#harry is polyjuiced as tom

[theonceandfuturequeenoftarts]

As Harry walked through the door, he barely resisted the urge to slam it. He didn’t bother to hide his scowl when Tom strolled into the entryway to greet him.

“You were out later than expected,” Tom said, blithe as you please. Clearly his errand went smoothly.

“The next time you need an alibi, you’re on your own,” Harry grumbled. “If I’d had to deal with Umbridge’s toadying for one more minute, you would’ve ended up in Azkaban anyway.”

“Well, that explains why you’re still wearing my face. It’s a wonder you were able to escape before you ran out of Polyjuice.”

“I had to rely on Lucius sodding Malfoy to get me out of there.” Harry didn’t typically care about dignity all that much, but it was mortifying to have to rely on the Malfoy patriarch to save him. And now he’d probably owe the older man a favour, and Malfoy would absolutely lord it over Harry for ages.

“You are so lucky I love you,” he groused, bending slightly to pull off Tom’s ridiculous boots. He couldn’t wait to get back into his own comfortable and completely unfashionable clothing, but it would be a while yet before the potion wore off. He’d had to take a dose as soon as he’d gotten away from the bright pink blight.

“Of course. Thank you, dear heart.”

The distant tone made Harry suspicious. He glanced over his shoulder and caught Tom staring intently at Harry’s… well, Tom’s arse.

“Tom.”

To his credit, Tom showed not an ounce of shame as he let his eyes drift up to meet Harry’s. “Yes, darling?”

“Were you just effectively checking yourself out?”

Tom held his gaze. “And if I was?”

Harry stood up and slowly walked over to his husband. He had to admit, he was enjoying being of the same height – he’d learned to accept that Tom and many of his friends towered over him, but seeing how the other half lived was nice.

“Well, of course I’m gonna take the piss out of you forever.” Harry grinned. He could feel it sit strangely on Tom’s features.

Tom’s shoulders stiffened, the only sign he was irked. Harry reached out to trail a hand down Tom’s chest, grabbing his belt buckle and tugging him into Harry’s chest.

“And I might be willing to indulge you on this, husband.”

A brief stutter in his breathing and flaring heat in his eyes showed Tom was interested. Very interested. 

“Would you?” Tom's blasé tone didn't fool him at all.

Harry chuckled, dropping a quick peck on Tom’s lips before pulling away and heading to the kitchen. “I’ve known you were a narcissist for years. Really, I should’ve expected this.”

He should have paid more attention to Tom’s conspicuous silence behind him, but Harry was more interested in the sandwich he was about to make. That leftover ham was calling his name.

(Because it is his)

[hollowed-theory-hall]

I think we're all deeply disappointed that we didn't get enough of Voldemort and his Horcrux parts in 7th book. the cup, diadem, and locket are no match for the diary. however, do you have headcanons, what would be the protection of the cup and diadem? I wonder is there a need to drink from a cup or wear a diadem for effect and what Voldemort could potentially be like if it would be successful... i think it needs to be explored more even in hcs

Honestly, I don't necessarily think the cup should've had better protections since it was the one given to Bellatrix to protect. So, I would've just improved on the Gringotts break-in instead of making up something entirely different. In the book, if they had broken in without Griphook and Harry just imperio-ed everyone they met, that break-in would've gone without a hitch. This seems silly to me considering how difficult Gringotts is supposed to be to break into. Like, if Impirio + Polyjuic allows you to steal whatever you want, its security is most definitely lacking.

It could've been actually fun and done very differently than the ministry break-in instead of being like, a worse version of the ministry break-in as it was in canon. Like, show some goblin magic, and have them sneak around to not be found more. Like, I would've liked it to be more of a heist than just: imperio + polyjuice. Like, it could be part of it, but, idk, I felt very underwhelmed reading about Gringotts defenses in the book. Even the curse inside the vault wasn't a fun obstacle because it was one where they just needed to suffer through it. There is no satisfying puzzle to solve or a clever way to get past it. And that's really what book 7 was missing in all its heists to get Horcruxes. The plans weren't all that clever and interesting. If they were, these scenes would be, like, 200% better without actually changing any big plot elements.

I also think the break-in to Gringotts could've been improved if they still didn't have the sword and didn't destroy the locket yet, so you had Tom Riddle whispering in Harry's ear constantly. And after he cast Imperio successfully Tom would've gotten so annoying about it and made Harry have more moral questions about it. Idk, it's a fun idea, but if they did already destroy the locket, then it makes sense they'll just destroy the cup instantly. If the defenses on the way there were more interesting and the locket had more moments to shine, I think it would've been fine if the cup didn't get too much of a chance to interact with the trio.

As for the diadem, like, the minimum he could've done is place a curse on it like on the Gaunt ring. Like, seriously, that thing was so under-protected. And, like, the curse could still kill Crabbe if we want. It'll make his death even more creepy and grotesque potentially. Or he can be possessed (I mean, I'm pretty sure Crabbe and Goyle are easy possession targets).

Like, imagine the scene in the room of requirement, but Crabbe or Goyle picks up the diadem first, and a curse starts spreading from his hand upward. He screams in pain, clutching the blackening limb that slowly starts to shrivel like a raisin. Harry, Co, and Draco are all horrified, they don't know what to do and then, picking up the diadem is a Tom Riddle, a Le diary, brought back by feeding on Crabbe/Goyle's death. And then they need to kill the diadem before Crabb/Goyle die so that they won't have two Voldemorts running around. It could've been an epic battle and given Draco a chance to destroy the diadem while the Horcrux focused on fighting the Golden Trio instead of Crabbe accidentally destroying a piece of Voldy's soul. Like, Draco wouldn't even be 100% sure what he's doing, but, like, Hermione dropped a basilisk fang and they were clearly trying to destroy it, so he just kinda goes for it.

And, I mean, we could've had it all with the locket, really. Like, we know the diary spoke to Ginny for months before it took form. Why didn't it feed on Harry and Co the same way? Like, let Tom in the locket try to talk them out of killing him, let him tell them why it's best he stays around. How he's more useful to them this way. Let them fight over who's wearing the locket, but deep down, Harry wants to wear the locket just as he liked flipping through the diary without knowing why — because soul recognizes soul. Have Tom actually talk to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and be his manipulative self to stew tension that feels less manufactured. (Because the tension with the hunger and locket depression felt a little off to me in the book. Like, it felt forced).

