Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

A new touch upon the Harry Potter series, Har­ry Potter and the Cursed Child is a two-part stage play written by Jack Thorne. It was based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Thorne himself. The play itself pre­miered on July 30, 2016. Following after, a literature work was released for those who wanted to recreate the play in the comfort of their own home. Howev­er, the book itself was not a novelization. Rather, it’s a rehearsal script of the play itself. While many fans of Harry Potter bemoaned the eighth book and questioned whether it was a part of the series at all, it was generally accepted by the people.

The story is set nine­teen years after the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Harry Potter, together with his wife Ginny Weasley have three children: James Siri­us, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna. The bulk of the sto­ry revolves around Albus, and a boy named Scorpius Malfoy who is the son of Draco Malfoy. Along with Rose and Hugo, both chil­dren of Hermione and Ron Granger-Weasley, the chil­dren meet for the first time in the train on King’s Cross Station; pretty much how the original trio met.

While Albus and Scor­pius immediately became fast friends, Rose could only express disapproval, partic­ularly because of the fric­tion between their parents. The children safely reach Hogwarts. Indulging in the school’s wonders, they en­joyed the magic as they be­gan their way towards the road of wizards and witches.

The problem started when the Ministry of Magic, an institution that governs all things related to magic, confiscates a Time-Turn­er. A Time-Turner is a tool that can bring a person or even a small group back to the past. However, actions taken in the past may have significant bearings in the present; those who manage to get their hands upon the tool may be able to change the present, for better or for worse.

The ailing father, Amos Diggory, sees this as a chance to save his beloved son, Cedric Diggory. In the past, during Harry’s student years, he and Cedric were both contestants in the Tri­wizard Tournament, a series of difficult tasks that would require the individual to use both his power and wits to win. However, an anomaly occurs where both Harry and Cedric were directly sent towards Lord Volde­mort’s domain, ending with Cedric’s death.

Amos demanded Har­ry to use the Time-Turner to change the past so that Cedric may live in the pres­ent. However, cautious of the possible dangerous af­tereffects, Harry refuses to this wish.

Certain events follow afterwards as Rose and Al­bus’s friendships becomes strained due to their differ­ent Households; while Rose was chosen for Gryffindor, Albus was placed in Sly­therin. Albus also makes an­other friend, Delphini Dig­gory, who his Amos’s niece and caretaker. In Albus’s fourth year, their group en­gages on a secret mission to save Cedric Diggory.

The plot unfolds as the group traverses differ­ent timelines, each having a distinct difference from the other. As they move from timeline to timeline, a dark secret is gradually revealed; as past and pres­ent fuse with each moment, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from the most unexpected corners.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has once again managed to draw in the attention of Potter­heads all around the world. The recurring characters along with the new gener­ation of personalities bring another twist in the wizarding world.

A number of controversies emerged before, during, and after the play. Among them was the casting of Noma Du­mezweni, who played Her­mione Granger. Noma’s dark skin raised eyebrows and had people questioning whether she was fit for her character. However, Rowl­ing replied that Hermione’s skin was never actually specified as white. Another topic that sparked among the criticizing fans was the style of writing that Jack Thorne has utilized for the script. Both constructive and colourful comments were rampant in social me­dia and blogs, comparing how the predecessors were against the eighth book.

Personally, while reading the script, I had to agree with the ma­jority; this book was not written by J.K. Rowling. The returning characters were modified for them to easily slide in a post-Volde­mort world. The plot was a fresh new idea; unfortu­nately, it seemed a whole lot closer to a fan-fiction rather than a sequel. Nostalgic ref­erences, a bit of fast-paced action, standard plot twists, and some funny innuendoes make up Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

For those who seek an elated trip to the past, or a good casual read about wizards and witches, this story is for you.

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