Picking up after 19 years from where it left off, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the much anticipate and long-awaited sequel to the much beloved and ubiquitous Harry Potter series that ended with the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in 2008. The hiatus of nine years has not diminished the memory of Harry Potter and its beloved characters as noted from the hype the latest book has created. The book in question is in fact a play written by playwright Jack Thorne, with the story conceived by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne.

Written for the British stage, the play debuted in London’s West End this July, coinciding with the release of the script in the form of the book. That said, the story need not be read from a thespian’s perspective. Although written as a play, the format does not detract from the series’ original essence, as key thematic elements of good vs. evil, kindness and courage, remain intact. As a sequel to the original series, it is every bit a continuation, seamlessly transitioning into an independent story while remaining connected to the context and history as much as it takes on its own identity.

Concentrating on the next generation grappling with the aftermath of their parents’ experiences, and the legacy they have all inherited, just as we saw Harry once do, the story zeroes in on Albus Severus, Harry’s eldest son, and his friend Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Draco Malfoy, one of Harry’s nemeses in the series. The story begins at the point Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ended at — with Harry and Ginny with their three kids at platform 93/4 on their way to drop their second son at Hogwarts. It’s been 19 years since the Battle of Hogwarts, as it is now known in history. For us, it was the conclusive end to the series as we know it, and the story of the boy who lived.

Harry is now working at the Ministry of Magic, with Hermione at its helm as Minister for Magic. The book is still very much about family, as it takes a closer look at the characters’ relationships with their children. Albus resents the pressure his father’s legacy places on him and Harry’s overprotective parenting style, Scorpius resents not being able to live up to his legacy by being a darker, more intimidating version of himself like his father Draco would want. All that is similar between Harry and Albus is that they inherit legacies they did not ask for.

The Harry Potter series is revived with the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

As through the course of the series we got used to the various tools and tricks that got Harry Potter and his company in and out of scrapes, we see a particularly nifty device that allows the writers, the readers and audiences to revisit events while hurtling forth into the future. A device similar to the one Hermione had once used in book three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a Time-Turner is in question after being recovered from a recalcitrant defector. Much rumoured about and considered extreme contraband within the wizarding world, the device is withheld in the Ministry until they can decide what to do with it. Late one night Harry is paid a visit by the father of Cedric Diggory, the Hogwarts student who was killed by Voldemort during the Triwizard Tournament in book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. He was a co-winner along with Harry, thus inadvertently being transported along with him via Portkey (another time-travelling device) to Voldemort. His father demands that Harry use the Ministry’s rumoured device and reverse the course of the future. As Albus witnesses this heated encounter, he is joined by a strange character Delphi, claiming to have accompanied Mr Diggory as his niece and caretaker. Elaborating on the toll this loss had on him, she urges Albus to act. Albus, feeling burdened with the inadvertent aftermath of Harry’s actions, breaks into Hermione’s office with Scorpius to retrieve the device, hoping to go back into the past and set things right by trying to prevent Cedric’s death.

The book transcends the elusive space-time continuum by allowing time travel, giving the story a four-dimensional quality where old characters meet new ones and the past becomes a part of the present, in an attempt to reset a particular event in history.

The Time-Turner becomes a brilliant storytelling device as Albus and Scorpius travel back and forth in time and meet formerly deceased characters, unwittingly placing themselves within historical events, thus making them a part of their current collective memories. Conversely, they also witness alternate worlds as history was rewritten through alternate courses.

In Harry Potter’s world, the darkness and mayhem was brought about by Voldemort, a wizard with a particular prowess in the Dark Arts and a fierce desire to use it for evil. Naturally, since the last book left us with him defeated and peace restored, the only way to bring the mayhem back is to bring Voldemort back.

The flipside is a dire look into a world where Harry dies and Voldemort lives — an apocalyptic dystopia where the wizarding world is ruled by the Dark Lord. Dementors and Death Eaters prevail, having defeated Harry at the Battle of Hogwarts, reminding us once again of the importance of Harry’s role in the wizarding world at that point in time. Regardless, it eventually leaves much to Scorpius to resolve since Harry never lives, therefore negating Albus’s existence altogether. It’s interesting to note here how Scorpius, coming from a family of staunch Death Eaters, is a champion for good in the continuation of his family legacy.

Channelling through the past, the present, the old and the new, a previous generation vs. the future, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child takes a thought-provoking look at the present generation setting forth into an uncertain future.

Having been written for the stage, the book is missing the generous descriptive details of vistas, characters and fantastical creatures the series has come to be known for. Nonetheless, it moves at a good pace, providing plenty of plot twists along the way. True to its style, there are many cliffhangers and there is suspense and mystery, making for an authentic reading experience. Details are toned down, relying mainly on character and plot to provide the intensity.

Rowling, along with her co-writers, manages to skilfully carve out a new story for those unfamiliar, and those familiar, with Harry Potter. Creating a new arc through time-travel helps not only readers and audiences relate to past events, but also the characters who get to examine first-hand their own actions and the effects, decades later, as spectators of the past. In retrospect the characters begin to understand the contexts and their former selves better, including the sacrifices of those not around them anymore. Harry learns to be a better father to Albus, and Albus recognises Harry’s sacrifices and the darkness that had preceded his generation.

For audiences unfamiliar with the story, perhaps a Time-Turner was the best way to introduce and continue Harry Potter’s story. Instead of narrating history, it simply takes the characters back to key events to reiterate their importance. In doing so, the writers are also able to bring back in a small way the characters we thought were lost forever, reminding readers to always expect the unexpected.

Overall, the collaborative piece of work is a layered and nuanced story, heavy on symbolism, exploring the familiar thematic concerns of friendship, loyalty, love, courage and remaining true to oneself. The writers have us cheering for the next generation of characters, just as we once did for Harry, Ron and Hermione.

The reviewer is a freelance journalist writing on politics, current affairs and culture.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
(PLAY)
By J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Little Brown, UK
ISBN: 978-0751565355
343pp.

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, August 28th, 2016