These are just some ideas where you won't actually have to change the plot and structure of the book too much.

As for how the Horcruxes feed and if they need to be properly used, like, I'm not sure. The locket seemed to only have an effect when worn, so I'd hazard a guess that physical contact at least is necessary. but I think, just holding the cup long enough would be enough and you don't need to actually drink from it. At least, in my headcanon/speculation of how Horcruxes work.

[thetomarrylibrary]

Lost & Not Found (26)

‘‘ Portrait! Harry. The story starts with naughty children in a pureblood party (maybe Malfoy's?) They wanted to explore the house. Then they stumbled upon Harry's potrait. So they talked quite a lot until the Dark Lord came. The story ended with Harry beside Voldemort. The children saw them together at another party.'' [ FOUND By the fire's light by asterismal (asterisms) ]

'' Set during 7th year that diverges from canon where Harry, Ron, and Hermione get caught at Malfoy manor, then escape and manage to polyjuice as Voldemort, Bella, and Crabbe sr. to try and steal from Gringotts. Harry gets caught in the vault, but is stuck as a polyjuiced Voldemort, and it ends up in confusion and seggs.‘‘ [ FOUND Mirrored by brainstorm1001 ]

'' Tom is a serial killer and has a split personality; his Tom persona is an upstanding citizen and Voldemort is the serial killer. At some point, Tom starts dating Harry and Harry figures out Tom is Voldemort - yet he keeps it to himself. Then somehow the police find Tom's murder basement and Harry takes the blame. It ended with Voldemort breaking Harry out of prison.'' [ FOUND Savages by DandelionAdrian ]

‘‘ Oneshot where Harry was raised by Voldemort because he knows that Harry is a Horcrux. It starts with Voldemort torturing one of his followers in front of Harry, because he let him get hurt (he fell or something). With time Harry starts to question his existence. Voldemort protects him, but as a pet, and his possessiveness leads to him getting sexual with Harry when he's around 15 years old. At the end, Voldemort is torturing Sirius in front of his Death Eaters and doesn't know that Harry is present too. When he is done, Harry approches Sirius and Sirius calles him James. Sirius starts apologizing, thinking it was James, because he couldn't find him but doesn't mention Harry's name. Harry is with him until he's dead and at the end he jumps out of the window.'' [ FOUND The Good Horcrux by asterismal (asterisms) ]

‘‘ Tom and Harry are college students and they're roommates. Harry is a streamer or something (muck like Bj Alex type of streamer) and Tom is kinda his big follower or something but he doesn't know that the one he's obsessing over is his roommate Harry himself. And he accidentally discovered this fact when he walked in on Harry in one of his streams. '' [ FOUND Lord_Voldemort donated 10$ by chaotic_smutty (Anna_Hopkins) ]

'' Harry-goes-back-in-time-to-change/kill-Tom'. Tom has brown eyes in this BUT it looks like red in different angles/lightning. ''

[breaniebree]

You creates same lovable Slytherins. By far, Theo and Greg are the best. You made Greg Greg and not Goyle? Like how???

Anyways, why did you decide to make Theo a little cabbage and Ginny’s BFF?

Additionally, why did you decide to make Greg a little parsnip and so freaking lovable??

Hi, Sam!

Well, it started because I never liked the idea that all Slytherins were evil because they were Slytherins. Peter was a Gryffindor and he still did a terrible thing, betraying his friends and getting them killed… I wanted to show that there are bad people everywhere. It’s part of why I chose Ernie Macmillan to be a villain. Yes, he was a Hufflepuff, but that doesn’t mean he is only good. Keeping that in mind, I thought Draco is fun to reform but I also really love the characterization of Draco of him being an absolute stuck-up ass. He’s not evil or bad, but he’s not really good either, but the love you his parents show him at the end says a lot. So I thought I should pick a Slytherin we don’t know much about.

The moment I started writing Theo, I knew he was gay. It just fit my version of him. Then I thought well his father is a DE and Theo is so sweet… nightmares… then making him have bad dreams made sense to introduce him to Ginny. From there well, Theo and Ginny became friends. I couldn’t stop them.

As to Greg, it all stems back to Tom’s incredible addition to the CofS script where Harry is polyjuiced as Goyle and forgets to take his glasses off. When Draco scoffs, “I didn’t know you could read” I thought why can’t he like to read if he wants to? How come he can’t be a nice guy? So I thought I would put him with Pansy and see what happened.

The last thing I expected was for everyone to fall in love with them. It warms my heart completely!

[ao3feed-romione]

Cursed Child: A Novelisation and Reimagining

Cursed Child: A Novelisation and Reimagining by NathanielStephens

Nineteen years after the events of the Harry Potter series, Harry has grown up and started a family with his wife, Ginny. Their second child, Albus, discovers that he doesn't fit in at Hogwarts and plots with his unlikely friend, Scorpius Malfoy, and a mysterious squib, Delphi Diggory, to have a train-jumping, Polyjuicing, Time-Turning adventure with disastrous consequences.

The following is an alternative retelling of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to amend some of the more... unsavory elements. It follows the same story, scene-by-scene, but with tweaks here and there to make the story more palatable to fans.

Words: 8855, Chapters: 5/75, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Delphi, Minerva McGonagall, Portrait Albus Dumbledore, Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Rose Granger-Weasley, James Potter II, Lily Potter II, Amos Diggory, Cedric Diggory, Paresh Weasley, Severus Snape, Dolores Umbridge

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter

Additional Tags: Fanon, Alternate Canon, Novelization, Alternate Universe - Time Travel

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25164490

[noxtms]

SIX YEARS AGO, as bellatrix lestrange licked her wounds and bided her time until the authorities persuing her thought her out of the country, she came up with the bones of a plan. at her lowest, when the loss of her dark lord threatened the loss of what was left of her, it was only the imagining of the future and what she could DO that kept her alive. she entered into the new world that existed in the aftermath of harry potters sacrifice and lord voldemorts murder entirely desolated. but in time, she grew strong again, and after she saw to rodolphus’ return to her side... she felt as if she were able to put into motion the start of her plan. the start of what she had been CLINGING to, the source of her hope.

