Harry’s Blanket Symbol Analysis

Harry’s blanket represents how his and Albus’s relationship changes over time, from one filled with struggle to one filled with understanding. The blanket is a source of love, comfort, and even luck for Harry—it is the only thing that he has left from his parents, who died when he was young. However, giving the blanket to Albus shows how Harry misunderstands their bond; even though the gift has meaning for Harry, it doesn’t have the same meaning for Albus. Harry can’t see that Albus is his own person who doesn’t share Harry’s experiences. As a result, Albus rejects the gift—a stand-in for the way that Albus rejects Harry’s love.

However, at the end of the play, when Albus and Scorpius are trapped in 1981 and struggling to know how to get a message to Harry, he sees Harry’s mother Lily wrap baby Harry in the blanket and appreciates the blanket’s significance. He then realizes that he can use the blanket to tell Harry when and where they are, knowing that Harry will soon see the message at exactly the right time in the present. In this way, the blanket reflects how Albus and Harry are repairing their relationship, as Albus is able to use the blanket to forge a connection between them across time. The blanket also allows Albus to receive Harry’s support as Harry rescues Albus from being stranded in time, suggesting the new bonds in their relationship as they reconcile.