DIAGON ALLEY — 2020

HARRY notices a bench outside Flourish and Blotts. He sits and unfolds the newspaper clipping, consumed by guilt, but hiding it well. HARRY looks down at the photograph — part of him likes it and part of him doesn't.

At once, the world around Diagon Alley darkens and all sounds drop off as another scene comes to life on the stage. A crowd appears at the back, dressed in dull hues of grayish brown. PHOTO HARRY and PHOTO DELPHI are there, moving at half-speed. This is the enchanted photograph from the Daily Prophet.

Some in the crowd genuflect, others reach forward to shake hands with PHOTO HARRY, and he thanks them with graceful nods. Faintly, like a distant wind, a celestial and unsettling chorus is heard as PHOTO HARRY turns his eyes toward the edge of the crowd. Toward PHOTO DELPHI. She holds his gaze for longer than expected, and both of them smile affectionately. The music swells. Eventually, PHOTO HARRY turns his focus back on the crowd and the loop of the enchanted photograph cycles.

It is clear why Albus left this clipping for his mother, and why GINNY, heartbroken by the sight, was convinced that her husband had feelings for DELPHI.

Suddenly, and from a place beyond the bounds of the photograph, someone screams. The interrupted scene goes dark.

Lights come up on Diagon Alley. HARRY is pulled back to the present and looks around confusedly. There is the sound of screaming behind him. What is that screaming? He stands and looks around himself — entirely panicked. All around, wizards and witches are running and firing spells. HARRY stops one of them — FRIGHTENED WIZARD.

HARRY: What is it? What's happening?!

FRIGHTENED WIZARD: The Tempest! Run!

FRIGHTENED WIZARD pushes HARRY aside and flees Diagon Alley with the others. They all move fast, shoving him further down the alley, away from his family. From all sides, there is screaming. Many of them run through the aisles and cower beside seats in the auditorium. HARRY is entirely overwhelmed. And then we hear unfamiliar voices. Rather suddenly, figures appear from the other end of the stage. HARRY sees them, and he stops, and he says nothing.

Members of the Tempest are casting spells, all sorts of chaos ensues, crates of supplies burst open, owls break free from toppled cages, glass shatters, storefronts explode. From the center of this comes a dark figure wearing a scarred Death Eater mask. It is the AUGUREY.

HARRY is invigorated by the sight of the AUGUREY and breaks free from the crowd. He pulls out his wand and rushes forward. He is distracted a moment later at the sight of his family through the windows of the bookshop. They are being attacked by the Tempest. Among them, RODOLPHUS LESTRANGE, and the werewolf, FENRIR GREYBACK. Through the window, GINNY looks at her husband, full of fear. ALBUS turns towards them, wand swinging, as LILY goes barreling up to a bookshelf for safety. JAMES is held back by GINNY as he charges at them. Caught off guard, HARRY can barely react in his shock. The AUGUREY sees this and aims a spell at him.

AUGUREY (voice deep and hoarse): Brachiabindo!

HARRY's arms are bound in vicious, luminous cords. He falls to his knees. The AUGUREY enters the bookshop. HARRY struggles to break free.

HARRY: No! Stay away from my family!

HARRY eyes his wand and aims it at his chest.

Emancipare!

The counter-spell falters. Beside HARRY, the glass windows of the bookshop explode. JAMES is holding his own against many of the Tempest, until RODOLPHUS LESTRANGE rises up and pulls JAMES hard onto the table. The violence is surprising. LESTRANGE makes eye contact with HARRY as he Disapparates, taking JAMES with him.

HARRY (eyes widening): NO!

GINNY, ALBUS, and LILY are scattered through the shop, overwhelmed. The AUGUREY focuses on GINNY. ALBUS steps between them, wand raised. He fires a spell at the AUGUREY, it is easily deflected.

ALBUS: Get behind me, Mum!

HARRY: Emancipare! Emancipare!

HARRY's wand continues to fail him. LILY screams as one of the Tempest latches onto her arm. She tries to pull away, but it's no use. The scream is cut short as both of them Disapparate. They vanish.

ALBUS: Lily! MUM... No!