it took a long time for things to fall into place. first she focused on recovery, and then she moved to rebuilding : finding an army of her own amongst the ashes left of the dark lords. over the past six years, she turned the british wixen world into a chess board, and she worked tirelessly to place every piece in the place that it needed to be in for her to achieve what she desired. walden macnairs betrayal threatened everything that bellatrix had been working towards this year, and every moment since tom riddle fell : it could not abide, and his murder was a necessary action to ensure that the AZKABAN BREAKOUT to return to her ranks some of her most dangerous and yet most loyal aides would go off as planned on the night of the ministry gala. 

but while i cannot tell you everything that bellatrix lestrange has been working towards, and everything that she has planned : i can tell you that the breakout was not intended to happen, just so that she could have the escapees at her call.

in september of last year, rodolphus lestrange was captured by the ministry of magic. before he could be transported to azkaban prison, his wife intercepted his convoy, and saved him from the fate of the fortress. she did it for him as much as she did it to ensure that what they had been working towards remained on track, because you see, at the beginning of this year, rodolphus lestrange became the first death eater to infiltrate the ministry of magic as the deputy head of the department of mysteries. the disappearance of one talented employee went unnoticed when, the morning after his murder, he returned to work in time for his PROMOTION - rodolphus transfigured, not polyjuiced, to ensure something of a guarantee. over the following months, it was HIS job to scout members of the ministry who could be... easily replaced, come the time.

come now.

the MINISTRY OF MAGIC is crawling with death eaters, once again.

and not one person knows it.

OUT OF CHARACTER :

first things first : this does not negate your ability to play a character who is, as THEMSELVES, both a death eater and a member of the ministry of magic. in fact, the more of those sorts of characters we get, the better - the death eaters work under a huge amount of secrecy which means that the INFILTRATORS won’t know who their likeminded coworkers are, and their likeminded coworkers have no idea that some of the people they’ve maybe known for years are... no longer themselves. 

the INFILTRATORS of the ministry of magic are members of the death eater group who are either known associates who have worked alongside bellatrix lestrange for the past six years ( thorfinn rowle, mulciber jr canonically, with an additional two original characters ) or were broken out of AZKABAN in the recent plot drop ( amycus and alecto carrow, rabastan lestrange, pyrites nott and three original characters ). they are people who are known to the wizarding world as dangerous, and so, it would be imprudent of them to expose themselves publically as themselves. the safest thing for them to do is adopt a new identity, and it just so happens that bellatrix needs that of them. their new roles are their most important to date. unless making their monthly report to her, or unless requested, they can no longer break character : they can no longer be themselves. 

out of character, we will, of course, know exactly who’s who and who’s doing what. in character, these characters will have TWO face claims - one of which is ‘their’ face, and the other of which is the face of the ministry official that they are now impersonating. there’s a NEW APP, LOCATED HERE, to fill out for these characters, and five original character spaces along with the CANON ones. 

as always, if you have ANY questions or comments or concerns, please let me know !

[ao3feed-scorbus]

Cursed Child: A Novelisation and Reimagining

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2CoxPaL

by NathanielStephens

Nineteen years after the events of the Harry Potter series, Harry has grown up and started a family with his wife, Ginny. Their second child, Albus, discovers that he doesn't fit in at Hogwarts and plots with his unlikely friend, Scorpius Malfoy, and a mysterious squib, Delphi Diggory, to have a train-jumping, Polyjuicing, Time-Turning adventure with disastrous consequences.

The following is an alternative retelling of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to amend some of the more... unsavory elements. It follows the same story, scene-by-scene, but with tweaks here and there to make the story more palatable to fans.

Words: 8855, Chapters: 5/75, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Delphi (Harry Potter), Minerva McGonagall, Portrait Albus Dumbledore, Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Rose Granger-Weasley, James Potter II, Lily Potter II, Amos Diggory, Cedric Diggory, Paresh Weasley, Severus Snape, Dolores Umbridge

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter

Additional Tags: Fanon, Alternate Canon, Novelization, Alternate Universe - Time Travel

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2CoxPaL

[karl-jenkins]

HPCC London Cast 4 First Impressions

I saw London cast 4 for the first time on Sunday (26th May 2019) and wanted to put down some thoughts I had while watching. These are just my interpretations and what I took from their performance. Overall, I had such a great time watching them, I have very high hopes for this cast and I can’t wait to see them again and see what else I learn about their interpretations of their characters. While five of the main seven were the same, most of the ensemble had changed which gave the show an entire new feel and along with the changes made, it felt like watching the show for the first time all over again. I only really noted things that had changed and about the new cast members so there’s not much about the remaining cast members even though there were some little tweaks.

Dominic Short as Albus Potter

Dominic’s Albus came across very anxious and insecure, very unsure of himself. He was absolutely exasperated with James. When he got onto the train he very much relied on Rose to lead the way, he had no idea how to approach this new situation and was perfectly happy to follow her lead. The moment that he decided to stay in Scorpius’ carriage was the first time that he was sure of himself, confident in his decision.

He is expressive and excitable when he’s around Scorpius. He uses a lot of hand gestures. He thrives when he’s got a plan. He gets so excited! On the train, he has such a thirst to prove himself and it gave me big Slytherin vibes. After the argument in the library, when detailing his lake task idea, after he said “sparkly surprise” he acted out exploding fireworks. In Godric’s Hollow, you see the pieces fall into place as he watches Lily leave and he is so excited when Scorpius finally understands him. In the Slytherin dormitory, he is so interested to hear everything that happened with Rose. It was just a really nice friendship, that felt very much like two real teenage boys.

He is mostly just anxious and uncomfortable around Harry, not really knowing how to speak to him. It is the scene before the third year Hogwarts when his anger first comes out. When he says he knows he’ll hate Hogsmeade because it will be full of Hogwarts students, he delivers this angrily, glaring at the permission form and crumpling it in his fist as if it’s one of the students he hates so much. The anger reappears in the blanket scene. It starts off with him sat uncomfortably, leaning away from Harry. Not outright aggressive yet but wanting to be pretty much anywhere else. Even before he holds the blanket, he is done with the conversation. During the argument, once his anger comes out, he picks up the blanket and Jamie reaches out wanting to take it back, clearly afraid that he’s going to do something to it in anger.

