Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 1 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 2 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 3 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 4 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 5 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 6 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 7 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 8 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 9 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 10 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 11 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 12 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 13 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 14 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 15 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 16 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 17 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 18 Part 1, Act 1, Scene 19 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 1 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 2 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 3 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 4 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 5 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 6 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 7 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 8 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 9 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 10 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 11 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 12 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 13 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 14 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 15 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 16 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 17 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 18 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 19 Part 1, Act 2, Scene 20 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 1 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 2 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 3 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 4 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 5 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 6 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 7 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 8 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 9 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 10 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 11 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 12 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 13 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 14 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 15 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 16 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 17 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 18 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 19 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 20 Part 2, Act 3, Scene 21 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 1 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 2 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 3 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 4 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 5 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 6 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 7 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 8 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 9 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 10 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 11 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 12 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 13 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 14 Part 2, Act 4, Scene 15
Themes
All Themes Parenthood Time, Mistakes, and the Past Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Reputation and Expectation Death and Sacrifice
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Albus Severus Potter Harry Potter Scorpius Malfoy Delphi Diggory Draco Malfoy Voldemort Ginny Weasley Hermione Granger Severus Snape Cedric Diggory Albus Dumbledore Ron Weasley Rose Granger-Weasley Amos Diggory Astoria Malfoy James Potter (Harry’s Son) James Potter (Harry’s Father)
Terms
All Terms Death Eater Durmstrang Dementors Parseltongue Squib The Triwizard Tournament
Symbols
All Symbols Time-Turners Harry’s Blanket The Augurey
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany
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Severus Snape Character Analysis

Severus Snape is Harry’s former potions teacher, who dies at Voldemort’s hand in the original Harry Potter series. In the play, when Scorpius and Albus create an alternate timeline in which Voldemort wins the Battle of Hogwarts, Snape survives, and Scorpius seeks him out. Scorpius discovers that Snape is still fighting for Dumbledore’s cause, hiding Hermione and Ron away so that they can keep up the resistance. Snape then helps Scorpius try to correct the timeline, despite knowing that this means sacrificing his own life in the other timeline. Thus, the play affirms Snape’s status as a hero because he is willing to put the good of society above himself. Additionally, Albus Severus (Harry’s son) is named for Snape.

Severus Snape Quotes in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child quotes below are all either spoken by Severus Snape or refer to Severus Snape. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Parenthood Theme Icon
).

Part 1, Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes

ALBUS: Dad…

ALBUS pulls on HARRY’s robes. HARRY looks down.

Do you think—what if I am—what if I’m put in Slytherin…

HARRY: And what would be wrong with that?

ALBUS: Slytherin is the House of the snake, of Dark Magic… It’s not a House of brave wizards.

HARRY: Albus Severus, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.

ALBUS: But just say…

HARRY: If it matters to you, you, the Sorting Hat will take your feelings into account.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Harry Potter (speaker), Severus Snape, Scorpius Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Albus Dumbledore
Related Themes:
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Page Number and Citation: 9
Explanation and Analysis:

Part 1, Act 2, Scene 8 Quotes

HARRY: I’ve never asked how you felt about me naming him after you, have I?

DUMBLEDORE: Candidly, Harry, it seemed a great weight to place upon the poor boy.

HARRY: I need your help. I need your advice. Bane says Albus is in danger. How do I protect my son, Dumbledore?

DUMBLEDORE: You ask me, of all people, how to protect a boy in terrible danger? We cannot protect the young from harm. Pain must and will come.

HARRY: So I’m supposed to stand and watch?

DUMBLEDORE: No. You’re supposed to teach him how to meet life.

HARRY: How? He won’t listen.

DUMBLEDORE: Perhaps he’s waiting for you to see him clearly.

Related Characters: Albus Dumbledore (speaker), Harry Potter (speaker), Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Bane, Severus Snape
Related Themes:
Parenthood Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Page Number and Citation: 110
Explanation and Analysis:
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Part 2, Act 3, Scene 7 Quotes

HERMIONE: We get this right, Harry’s alive, Voldemort’s dead, and the Augurey is gone, for that no risk is too great. Though I am sorry what it will cost you.

