Potter’s Son” sounds like a perfect title, right? Who wouldn’t want to have the most idolized wizard of all time as a father? Albus Severus Potter is who. 

The lead role of “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child” is Albus, son of Harry Potter and--yup, you guessed it--Ginny Weasly. While the couple’s other 2 children Lily and James seem very simple and manageable, Albus is a different story. In fact, he couldn’t be any more different than his siblings. Unlike his Gryfindor brother and sister, Albus is a Slytherin. Albus doesn’t have many friends, he has never liked quidditch, and he hates Hogwarts-- very much unlike the rest of his family. What is most unexpected about Harry Potter’s son is that he hates the idea of being the child of “Harry Potter”. People only know him as the son of Harry Potter, and he feels like he is trapped under the label the wizarding world has given him. He wants to be his own person, with normal parents, and a normal life. Instead, he finds himself stuck with a father he has a weak relationship with and a lot of expectations set for him simply because of his last name. Contrary to Harry’s hopes, Albus befriends Scorpius, another boy known for his family’s history. His father is Draco Malfoy. They find each other because neither of them feel like they belong at Hogwarts with the other kids. Draco and Albus are perfect for each other; they do everything together while they tolerate being stuck at Hogwarts. Having a friend helps each of them take their mind off of their family troubles. The duo finds a bit of trouble--quite a bit of trouble, frankly-- during their time at Hogwarts. Albus and Scorpius break numerous rules to try to save Cedric Diggory, who was killed more than 20 years before they were born. They get involved in time travel, which is a dangerous game. By trying to solve problems of the past, they end up causing even more problems. Unbearable alternate timelines prove to Harry and Albus that they should not be messing with time, however by the time they come to this realization it is too late. Once they realize that they have put the whole wizarding world in danger, the boys must figure out a way to get help- which might include mending some torn relationships. The boys’ father issues must be put aside if they want to have any chance at all of protecting the world from an unimaginably dangerous alternate timeline. What will it take for Harry and Albus to treat each other as father and son should?

The eighth Harry Potter story is a must-read for anyone interested in the aftermath of Harry’s childhood. It is full of unexpected surprises just like the original stories, but it separates itself from the stories about Harry’s childhood.

One thing that I got from this book was the importance of being there for your family and friends when they need you. Even though Harry and Albus had some rough patches, they cared deeply about each other all along. Draco’s relationship with his son is similar because both fathers have “tried to give [their] sons not what they needed, but what [Draco and Scorpius] needed”(261). The fathers have in common their inability to understand their boys, and that has caused some frustrating feelings on the boys’ behalf. By putting themselves before their relationship, they damaged their father-son connections; the same can be said about Albus and Scorpius. Connecting to the real world, I know there are many children who are misunderstood by their parents for the same reason. A majority of readers could connect to Albus and Scorpius because children having perfect relationships with their parents is uncommon.

Another significant point this book showed me is how important it is to treat people with kindness. J.K. Rowling proved that evil is created, not born. People only turn to evil-- or more realistically, bullying-- when they are insecure about themselves because other people have negatively affected their lives. In an alternate timeline accidentally created by Albus and Scorpius, Cedric Diggory was a death eater. When the boys went back in time to try to save Cedric, they “humiliated him out of the tournament. As a result of that humiliation, he became a death eater”(178). While they did save his life, they created a monster that took many others’ lives. The impact they had on Diggory had an even bigger impact on the wizarding world--an unimaginably evil alternate timeline. What this proves is any one person’s actions can change someone’s life. It’s important to be kind to people because when people start to feel insecure and jealous, they commonly turn to hurting others--mentally or physically. Bad people are not born, they only become bad when they feel negatively about themselves.

The eighth story connects to the original 7 in many ways; one of the most obvious ways being the theme of bravery. Nearly every character in the Harry Potter series shows their willingness to risk their lives for each other or for what they believe in. One of the most courageous acts in “The Cursed Child” is when Severus Snape willingly gives up his life to make the world a better place in an alternate timeline. Everyone knew all along that Snape was one of the bravest characters, but he truly proved himself in this particular scene. When giving the decision between living and saving the world, Snape quotes Dumbledore: “sometimes costs are made to be borne”(187). The courage of the characters in Harry Potter is admirable and it inspires readers, including myself. 

To the Harry Potter fans who have always wished there were more stories, you most definitely need to pick up this book. On the other hand, if you’ve never read the original series but are still interested in this book, you will still enjoy the story of the next generation. My only reservation about recommending this story is that it is a screenplay, not a book. The story is told almost entirely through dialogue, making it slightly less interesting only for the reason that the reader doesn’t feel as connected to the story and characters. That being said, the story is great if you’re willing to use your imagination to fill the gaps that the screenplay left to the reader. Not only is the story interesting, but there are also many important lessons that can be learned from this story, making it worth the read. Anyone who likes fictional stories full of action and adventure should definitely try to read “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”!

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