His friendship with Scorpius is really lovely and has the potential to become more. The hugs that he initiates are very tight squeezes, Albus really just needs his friend in those moments. In their final staircase scene, when Scorpius hugs him, the “What’s this?” is really pleasantly surprised. When Scorpius said about the new version of them he had in his head, they stand, eyes locked and go to hug again but it becomes awkward so Albus blurts out about asking Rose and the moment passes.

Staircase ballet was also extremely heartbreaking. Dom does this thing when Albus is preparing to respond – he sort of fidgets on the spot as if he wants to step forward and opens his mouth as if to say something – and he did a version of this on the stairs too. When they met at the top of the staircase, he was so anxious and unsure about what to do, he just completely froze. When they were on the separate staircases facing each other at the end, Albus was staring into Scorpius’ eyes so sadly. As the stairs stared to roll off, he stepped down onto the next stair and looked like he wanted to say something. There was such desperation and sadness in him in that moment.

He has a lot of feelings that he doesn’t quite know what to do with. He’s so insecure and used to teasing that when he is complimented, he doesn’t know how to react.  He ends up panicking and making jokes as his defence mechanism. Examples of this were:

-        When Scorpius says he’d choose him as a companion for the return of eternal darkness, Albus just does not know how to react to that properly. He panics and blurts out the “no offence” line because he can’t bring himself to think about it more deeply and believe it to be true.

-        When Harry tells him he’s becoming quite some wizard, it’s kind of a huge moment. This is a genuine compliment from his dad, something he’s wanted for a long time and he just doesn’t know how to react now it’s finally happened so turns to joking about pigeon racing.

There was a lot of other things I took from his graveyard scene. When Harry says his childhood was a constant struggle and Albus replies “so was mine”, it’s a joke. The first time he is jokey around Harry. Humour had been so natural with Scorpius but never with Harry until that moment. He’s still not as open or as comfortable as he is with his mum or Scorpius but he’s much more receptive. He’s actually really happy at the possibility that Harry thinks that he’s like him, that maybe he does live up to his expectations after all.

The way he talks about his Slytherin side is a nice moment, he’s finally opening up to Harry about something, letting himself be vulnerable around him. You can tell by the way he said it that ever since he was sorted into Slytherin, he has been fixated on the idea that the Sorting Hat must have seen something ‘bad’ in him. He’s spent all this time examining himself, putting himself down, looking for the things about him that’s bad enough to warrant him being in Slytherin and convinced that Harry is disappointed that he is.

The embrace at the end was very sweet, for me it embodied the stage direction of the two of them ‘melting together’.

I was a big fan of Joe’s emotionally closed off Albus, he reminded me of a younger me. Dom’s Albus reminded me of me now. I am loving seeing these interpretations of Albus that are teaching me about myself as I learn about them. I really enjoyed getting to meet Dom’s Albus and took so much from his performance even after seeing it only once. I’m so excited to see him again and see what else he can teach me over the coming year.

Jonathan Case as Scorpius Malfoy

He changed up the Slytherin dormitory scene. He would previously lie at the end of Albus’ bed and pop up shouting his name. This time he crouched right near Albus’ head the whole time and shouted there. I really liked that change. He was very excitable about being back with Albus, he even did a little dance to celebrate being Scorpius the Dreadless.

Michelle Gayle as Hermione Granger

I really liked her with Tom – Ron and Hermione didn’t even need to speak a lot of the time, they communicated through expressions and gestures. The marriage renewal scene was lovely. She went all giggly and girlish while usually she was very calm and collected.

Her polyjuiced Delphi was spot on – she mimicked Madeleine’s body language and gestures perfectly. While she was watching Albus and Scorpius transform, she had the biggest excited grin on her face. Inside Hermione’s office, she sat down at the desk, every bit Madeleine’s sweet, goofy Delphi pretending to be the minister. Even her walk changed – she swaggered around and looked like Delphi was having the time of her life.

I really enjoyed her Act 2 AU Hermione – the DADA teacher. It was almost like she was one of the kids, bullying Albus along with them. Whenever she joked at his expense, the rest of the class were laughing and exchanging gleeful looks. It was just another way to make Albus feel truly alone in this world. He can’t speak to Harry, he’s being kept away from Scorpius and his Uncle and Aunt that he might otherwise have gone to are unrecognisable.

She stays angry for most of the class, her voice doesn’t crack. It’s only when she jinxes them all out of their seats that she suddenly looks so much younger, vulnerable and sad. She walks off just shaking her head. During the staircase scene, when Ron says he doesn’t mean ‘mine, as in…’ she snaps “I know” quite harshly, cutting him off to stop him from hurting her any further.

In the dark AU, Granger is very slow to trust. It takes a long time for her to lower her wand from Scorpius. It was her that indicated to Ron that his wand was the wrong way, rather than Scorpius. When she finds out she’s Minister for Magic in another world she is surprised but when Ron indignantly says, “She’s Minister for Magic?!” she shrugs as if to say “yes, of course I am”.

One of the things I really enjoyed about her Hermione was that she is absolutely in her element when she’s forming a plan. This is applies to the time turning plan in the dark AU and the plan to use St. Jerome’s in Godric’s Hollow. When she’s planning, she gets a spring in her step and smiles a lot more, you can tell that she loves having a strategy, something to work on and get her teeth into.

Rayxia Ojo as Rose Granger-Weasley

Rayxia’s Rose is a boss. 11 years old and already so sure of who she is, a natural leader. She has a bossy, confident walk and is fondly exasperated by Ron, quite similarly to how Hermione reacts to him. There was slight aggression in her tone when she said “That’s putting it mildly. Your mum and dad are Death Eaters”, I definitely got the impression that she’s heard a lot about Draco Malfoy from her family. Rose is so done when Albus doesn’t know the rumour about Scorpius being the child of Voldemort, has he been living under a rock? She blurted out the Voldemort rumour then had a moment of realisation that that was probably insensitive and span round to try to explain herself. During the next Hogwarts Express scene, she is so excited about the time turner. Proper nerdish excitement, you can definitely tell she’s Hermione’s daughter. She actually seemed quite hurt when Scorpius asked her what did she smell of. After she leaves and goes to sit with James, you see they have a much more natural relationship. They hit each other playfully and tease each other and it’s nice to see. When they are eavesdropping on the staircase when Albus and Scorpius are in McGonagall’s office, she looked so excited to hear the gossip, she thinks the whole thing is quite funny. Until she hears her name, realises they’re talking about a timeline in which she didn’t exist. After that she seems very conflicted and confused. It must be such a shocking thing to hear. I was glad that James and Karl were there to be supportive! James put his hand on her shoulder and Karl turned to put his on her knee. Her Scorpion King line was flirty but then she immediately broke into laughter because she couldn’t even pretend to keep up that act.