SNAPE: Sometimes costs are made to be borne.

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Severus Snape (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, Voldemort
Related Symbols: The Augurey
Related Themes:
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Page Number and Citation: 183
Explanation and Analysis:
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Part 2, Act 3, Scene 9 Quotes

SNAPE: Listen to me, Scorpius. Think about Albus. You’re giving up your kingdom for Albus, right?

SCORPIUS is helpless. Consumed by all the dementor is making him feel. And SNAPE knows he needs to open his heart to save him.

One person. All it takes is one person. I couldn’t save Harry for Lily. So now I give my allegiance to the cause she believed in. And it’s possible—that along the way I started believing in it myself.

SCORPIUS steps decisively away from the dementor.

SCORPIUS: The world changes and we change with it. I am better off in this world. But the world is not better. And I don’t want that.

Related Characters: Severus Snape (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Albus Severus Potter, Lily Potter (Harry’s Mother), Harry Potter
Related Themes:
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Page Number and Citation: 189
Explanation and Analysis:
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Part 2, Act 3, Scene 14 Quotes

ALBUS: And why was I so determined to do this? Cedric? Really? No. I had something to prove. My dad’s right—he didn’t volunteer for adventure—me, this, it’s all my fault—and if it wasn’t for you everything could have gone Dark.

SCORPIUS: But it didn’t. And you’re to thank for that as much as me. When the dementors were—inside my head—Severus Snape told me to think of you. You may not have been there, Albus, but you were fighting—fighting alongside me.

Related Characters: Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, Severus Snape
Related Themes:
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
Page Number and Citation: 208
Explanation and Analysis:
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Severus Snape Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The timeline below shows where the character Severus Snape appears in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Act 1, Scene 2
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
...his son by telling him that he was named after two men—Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. Snape was a Slytherin, and Harry tells Albus that Snape was the bravest man he... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 4
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
...he’s almost finished with Scorpius’s Potions homework, but he has a lot to do because Snape gave so much of it. Hearing this, Scorpius gets an idea. (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 5
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Scorpius barges in on the Potions classroom, amazed to see Snape. Snape dismissively tells him that just because Scorpius acts like a king doesn’t make everyone... (full context)
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Scorpius tells Snape that there’s another world in which Voldemort was defeated at the Battle of Hogwarts. He... (full context)
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
Snape explains that Cedric killed Neville Longbottom in the Battle of Hogwarts. Scorpius realizes that Neville... (full context)
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Scorpius brings up the only thing he can: he knows Snape loved Harry’s mother Lily and asks how he could know that if he hadn’t seen... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 6
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
...in the underground hiding place, and Hermione immediately pins Scorpius to the table in fury. Snape assures Hermione that Scorpius is not a threat, but she’s not sure. Just then, Ron... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 7
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Snape says that he must be dead, presumably, noting that Scorpius was very surprised to see... (full context)
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
...is too great. Though she says that she is sorry for what it will cost Snape. Snape assures her that some costs are meant to be borne. They start up the... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 8
Time, Mistakes, and the Past Theme Icon
...Albus stand watching in their Durmstrang robes, and in the foreground, Scorpius, Hermione, Ron, and Snape look on anxiously. As Albus attempts to disarm Cedric, Hermione blocks his spell. Then, the... (full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 9
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Back in the present, Ron, Scorpius, Hermione, and Snape are in the middle of the forest, and Ron is in severe pain. Snape realizes... (full context)
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Snape and Scorpius run off, but Ron stays with Hermione, saying that he will help her... (full context)
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon
Scorpius and Snape stumble down to the lake, and Scorpius is consumed by despair. A dementor swoops towards... (full context)
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Suddenly, Dolores Umbridge emerges behind Snape and Scorpius. She informs them that they found the traitorous Hermione Granger, and she becomes... (full context)
Death and Sacrifice Theme Icon
Dementors close in on Snape and Scorpius, and Snape casts a Patronus—a doe, like Harry’s mother Lily’s Patronus. Snape tells... (full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 15
Reputation and Expectation Theme Icon
...to be a good wizard. Albus’s names come with huge weight, but both Dumbledore and Snape were great men with huge flaws whose flaws made them greater. (full context)
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