Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter is Albus’s father and one of the most famous wizards in the magical world. Having survived multiple attacks at the hands of the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort and eventually defeating him and bringing about his death, Harry was hailed by wizards and witches as “The Boy Who Lived,” or “The Chosen One.” Now almost 40, Harry serves as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic.

Harry’s background, explored thoroughly in the original series, is referenced multiple times in the play—he grew up an orphan because Voldemort killed his parents when he was an infant. Raised for a decade by his mother’s sister, Aunt Petunia, and her family, the Dursleys, who were cruel to him, Harry eventually goes to Hogwarts when he turns 11. He finally feels at home, finding lifelong friends in Ron and Hermione and a mentor/father figure in then-Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. With the knowledge of a prophecy that foretold Voldemort’s downfall at Harry’s hands, Dumbledore raises and trains Harry to do just this—rumors of Harry’s role in this prophecy, coupled with Voldemort having mysteriously disappeared when he first tried to kill an infant Harry, ensured that Harry received fame and attention all his life.

Thus, like his son, Albus, Harry grew up with the world knowing who he was; however, unlike Albus, Harry was the first of his kind—there were no comparisons or resulting expectations. His character and motivations, and subsequent life experiences, were shaped by a purpose larger than individual desires and concerns: ensuring the triumph of good over evil. Brave and just at heart—qualities of Gryffindor house into which Harry was sorted—Harry does just this, alongside his friends.

However, Harry’s particular journey, which sees the sacrifice of so many loved ones for the sake of his victory, leaves him with residual trauma and the inability to clearly see and understand smaller-scale desires and disappointments. Harry, the savior of the wizarding world, cannot understand a son who longs for “specific” love and connection from his father. Thus, Harry’s journey through the play sees him reliving and healing from some of this trauma and subsequently repairing his relationship with his son as he slowly begins to open up and honestly connect with Albus.

Scorpius Malfoy is Albus’s best friend and the son of Draco Malfoy, who was once Harry Potter’s nemesis at Hogwarts. Just as Albus looks like Harry, Scorpius, too, closely resembles his father in appearance—blond-haired and pale. In an imitation of their fathers’ history, the two boys meet on their first train to Hogwarts; however, in a reversal of their fathers’ relationships with each other, the two end up best friends almost immediately.

Scorpius is clever and studious, enjoying reading and generally doing well in his lessons. Unlike his father, however, he does not desire popularity and power. Having grown up fairly sheltered, as Draco kept him away from the public eye to protect him from rumors about his parentage, friendship and fun are more important to Scorpius than being popular or powerful. He eventually finds both with Albus at Hogwarts, and Scorpius enjoys his time at school.

Scorpios and Albus instantly connect because they are both familiar with living in the shadows of their fathers’ reputations. Where Albus’s burden is to live up to the lofty expectations of him, Scorpius’s is to break the negative ones of him. However, while Albus struggles with his burden, Scorpius is naturally unlike what people think of him. Kind and gentle at heart, he has no desire to associate with the dark side, preferring his books and friends to anything else. However, Scorpius’s gentle nature does not preclude him from adventure—his loyalty to his friend is unshakeable, leading him to bravely follow Albus in all his exploits with the Time-Turner.

As a character, Scorpius stands as yet another example of complicated parent-child relationships, with his father’s past overshadowing his present. However, Scorpius also wears the burden with less compliance and more fortitude than Albus. He is more at ease with himself than Albus is and not as consumed by his problems, allowing him to consistently be a loyal and supportive friend to Albus. Scorpius’s character arc reminds that bravery and resilience can exist in different, quieter forms.

Delphini is the play’s antagonist—the secret daughter of Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange, conceived using a Time-Turner after Voldemort’s defeat at Harry’s hands. She is initially introduced as Delphini Diggory when she assumes the identity of Amos’s niece. Delphini is in her early twenties, with silver and blue hair. She can speak Parseltongue, the language of snakes, and carries the tattoo of an Augurey on the back of her neck.

Having been raised by her father’s followers, Delphini grew up knowing of a prophecy that foretold her father’s return. The longing to meet her father, whom she has never known, propels Delphini to act according to the prophecy, far more than any innate desire for Dark Magic. Nevertheless, Delphini indulges in complex magic, even Dark Magic, to achieve her goals. Besides bewitching everyone at St. Oswald’s, including Amos, to adopt her identity as his niece, Delphini also charms and later kidnaps the boys to help her in her quest and nonchalantly kills Craig Bowker Jr. when he presents as an unwitting obstacle in her way. Although Delphini’s motivations arise from a fairly simple and relatable desire, her actions belie her parentage—that she is the daughter of Dark wizards is evident in her true, innate nature.

Draco Malfoy is Scorpius’s father and Harry’s one-time nemesis. Draco’s family, the Malfoys, are of wealthy Pureblood lineage and were longtime supporters of Voldemort during his reign of power. However, in the books, Draco’s mother—Narcissa Malfoy—played a small but significant role in allowing Harry to defeat Voldemort; the Malfoys eventually did not take part in the final battle, allowing them to retain their place in wizarding society even as other Voldemort supporters were eventually apprehended and imprisoned.