Emma-May Uden as Polly Chapman

I loved her. She was the ultimate mean girl; her resting bitch face was on point. Her delivery was so sassy. I especially loved her dark AU scene. She was girlish and flirty while talking about torture and killing. In general, she gave me proper Queen Bee vibes; Polly, Yann, Karl and Craig really did seem like a real group of friends with Polly as their natural leader, but she also spent a lot of time pursuing Yann. Just before the Scorbus staircase scene, Yann and Polly cross the stage and Emma-May and Luke did this hand in hand, Yann had clearly stopped playing hard to get at this point. Also, while I sort of missed the blonde bob, her new wig is gorgeous. Emma-May is every bit the notorious beauty.

Ronnie Lee as Craig Bowker Jr

In the Act 3 dormitory scene, his Craig was confident and in charge. He knew the rules and he was going to enforce them. This boy knows what he’s about. When Professor McGonagall says “Craig, we’ve work to do” he tightened his dressing gown belt with such resolve, ready for action. His death was quite dramatic, he flinched with the force of the spell hitting him which made me flinch too! Then again, being in the restricted view seats, I am quite used to not being able to see his death.

Kathryn Meisle

She did a lot with Petunia that I absolutely loved. In the lighthouse dream, when Hagrid mentioned Hogwarts, she moaned. As the scene continued, she was poised to cover Dudley’s ears. She was so conflicted about Dudley hearing about Hogwarts, it clearly brought back a lot of memories for her. Her Petunia was very emotional whenever she remembered Lily, something I really appreciated when I saw Kate Russell-Smith as Petunia, but it felt like Kathryn took it even further. During the under the stairs dream sequence, when she said that Lily didn’t even have time to scream, her voice cracked. During the Godric’s Hollow graveyard scene, she first looked at the grave when Harry asked why there were so many flowers. She let out a little shocked “oh” and sounded so heartbroken to be seeing her sister’s grave, covered in flowers from so many people. At the end of the day, Lily was her sister and I felt she showed so much sadness and regret and that is something that I love to see in a Petunia.

I also really enjoyed her Umbridge – whenever I reread Order of the Phoenix I end up doing impressions of her saying “hem hem” to draw attention and she did that perfectly! She definitely looked the part of Umbridge. She was brilliant at that false sweetness while really, she is dripping with threat and danger at every moment. When she said Scorpius had been checked for hexes and curses, she looked Scorpius up and down very deliberately. It was very tense, like you were on edge waiting to see what she was going to do. After the dementors take Ron and Hermione and Umbridge finds Snape and Scorpius in the grounds her “hem hem” was so sudden that she actually made me jump.

I reach Scorpius levels of geekiness when Bathilda appears, so I was very excited to see Kathryn do this, even though it’s just one tiny moment. Kathryn as Bathilda was unreasonably cute. She did a sort of whoop of excitement and trotted off stage and it was extremely sweet.

Blythe Duff

Really liked her Trolley Witch, she did a cute little waddle through the train. On top of the train, I loved the way she made use of the spikes. She did a lot of hand gestures and advanced closer to Scorpius and Albus than I’ve seen any Trolley Witch do before. After they jumped from the train, her screams of anger were so extra. She screamed “No! Nooo! Noooooo!” and kept one hand free and grabbing the air the entire time the train was rolling off stage.

I’ve been trying really hard to work out how to explain how I felt about Blythe’s McGonagall. To me, she just encapsulated the spirit of McGonagall. She was sensitive and kind but stern and full of authority. It really did feel like Professor McGonagall had stepped off the pages of the books and straight onto the stage. Her sadness when Harry threw it back in her face about not having children made me want to fight Harry. In the library scene, she is very pleased to have found that little loophole about not being able to see them. This way she doesn’t have to separate two friends, but Harry also can’t blame her, such a result. One cute little moment was that when Ron enters from the kitchens with his napkin, he doesn’t pull it off. As the scene ends, McGonagall is the one to rip it off in exasperation.

Lucy Mangan as Moaning Myrtle

April had left big shoes to fill and Lucy was completely different. She only had to say her first line and I was saying “I love her!” Her Myrtle was very flirty and excited to have boys in her bathroom. She gets quite aggressive when Scorpius called her Moaning Myrtle, she is clearly very fed up of that nickname. She was dramatic to a level that I can only aspire to. Her look at Albus on the “and boys” was very pointed. When she was talking about the weeping after Cedric was taken, she did two separate wails while the taps ran. Then Albus tried to continue speaking and she held out her hand to stop him before doing a third wail.

The way she placed her leg in front of Scorpius was very funny, she got right up in his face. When she went back down into the pipe she giggled and did an excited little wiggle. She was really enjoying getting so many visitors that day. She said “Hello Harry” in a flirtatious, husky voice. Each time she tries to flirt with Harry and fails, she would sigh in annoyance.

From the restricted view seat that I was in, I couldn’t really see her during Lily’s appearances so will have to keep an eye out for those bits next time I see the show.

Madeleine Walker as Delphi

Madeleine’s Delphi is sweet and awkward. She popped round the stairs saying “helloooo!” and she wins you over straight away. She is so enthusiastic and excitable about everything. When she leaves Albus to go back to Amos, she curtseys to Albus. During the blanket argument when Albus says “Shall I bow now, or will a curtsey do?” I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d inspired that.

She’s super sweet and endearing and makes awkward noises that reminded me of Jon’s Scorpius. I’ve said before that if I were to play Delphi, I would try to take on some of the characteristics of Scorpius to win Albus’ trust. I felt like this might have been something that Madeleine was trying to portray too as many of her little gestures and excited or awkward noises really did remind me of Scorpius. I need to remember to ask her at stage door if I see her again whether this was what she was going for – just someone that Albus would trust in general or whether she was mimicking Scorpius specifically. I will also be interested if she changes it up when there’s a cover Scorpius on.

