TRANSITION SCENE — WIZARDING VILLAGES

DELPHI runs into the storage shed beside the bakery. HARRY follows, slamming back the door. The space is very tight, there is hardly any room to move. DELPHI looks up at him as the door seals. The stage goes completely dark, including the cupboard.

DELPHI (breathless): Wow, that was intense. Lumos.

Light fills the cramped space, they are standing mere inches apart from one another. HARRY looks down cautiously at the wand that's aimed up at his chin.

HARRY: Watch where you're pointing that thing.

DELPHI: What? This?

Giggling, DELPHI flirtatiously swings back her long, dark brown hair and moves the brightly lit wand closer.

HARRY: I should warn you — I'm armed.

DELPHI: That's the second time you've said that. Threatening me.

HARRY: Only now, I've memorized the proper spell to subdue you.

DELPHI: Is that right?

HARRY (smartly, and with a rasp): Expelliarmus.

DELPHI: Ooh, Harry Potter, you're a positively disarming man.

HARRY (grinning): Stand back.

DELPHI: I would, but there's nowhere to go.

DELPHI inspects the inside walls and shelves of the confined space. It's mostly large bags of flour, metal buckets, and miscellaneous objects. HARRY puts an ear to the wood-slat door. There are muffled noises.

HARRY: So, we... hide in a hole? That's the plan?

DELPHI: As pleasurable as it would be to hide in a hole with you... we might as well get comfortable. That Finch-Fletchley character will find us if we go back out there.

HARRY:  Good thing I don't mind small spaces.

Beat, DELPHI keeps eye contact with HARRY for some time. They just look at one another. Until she smiles sweetly. She gestures to the door.

DELPHI: That felt good, didn't it?

HARRY: It did. It does.

DELPHI: Those people listen to you. So many of them are frustrated because they don't believe in Percy.

HARRY: They're not wrong. I hardly believe in him, myself.

DELPHI: But they believe in Harry Potter. They'd follow you no matter what your message. I think you're becoming quite some speaker, in fact.

HARRY: Honestly, I'm enjoying it.

DELPHI: Well... it suits you.

HARRY: Then you should stick around, encourage me more instead of going into the field.

DELPHI: Maybe I will. You'd be a mess without me.

HARRY: I would. (he laughs) Especially my hair.

DELPHI styles his hair, this time with her hand.

DELPHI: Of course, I'm sticking around. We're friends, aren't we?

HARRY: Yes.

DELPHI: Yes.

HARRY: Definitely friends.

DELPHI: Definitely.

HARRY and DELPHI look at each other. Something passes between them. HARRY smiles softly. And the two of them — just slightly — melt together.

Doesn't it make you feel good to be wanted — and needed?

We watch as HARRY moves closer, listening.

And essential? Beloved, even?

HARRY thinks for a long time — and then smiles.

HARRY: Merlin's beard... I really have turned into Gilderoy Bloody Lockhart.

DELPHI: Who?

HARRY: Someone who...used to be someone.

DELPHI: What happened to him?

HARRY: He fell out of luck. And love. He had way more fans than me.

DELPHI: I doubt that.

There is noise outside the door. The sounds of people running. The stage is still dark. A LONE VOICE speaks.

LONE VOICE: You know what this is about? (beat) Have we searched thoroughly beside the... ?

The tension is slightly broken. HARRY laughs, pathetically grateful. He looks around for something to talk about.

HARRY: You know, there's some interesting stuff in this place...

DELPHI: It smells strange in here.

HARRY: I didn't notice. I can only smell you.

DELPHI (awkwardly): What do I smell of?

HARRY: No, I meant it as a nice thing, you smell like a mixture of fresh flowers and fresh — bread. (HARRY is making it worse) I mean, nice bread, good bread, bread...what's wrong with bread?

DELPHI: Might it have something to do with the flower vendor outside? Or the fact that we're hiding next to —

HARRY: — next to a bakery... yeah. (beat) I was just being nice.  Maybe — I dunno — if you're going to stand so close I'd rather you didn't breathe on me quite so much.

DELPHI: All that horrible, fresh bread?

DELPHI scoffs, but secretly enjoys how uncomfortable their situation has made him.

You'll manage.

A familiar FEMALE VOICE is heard.

FEMALE VOICE: Funny. I smell guilt. There is a stench of guilt upon the air.

She knocks on the door.

Are you in there — together? Because I advise you not to be.

The door opens. Lights come up on the stage. The village is alive, but moving slowly. Standing outside the storage cupboard is GINNY. She has been listening to their entire conversation.

GINNY: Surprise!!!

The two of them awkwardly dislocate. HARRY tries to work out what to say. He turns to GINNY, his face says it all.

HARRY (hesitating in her unwavering gaze): I... Please... Let me...

GINNY (lip curling, every inch her mother): No luck or love for me, then?

GINNY looks witheringly at HARRY. HARRY takes the hit. She refuses to look at DELPHI.

Can someone please explain what's going on? (GINNY looks fierce and then smiles.) I think you've got some explaining to do.

HARRY's face drops. There's a horrible pause.

HARRY: Ginny, whatever you may think —

GINNY: Are you okay, Harry? You look a little pale. And red. Pale and red at the same time.

HARRY: Will you stop looking at me like that?

