style="font-size:15px;"> Parked all right then?
RON
I did. Hermione didn’t believe I could pass a Muggle driving test, did you? She thought I’d have to Confund the examiner.
HERMIONE
I thought nothing of the kind, I have complete faith in you.
ROSE
And I have complete faith he did Confund the examiner.
RON
Oi!
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.
ALBUS
Really?
HARRY
It did for me.
This is something he’s never said before, it resonates around his head a moment.
Hogwarts will be the making of you, Albus. I promise you, there is nothing to be frightened of there.
JAMES
Apart from the Thestrals. Watch out for the Thestrals.
ALBUS
I thought they were invisible!
HARRY
Listen to your professors, don’t listen to James, and remember to enjoy yourself. Now, if you don’t want this train to leave without you, you should leap on. .
LILY
I’m going to chase the train out.
GINNY
Lily, come straight back.
HERMIONE
Rose. Remember to send Neville our love.
ROSE
Mum, I can’t send a professor love!
ROSE exits for the train. And then ALBUS turns and hugs GINNY and HARRY one last time before following after her.
ALBUS
Okay, then. Bye.
He climbs on board. HERMIONE, GINNY, RON and HARRY stand watching the train – as whistles blow up and down the platform.
GINNY
They’re going to be okay, right?
HERMIONE
Hogwarts is a big place.
RON
Big. Wonderful. Full of food. I’d give anything to be going back.
HARRY
Strange, Al being worried he’ll be sorted into Slytherin.
HERMIONE
That’s nothing, Rose is worried whether she’ll break the Quidditch scoring record in her first or second year. And how early she can take her O.W.Ls.
RON
I have no idea where she gets her ambition from.
GINNY
And how would you feel Harry, if Al – if he is?
RON
You know Gin, we always thought there was a chance you could be sorted into Slytherin.
GINNY
What?
RON
Honestly, Fred and George ran a book.
HERMIONE
Can we go? People are looking, you know.
GINNY
People always look when you three are together. And apart. People always look at you.
The four exit. GINNY stops HARRY.
Harry. . he’ll be all right, won’t he?
HARRY
Of course he will.
ACT ONE
SCENE THREE
ALBUS and ROSE walk along the carriage of the train.
The TROLLEY WITCH approaches, pushing her trolley.
TROLLEY WITCH
Anything from the trolley, dears? Pumpkin Pasty? Chocolate Frog? Cauldron Cake?
ROSE (spotting ALBUS’s loving look at the Chocolate Frogs)
Al. We need to concentrate.
ALBUS
Concentrate on what?
ROSE
On who we choose to be friends with. My mum and dad met your dad on their first Hogwarts Express you know. .
ALBUS
So we need to choose now who to be friends with for life? That’s quite scary.
ROSE
On the contrary, it’s exciting. I’m a Granger-Weasley, you’re a Potter – everyone will want to be friends with us, we’ve got the pick of anyone we want.
ALBUS
So how do we decide – which compartment to go in. .
ROSE
We