During the expelliarmus scene, she is so goofy and enthusiastic. She only has eyes for Albus, she doesn’t even look at Scorpius, even when she throws his robes at him. Her reaction being told she couldn’t come it incredulous, the way she says “What?” is quite sad. She insists “he’s MY cousin” pleading not to be left out.

When she finds Scorpius on the staircase she is so excited by Hogwarts, she has such an enthusiasm about everything which is infectious.

When she arrives in the owlery, she still seems so sweet, she’s so understanding about destroying the time turner. When Scorpius tries to interrupt her monologue about Euphemia’s augurey, she thrusts out a hand to shut him up and let her continue, once more her eyes on Albus alone. Scorpius is nothing to her but a tool to manipulate Albus. When Scorpius continues to question her motives, she turns towards Albus and acts like Scorpius is mad, indicating to him as if to say, “what’s with him?”

On the Quidditch Pitch, she’s quite physical, but only really with Scorpius. He’s expendable but she needs Albus. She’s great at the manic laughter, she sounds like a fanatic. She got right up close to Scorpius and even kissed him which honestly was such an intense moment, you kind of felt violated along with him. She was really enjoying herself as she ran at Scorpius, liking to watch him so scared of her and how worried that makes Albus; it makes him all the more likely to do her bidding.

In St. Jerome’s she sounds like she doesn’t want to admit that Voldemort is going to lose the Battle of Hogwarts, she hesitates before finishing the sentence. Is this through slight fear of his reaction or because it pains her to admit her father doesn’t always win? She has great facial expressions throughout the battle – we were only 8 rows back but could clearly see the whites of her eyes and she looked quite unhinged. They’ve added an echoey effect for her voice and she now moves around the stage more. This means that she has to be hooked back up before she flies back up which does draw more attention to her wires, though this might become smoother as they get more used to it.

When Harry can’t kill her, she laughs, finding it funny that he can’t even do that. But she is genuinely desperate when she begs him to take her memory. She would genuinely rather lose her mind that have to live without her father. As she is levitated upwards for Voldemort’s arrival she keeps mouthing “father” and looks as if she is fighting to free herself. She is extremely compelling, and I really enjoyed watching her. I can’t wait to see what else she does with Delphi over the coming year.

I also noted a few of the changes and new dynamics that a new cast has brought. One change is wand dance, though it hasn’t changed as much as I expected. The choreography started the same but sort of broke off and there was more focus on crowding around or teasing Albus. At the end, they all step forward to the front of the stage and cast their spells simultaneously. I really liked the changes and felt that they really highlighted Albus’ feelings of inadequacy and isolation from his peers but kept a lot of the fun choreography. Dom’s robes were flying all over the place.

St Oswald’s was definitely the biggest change. It will for sure take me another few watches to work out exactly what was going on! Didn’t quite know where to look because everything about it had changed. I think it may have changed to be the same as Broadway, but I don’t know for sure as I’ve never seen that production. It involves a biscuit palace, a teacup on fire and Karl on work experience.

Other little changes included: Lily’s line changing to comment on the Granger-Weasley’s always being late, switches between the Yann and Karl tracks (which I think may be to match Broadway?), after the green smoke explodes from the potion, the class all lean forwards and cover their heads with their robes instead of leaning backwards in slow motion, during the under stairs dream sequence, all three of the Voldemort hands reappear at once at the end and young Harry has new trousers which look like he’s wet himself. This seemed slightly unnecessary to me, as did the new ‘wet-look’ wigs for the lake which just made it look like Scorpius’ wig in particular had gone a bit wrong.

One of my favourite scenes to watch is always the first task scene because it’s a chance to watch the entire ensemble interacting with each other and it’s always full of fun little touches and dynamics. This is a scene that can differ a lot each time, so it’s definitely a fun scene for the regulars. In cast 3, it was the Slytherin boy swing track that would fight his way through the crowd to reach Craig Bowker Sr but this year, they’ve switched. So, it was Ronnie crawling his way through the crowd. He burst out triumphantly between the Hufflepuffs first and they shoved him back into the crowd and he finally found his way over to the Slytherin boy. They fist bumped and then through the whole scene were basically all over each other which was funny to watch. Lola in the Hufflepuff girl swing track started tearing up and fanning her face when Cedric was announced, and I loved that because honestly, same. I’m a big Cedric fan. It’s now the Ravenclaw girl in Myrtle’s track that swoons, rather than a teacher. All in all, this scene was very fun already but has potential to be even more fun as this cast get more used to it and find new little things to try out.

I left the show with a huge smile on my face and very much looking forward to the year ahead. I am sorry that this isn’t formulated in the most logical way, I did want to go through in chronological order but when I was putting it together, it made more sense to me to do it by character and group scenes that gave me the same thoughts and feelings relating to each actor’s interpretations. Sorry if it doesn’t make sense. If anyone wants clarification on any specific points, please do let me know!

And of course, this is all only based on one show, in their very first week. I’m sure there’s a lot more that I haven’t noticed yet and I’m really looking forward to seeing them more, so I can find new things about their interpretations and watch them grow over the next year. This is my first cast change with this show and I’m feeling very optimistic and excited for a new year which is a great feeling. Honestly, I’m just so happy that I still feel as in love with this show as ever and I can’t wait to keep seeing it for as long as it still makes me feel like that!

[leviosacon]

It’s a late dispatch from the Leviosa Quill tonight! Our magical printing press was infested with Nargles, alas, but a quick consult with Luna has us back in action.

One of the con staples at Leviosa is our fabulous fashion show. Who can resist stepping on stage and strutting their stuff? Certainly not all the amazing cosplayers we’ve seen over the years. We took a moment to catch up with Leviosa’s own Alexandra Black, our elegant mistress of fashion, to Accio a few tips and costume ideas for all those witches and wizards who will be swarming the catwalk in just over a week.

What are you looking forward to most at Leviosa? Seeing everyone having fun. When you have so many HP fans gathering under one roof, you can definitely feel the magic in the air.

What is the most elaborate costume you've seen at a Harry Potter con? This is a difficult question, I've seen many elaborate costumes. However, if I have to pick one, I'd say Madame Longbottom with her gigantic vulture hat.

What is your favorite costume you've seen at a HP con? Irvin's polyjuiced!Slytherin first year girl. It was original, simple, and it certainly made me laugh. It was a reminder that it's not what you wear, but how you wear it.