In line with his characterization in the books, Draco continues to be sneering and disdainful of Harry and his friends, though the negative reputation his family garnered has him more subdued and desirous of staying away from the limelight. Draco’s love for his wife, Astoria, who eventually passes away, softens him; this is further expressed in how he works to shield his son, Scorpius, from the scrutiny of others.

Although Scorpius confesses to having “father-son issues” in the play—resulting from some misguided actions on Draco’s part—it is clear that Draco is a loving and protective, albeit somewhat distant, father. He goes to Harry for help to squash the rumors about Scorpius’s parentage; approaches Harry again later to help their sons reconcile, as Scorpius’s pain upsets him; even duels Harry in defense of Scorpius’s reputation. By the end of the play, the love for his son and the desire to see him safe and happy have Draco making peace with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, even joining them in their plan to stop Delphini—Draco’s story arc is one of redemption.

Hermione Granger-Weasley (née Granger) and Ron Weasley are Harry’s best friends and parents to Albus’s cousins, Rose Granger-Weasley and Hugo Granger-Weasley. Harry met and befriended Ron and Hermione on his first train to Hogwarts. The two accompanied Harry throughout his journey to defeating Voldemort, playing crucial roles and fighting beside his side in the final battle. Hermione now serves as Minister for Magic, while Ron helps one of his older brothers, George Weasley, run a family-owned joke shop, Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes.

Besides serving as constant and supportive friends to Harry, Ron and Hermione serve as an example of enduring love. They are starkly different from each other—where Hermione is brilliant, meticulous, and ambitious, Ron is laidback, jovial, and content with remaining in the background. Nevertheless, the two love and support each other, each accepting the other for who they are. Ron and Hermione shine best when they are partnered together. This is demonstrated in the subdued and bitter avatars they each display in one of the alternative worlds viewed, in which they do not end up together; in yet another world, where the pressure of evading Voldemort’s supporters has kept their relationship platonic, they ultimately recognize and confess their love for each other. Ron and Hermione’s relationship conveys that certain things are meant to be, irrespective of how events may eventually play out.

Ginny Potter (née Weasley) is Ron’s younger sister, now married to Harry, and the mother of their children—James, Albus, and Lily. An attractive redhead, in the books, Ginny was a proficient Quidditch player, who went on to have a prolific career playing for the Holyhead Harpies, a famous all-women Quidditch team. She has transitioned to a career in sports reporting in the play, working for the wizarding newspaper, The Daily Prophet.

Ginny is a talented and powerful witch in her own right, having fought side-by-side with the trio multiple times in the original series in different exploits against Voldemort and his supporters. Her fierce and independent spirit is complemented by her warmth and caring, both seen in her actions and responses as a mother. She is rightly concerned about Albus’s well-being, defending him even to Harry, and getting angry with Harry when she believes him to have put Albus in harm’s way. Ginny is also clever and perceptive, being able to divine the root of Harry’s issues with Albus and giving Harry pertinent advice on how to break down the walls between him and their son. She stands tall and secure in her own right, despite being the partner of the famous Harry Potter—it is her intelligence, skill, and strength of character that allow her to do so.

Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape are both now-deceased previous Headmasters of Hogwarts and the two people after whom Harry’s son, Albus, is named.

Dumbledore served as a mentor and father figure to Harry growing up. By contrast, Snape, who was Harry’s Potions teacher, had a difficult and strained relationship with him. However, Snape worked as a double agent for many years, as he secretly loved Harry’s mother and wanted to support the cause for which she had laid down her life. Snape’s secret was only known to Dumbledore throughout their lifetimes; this, alongside the many sacrifices Snape made, was revealed to Harry just before Snape’s death, leading Harry to regard Snape as “probably the bravest man [he] ever knew” (9).

Dumbledore makes appearances in the play through magical portraits, while Snape briefly appears in an alternative world brought about by the Time-Turner. The former’s presence sheds light on the root of certain behavior patterns that Harry displays with Albus. It also helps Harry work through some of his unresolved abandonment issues and worries, which subsequently helps his relationship with Albus.

On the other hand, Snape serves as yet another example of enduring love—it is significant that he appears alongside Ron and Hermione in the alternative world. Just as Ron and Hermione meet their end after confessing their love for each other, Snape, too, sacrifices himself in love and memory of Lily Potter. As is the case with Ron and Hermione’s relationship, Snape’s motivations and subsequent death also reinforce the idea of the inevitability of certain things.

Lord Voldemort was one of the most feared and hated Dark Wizards of the magical world. Having reigned for many years, even returning to power after a brief setback, he was ultimately defeated by Harry in a legendary final battle. He is the father of Delphini, a daughter conceived after his demise by use of the Time-Turner.

Lord Voldemort was born Tom Riddle and grew up a lonely orphan, similar to Harry in many ways. The play theorizes that Tom Riddle’s evolution into Lord Voldemort resulted from the lack of love and friendships in his life—his loneliness plunged him into a dark place from which he never emerged, turning him into the evil and power-hungry Voldemort. Voldemort is mentioned multiple times by other characters but only makes a single appearance near the play’s end. However, the story and idea of Lord Voldemort have a more significant impact on the action of the play than the man himself. While the character does not significantly influence the play’s events, he is an example of the importance of love and friendship and yet another example of a father distanced from his child.