GINNY: Like what, dear?

HARRY: We're — friends, and that's all.

DELPHI: Absolutely. Only friends.

GINNY (seeing red): Okay, that's — wow.

GINNY glares at DELPHI for speaking. DELPHI flinches in the face of the anger. GINNY looks at HARRY carefully. Her face sinks. GINNY walks away, shaking her head. HARRY stumbles out of the storage shed, rushing desperately after his wife. DELPHI looks at them both and takes a very deep, very sad breath.

HARRY: Come on, honey. You know that if I knew you were coming to see me, I would've never... (he stops himself) That sounds wrong. What I mean to say is —

GINNY (to herself, sarcastically): Oh, no! She found us, we'll be forced apart forever!

This thought hurts GINNY. She thinks, her face hardens. She spins round and aims her wand at HARRY. He slams to a stop. GINNY is fuming.

HARRY: What?! Are you joking?

GINNY (jabbing her wand at him, deeply hurt): Stop following me! I don't want to see you. I don't want to hear you. Just... stay away!

GINNY runs out of the town square. HARRY goes after her.

HARRY: Ginny, wait! Be reasonable! It was a misunder —

FINCH-FLETCHLEY bursts from within the flower carts and tackles HARRY to the ground. GINNY runs on, HARRY looks agonized after her as he struggles to get away.

What are you doing? Let go of me!

FINCH-FLETCHLEY (rabidly): I've seen him, Potter... You know I've seen him... Stop telling lies...!

HARRY: Get off!

HARRY searches the villagers for his wife, but GINNY is gone. FINCH-FLETCHLEY reaches out a desperate hand towards HARRY. The struggle is getting violent.

FINCH-FLETCHLEY: Look inside my mind, Potter...

He pulls HARRY viciously towards him.

You're a Legilimens...! I know Professor Snape taught you before he died...

HARRY shakes his head and blinks rapidly, trying to defend his own mind. HARRY looks at FINCH-FLETCHLEY, his eyes stay resistant.

HARRY: You're wrong! Voldemort is never returning. You've lost your mind!

FINCH-FLETCHLEY: No, he's in my mind, Potter...!!! Look...!

There is the sound of a scream from off. No one in the village reacts. Because it isn't there. HARRY turns towards it. But he dismisses the thought. He must and he will control himself.

HARRY (desperate): Justin! Stop this!

FINCH-FLETCHLEY (intensely, and so close their foreheads collide): Look. At. Him.

There is a giant whoosh of light and smash of noise. Suddenly from around the auditorium, the feel of the breath of an icy wind. The world becomes darker, almost black. And then around the two of them, the vision glows gold.

HARRY watches, helpless to stop the memory from playing out.

A FRIGHTENED WITCH rushes forward as if in slow motion, gripping a very young child. FRIGHTENED WITCH looks over her shoulder and screams. Behind her, in an alley, there is an imposing figure dressed in a dark gray robe, a scarred and damaged Death Eater mask hiding their face. It is the AUGUREY. Beside them is an aged man, wan and dismal, gripping a wand — RODOPHUS LESTRANGE — and a broad-shouldered, beastly-looking man standing deep in the shadows — FENRIR GREYBACK. The Tempest. FINCH-FLETCHLEY saw the leaders of the Tempest together. HARRY is so focused on searching for PARIAH PRINCE that it takes him a moment to notice a tall figure, dressed all in black, gliding across the stage. It is unmistakably LORD VOLDEMORT, in the flesh. Their eyes meet. HARRY reaches for his scar.

And there's a flash. And a bang. There's a rattling as the whole auditorium seems to vibrate. The stage turns even blacker around them. Then the vision fades and the lights return.

HARRY and FINCH-FLETCHLEY are still in a heap at the center of the stage. They spring apart. HARRY'S guardsmen emerge behind them.

FINCH-FLETCHLEY (wide-eyed): You saw him... You saw him...!

HARRY's face grows white. He looks around himself. Breathing deep, panicked breaths. HARRY turns and looks FINCH-FLETCHLEY dead in the eye.

HARRY: It can't be true. It can't.

FINCH-FLETCHLEY: The ghosts follow me... And I follow them... (beat, the guards pull him off and away) That was no ghost, Potter... That was him... You-Know-Who... Yes, you do... He's back. HE'S BACK!!!

FINCH-FLETCHLEY is dragged out of the room, rapidly twisting his head back and forth. HARRY watches on, thinking carefully. Now thoroughly panicked, he looks around for someone, anyone. DELPHI scurries in from the other side of the village and helps HARRY to his feet.

DELPHI: Harry, are you all right?

HARRY says nothing. DELPHI tries to read his eyes.

What was that all about? Did he really — see Voldemort?

HARRY takes a moment to reset himself. And it hits him.

HARRY: Yes.

DELPHI: But that's impossible. He's been destroyed.

HARRY: I have an idea of what Justin could've seen. I need to leave.

HARRY turns to exit, a gritty expression on his face. DELPHI, looking alarmed, runs out in front of him. HARRY stops.

DELPHI: Let me come with you.

HARRY (unflinching): No. I've got to do this alone.

DELPHI: Where are you going? Tell me that, at least.

HARRY: The one place I can find the answer.

He takes a substantial breath, brushes off his robe and looks off.

Hogwarts.