What is the best costuming trick you've learned or advice you've received? Don't let mishaps bother you. Make up a story to go with it, eg if you misplaced/forgot a shoe, then the nargles stole them.

What HP costume haven't you seen that you really wish someone would do? Pre-Voldemort Tom Riddle.

How do you celebrate Potter in your everyday life? I am ashamed to say that I haven't done so properly for the last couple of years. I wear Slytherin scarf in the winter, I do try to read at least one chapter of fanfic a week, and I still make HP references whenever I ponder a situation, but other than that, I'm afraid I've been living in the muggle world.

Thanks, Alexandra! Stay tuned tomorrow for a look at some wizards and witches who are all about the spontaneity of Harry Potter improv!

[ao3feed-snape]

Cursed Child: A Novelisation and Reimagining

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2CoxPaL

by NathanielStephens

Nineteen years after the events of the Harry Potter series, Harry has grown up and started a family with his wife, Ginny. Their second child, Albus, discovers that he doesn't fit in at Hogwarts and plots with his unlikely friend, Scorpius Malfoy, and a mysterious squib, Delphi Diggory, to have a train-jumping, Polyjuicing, Time-Turning adventure with disastrous consequences.

The following is an alternative retelling of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to amend some of the more... unsavory elements. It follows the same story, scene-by-scene, but with tweaks here and there to make the story more palatable to fans.

Words: 8855, Chapters: 5/75, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Albus Severus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Delphi (Harry Potter), Minerva McGonagall, Portrait Albus Dumbledore, Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Rose Granger-Weasley, James Potter II, Lily Potter II, Amos Diggory, Cedric Diggory, Paresh Weasley, Severus Snape, Dolores Umbridge

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter

Additional Tags: Fanon, Alternate Canon, Novelization, Alternate Universe - Time Travel

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2CoxPaL

[beatrice-otter]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child not!fic from someone who hasn't read or seen it

I was reading @lullabyknell’s Harry Potter notfic/meta collection (and wishing someone would actually really WRITE some of these ideas, or expand what she's got, because some of them deserve EPIC fic treatments), and came across this bit of meta on Delphi from the Cursed Child. Fair warning, my knowledge of Cursed Child is entirely fandom osmosis and not much of that. (Let's be real. 95.5% of my HP knowledge comes from fandom osmosis--I've never read the books and I know I saw some of the movies in the theater but can't remember which ones, I'm really only in it for the fanfic.) Anyway! @lullabyknell was reacting to an apparent trend in CC fanfic to make Delphi not actually Voldemort's kid, because someone polyjuiced into him to have sex with Bellatrix, and whoever that was is really Delphi's father. Delphi notes that:

if Delphi was conceived after Bellatrix’s breakout from Azkaban and born before the Battle of Hogwarts, then that means the biological component from Voldemort would have been from his second body. The resurrected-in-the-graveyard one that we only know to be made of a) MAGIC, b) Tom Riddle Senior, b) Peter Pettigrew, and c) Harry Potter. So is Delphi even biologically the original Tom Riddle Junior’s kid? Wasn’t that body destroyed?

Zie then goes on to speculate as to what would happen if, somewhere along the line, Harry and co. figured this out and realized that she was biologically his daughter?

My thoughts turned in a different direction.

The bones of that resurrection potion of Voldemort's came from his despised Muggle father.  And blood is made in bones, so while Harry's blood was a necessary part of the potion and no doubt provided a symbolic link, Voldemort's actual blood, once he'd been alive again for a while, all came from his bones ... which came from his father.  He is no longer a halfblood; on a biological level, he is now a muggle-born.  He has no blood connection with the Gaunts, and hence Salazar Slytherin, any longer.  (If he had realized the implications, he would have found a different way.)  There are some parts of him that come from Pettigrew, but they were mostly fuel and scaffolding.  The genetic bits came from Tom Riddle, Sr.

So he and Bellatrix have a kid.  Except that what neither of them realize is that, biologically, Bellatrix

and Tom Riddle Sr

have a kid.  (Really, Voldemort should consider himself fortunate that dear Bella never figured it out.  There is not much that could break Bella's loyalty to him, but

causing her to bear a half-blood bastard

would do it.)

But this is Bella and Voldie, here.  Not really parent-of-the-year material, and anyway, while Voldemort wanted an heir to show off, he doesn't care about them until they get old enough to get molded into what he wants.  Bella, meanwhile, even if she

wanted

to be a mother to the kid, is in a bit of a delicate spot with her husband, who is slightly less devoted to Voldie than she is.  So the kid gets dumped with a house elf for a nanny, while Bella and Voldemort are off fighting.  There'll be plenty of time later, right, once they've killed all those dirty mudbloods and blood traitors.

So, in the aftermath of the battle, there's a lot of mopping up to do--death eaters to chase down, DE strongholds to clear out, people to put on trial, etc.  The Trio pitch in, but Shacklebolt gives them the assignments least likely to lead to violence.  (He knows they can fight.  But he also knows they're kids and, now that the prophecy is over, they shouldn't have to.)  So that's how they're the ones clearing a DE safehouse when they come across a toddler and a house elf.

The house elf knows its master and mistress are dead, and its loyalties are free.  The house elf isn't a Black elf, so he has no loyalty to Bella that isn't compelled by its binding to her, and Voldemort's never had a house to have house elves for.  The elf's true masters were killed by Death Eaters, so he is perfectly willing--ecstatic, even!--to hand over his charge to Harry Potter, thank him for freeing him, and go off to see if he can find any relatives of his true masters.  Before he goes, he tells them everything he knows.

Harry and Ron, hearing that this kid's parents are Bellatrix Black and Voldemort himself, get grossed out.  Hermione, who knows a bit more about genetics and inheritance than the boys, gets a weird look on her face and starts doing tests.  (She has quite a strong interest in genetics and inheritance.  She has a whole lovely lecture pointing out just how WRONG and STUPID the whole pureblood notion of inheritance and blood purity is, to be used in response to a slur about mudbloods, which she's never gotten to actually use because what's the point in lecturing someone who won't understand how WRONG they are even after you tell them?)

The thing she's most worried about is that the baby might be Harry's, genetically.  That possibility would be the hardest to deal with, because of the personal implications.  But it is quickly ruled out.