GINNY shrieks and runs toward where her daughter was standing. From behind, FENRIR GREYBACK wraps his arms around GINNY's waist and lifts her. She kicks the air.

HARRY: GINNY!!

HARRY keeps trying to free himself. He turns back, eyes desperate, but GINNY is gone. FENRIR GREYBACK has taken her as well, leaving ALBUS to face them alone.

Albus, get out of there!

The AUGUREY lunges forward with a spell, ALBUS has to dodge out of the way. Another of the Tempest reach out to grab ALBUS. He only just eludes their grasp. HARRY starts to shout and flail. They are taking his family! And just when it feels like there is nothing he can do to stop them, the counter-spell works.

HARRY: Emancipare!

HARRY is released. He stands and takes a step toward the bookstore. Then a bloodcurdling scream goes up at one side of the auditorium and everything stops. Voices are heard. It's coming from the wizards and witches hiding in the aisles.

He's coming. He's coming. He's coming.

Another scream.

And then, right from the back of the auditorium, whispering around everyone. Words said with an unmistakable voice. The voice of VOLDEMORT...

Haaarry Pottttter.

HARRY spins left and right. Then LORD VOLDEMORT walks calmly through the destruction. It becomes quickly apparent that he's approaching HARRY.

HARRY (loudly): It's not him! It's an Inferius...

Anyone left on Diagon Alley spring into the nearest shop, tense as they await their fate. VOLDEMORT brings death with him. And everyone knows it.

He's... he's...

HARRY's eyes widen as VOLDEMORT advances. It is not an Inferius. HARRY cannot believe what he's seeing. He doesn't take his eyes off VOLDEMORT. All the others stay back.

VOLDEMORT: Harry Potter.

HARRY (stammering): How... how is this possible?

VOLDEMORT: Twenty years I've been waiting. And now the moment has come — for you to die.

Shell-shocked, HARRY fumbles out his wand. He aims it at VOLDEMORT and casts a spell. Nothing happens. He realizes his wand has spun itself the wrong way around and turns it right. VOLDEMORT takes out his own wand. HARRY moves to attack him again. But VOLDEMORT is far stronger. HARRY's wand ascends upwards towards him. VOLDEMORT takes HARRY's wand from the air and snaps it.

HARRY is disarmed. He is helpless.

A guttural yell comes from the bookshop. From the AUGUREY.

AUGUREY: Do not harm him, my Lord!

VOLDEMORT shortens the distance between him and HARRY as ALBUS continues to battle. Then a bookshelf ascends into the air behind him. The AUGUREY sends the bookshelf down hard upon ALBUS. It smashes as he rolls desperately away. He fires a bolt from his wand across the room. The AUGUREY returns fire, besting him easily. ALBUS is propelled to the floor, his hands tied by the same brutal binding. HARRY says nothing, horrified and scared, as the AUGUREY walks forward, and snatches him. They Disapparate with a resounding crack.

HARRY is left looking at the empty bookshop, open-mouthed. He was powerless to stop it from happening. This is terrifying. He turns back to VOLDEMORT, tears streaking down his face.

HARRY: Not my family! Please... Have mercy... have mercy... Not my family! Please — I'll do anything.

VOLDEMORT is smiling.

Not my family, please no — take me — you can have me. Kill me instead!

VOLDEMORT: With pleasure...

HARRY looks around — he knows his fate. VOLDEMORT points his wand at HARRY, who sticks out his chin.

Avada Kedavra!

VOLDEMORT sends a blast of green light across the stage — and it's like lightning passes through HARRY's body. HARRY is propelled backwards by it. The ONLOOKERS flinch as green light swallows the auditorium. It dims. Everything seems to dim. And HARRY collapses onto the floor. There's a silence. A silence that seems to last for a long time. People stop running. They cannot believe what they have just witnessed.

ONLOOKER 01: Harry Potter...

ONLOOKER 02: He's...dead.

VOLDEMORT comes down the front of the stage, and walks into the auditorium. Faintly, that distant, celestial wind of unsettling harmony descends and ascends around us. And we just watch. And slowly what was there is no longer there. And the stage rotates off and away. And, with it, HARRY.

We cut to black

END OF ACT ONE