Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Parenthood
Time, Mistakes, and the Past
Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery
Reputation and Expectation
Death and Sacrifice
Summary
Analysis
The next day, on the Hogwarts Express, Rose approaches Albus, saying she wants to turn over a new leaf and be friends again. Albus is confused, saying they never really were friends. Rose makes conversation, saying that she heard rumors that the Ministry found an illegal Time-Turner. Surprised, Albus turns to find Scorpius, but Rose stays with Albus. When he asks her why she’s being nice to him, she explains that their parents are worried about him.
Learning about the Time-Turner sparks Albus’s interest in figuring out what he can change about the past, particularly after hearing Harry lie to Amos about having one. However, Albus doesn’t have the same frame of reference or knowledge that Harry does about the danger of Time-Turners and messing with the past, and much of the play’s conflict centers on the dangers of messing with time even when it’s possible.
Themes
Albus turns and finds Scorpius, who tells Rose that she smells like fresh flowers and bread. Rose is annoyed at his comment and leaves in a huff. Scorpius says he got on the train early to avoid stares and people writing “son of Voldemort” on his trunk. Albus hugs Scorpius fiercely, saying that it’s been a difficult 24 hours.
The play again highlights how Scorpius constantly has to deal with his reputation as Voldemort’s son and the real consequences that he faces. It also shows how Scorpius’s friendship is critical to Albus as he deals with the hurt that Harry caused him the previous evening.
Themes
When Scorpius asks what happened, Albus says he’ll explain later and that they have to get off the train. At the last Triwizard Tournament, Albus explains, Cedric Diggory was killed because Voldemort was trying to kill Harry—Cedric only died because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But, Albus says, they can make it right by using a Time-Turner. He wants to correct one of Harry’s mistakes and help Amos get his son back. Scorpius is hesitant, but Albus says he has to do this. He climbs out of the train window and Scorpius follows.
Albus shows how much Harry’s reputation is weighing on him, in that he wants to run away from school, steal a Time-Turner from the Ministry, and then go back in time to save Cedric—all for the purpose of proving himself a hero and correcting one of Harry’s mistakes. The fact that Scorpius goes along with the plan immediately also demonstrates how their friendship enables each other’s bravery.
Themes