A Pettigrew connection might be the best-case scenario, and it's easy to find his body, get a sample, and compare it.  That, too, is ruled out.

Hermione and Ron go back to the graveyard where Cedric was murdered without Harry.  Someone needs to watch little Delly, after all.  They get what they need.  It's a match.  Delly is, biologically, the daughter of the muggle Tom Rilddle, Sr, and thus the half-sister of Voldemort.

It's almost a good thing there are so many war orphans; Delly Riddle is very easy to slip in among them.  The story they give is completely true.  It's just missing a few details.  Delly Riddle, they say, is a muggleborn whose parents were killed by Death Eaters.  Delly Riddle, they say, was found by a witch and given over to a house elf to raise and keep safe.  That witch, they say, died in the war.  Delly Riddle, they say, has no living muggle relatives, so now she needs a new wizarding foster or adoptive family.

No eyebrows are raised.  It's a believable story, and more than they know about a couple of other very young war orphans.

(The irony is, a few years later, that one of those other war orphans with a mysterious past gets fingered as a possible Heir of Voldemort.  Nobody quite knows how the rumor starts, but once it does, people get hysterical.  The Trio watch with helpless fury, seeing what it does to that poor kid.  They do their best to dispel the rumors, frustrated that they can't prove how they know.  After all, they can't say "We know Melody Legato isn't Voldemort's kid because Delly Riddle is.")

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[karl-jenkins]

Things I love about: Tom Peters as Harry Potter

One of my favourite things is seeing understudies perform. There’s nothing I love more than seeing new, unique interpretations of characters I know and love and seeing what new things I may learn about them in the process. I wanted to put into words some of the things I’ve loved most about cast 3’s first cover Harry, Tom Peters.

-        He is so different to Jamie Ballard. His Harry is much more emotionally reserved, all of his trauma has been internalised. He is stoic, practical, purposeful, always on the move, always doing. I’ve affectionately nicknamed him “Power Stance Potter” due to the way he flicks back his robes and stands, hands on hips, ready for action.

-         On platform 9 ¾, he doesn’t quite know how to show his affection, the goodbye with Albus is awkward, showing right from the word go that there is a distance between them that doesn’t exist between Harry with James or Lily. I’ve seen them end up awkwardly waving to each other or settling on a handshake because a hug is a bridge too far.

-         Despite being much more reserved, he still has a goofy side which becomes much more apparent around Ron and Hermione. After tidying the papers on his desk, he throws his wand in the air and catches it, showboating. He seems so much comfortable and natural around them which is yet another contrast to him with Albus.

-         In the blanket scene he is so sincere and earnest that it almost hurts. He’s genuinely trying to reach out to his son. Being more reserved, moments of strong emotion pack a real punch. The line about wishing Albus weren’t his son bursts out of him, sudden and intense, like a dam bursting and it made me flinch every single time I saw it.

-         He is my favourite polyjuiced Scorpius that I have seen. Power Stance Potter is gone and replaced by a giddy, awkward Scorpius. He stands awkwardly, knees turned in, his arms flail, he is full of pure, geeky delight when he sees all the books on the shelves. He is funny and endearing and I absolutely adored him.

-         During the scene with polyjuiced Albus blocking Hermione’s office, Tom’s Harry watches on in complete bewilderment. He is stood stock still, unusual for a Harry who is usually always on the move and when he leaves the stage, he moves so slowly, eyes fixed on Ron as if he’s seen him in an entire new light and can’t quite believe what he’s just witnessed.

-         In the hospital wing, he is once again so sincere, genuinely trying to understand why Albus ran away. He still has his funny moments – when giving Albus the chocolate, he immediately snatches it back to help himself – but the focus of the scene is his need to understand. When Harry becomes fixated on Scorpius as the dark cloud you can see his desperation; blaming Scorpius gives him something tangible, something he can try to ‘fix’, so he latches onto that idea. Tom’s Harry is all about doing and he needs something practical that he can change or work on to try and fix their relationship.

-         The duel is hilarious, Tom’s Harry really enjoys himself. He loves finally having an excuse to jinx Draco. He brandishes his wand so dramatically and I love that touch of flair when he’s usually so reserved; this is Harry in his element. When he runs to throw the chair at Draco, he abandons magical means entirely and puts his wand between his teeth to free up his hands. Seeing him freeze on the spot, wand between his teeth as Ginny catches them duelling is such a funny moment.

-         The scene in Harry’s office with Dumbledore’s portrait is another scene with a huge emotional impact. When he yells “Years!” at Dumbledore, he hits the table, hard. It made me flinch every time to see that sudden burst of anger, to see the usually stoic Harry suddenly lose control of his emotions. Then, telling Dumbledore that he loved him too is a beautiful moment of vulnerability.

-         My favourite scene of Tom’s is without a doubt the ruined blanket/something written scene. It’s nothing short of exceptional. The pain in his voice when he asks, “how many people have to die for the boy who lived?” is quiet but raw and intense, the internalised trauma resurfacing. When he realises the blanket is ruined, he is so distraught that he can’t even bring himself to look at it. Once they realise that Albus has left them a message, his despair becomes pure unadulterated glee. Finally, there is something he can do. His energy in that scene is so infectious and fills you with excitement, you can’t wait to go on this next adventure with him.

-         The graveyard scene at the end is always a favourite, even though I am also sad that it’s nearly over. I sound like a broken record at this point, but Tom’s Harry is just so sincere and earnest in his approach to Albus. He’s trying so hard and it clearly means so much to him that their relationship improves. Seeing him open up to Albus and show his vulnerability, like he does with Ginny, Ron and Hermione is such a beautiful thing. His Harry goes on such a journey, by the end of the play he has learned and grown so much and that leaves me feeling so full of hope.

-         His Harry still doesn’t quite know how to be affectionate. He seems hesitant, like he doesn’t want to overstep and ruin the progress they have made. This leaves Albus free to lead the way and watching Albus initiate their hug cuts such a contrast to their awkward wave or handshake on Platform 9 ¾ at the start of the play. It feels like the story has come full circle and it is truly so satisfying, poignant and hopeful.

I am so grateful to have seen him play Harry four times and to have been there to support him for his last scheduled show as Harry. That show was so special, and I will treasure my memories of that day forever. (Though if the amount I cried that day is anything to go by, I am so not ready for cast change!)