Spoiler Alert! Details of plot examined within!
" Harry Potter and The Cursed Child" came out on Sunday, July 31. Like millions of people around the world, I had pre-ordered a copy of the script and planned to read the whole thing the night it came out. By 3 a.m. on August 1, I had accomplished just that. With this multi-hour read came many hours of speculation and thinking about just how this new script changed the wizarding world we have known for many years. So with that, here are seven ways the script has changed Harry Potter's world:
Voldemort had a child
While it came as a shocking turn of events to learn who Voldemort's child was, it was also alluded to from nearly the beginning of the play. Once Delphi revealed her true parentage, the script changed from a story of two boys trying to right a wrong from the past, into a struggle to avoid the return of Voldemort Day. (Which I can't imagine worked out too well anyways.)
The most shocking part of this revelation, however, is the mere fact that Voldemort had a child. In the books he is described as unable to love and feel for another human being. While the intercourse necessary may have been done out of lust rather than love it makes questions about Voldemort that were thought to be closed reopened.
Harry's parenting skills
We mostly only got to see Harry as a teenager going through his time at Hogwarts. Our glimpse into his future 19 years later for the most part gave the reader some closure into how his character stayed in the next part of his life. The script then mostly changes this through his interactions with Albus. Harry makes Albus understand that even if he is in Slytherin he will still be loved and they would stay proud of him. Through his actions and words after the fact, we learn this was mostly false. While Harry may be proud of his son, he still feels anger and disappointment that his son is in Slytherin.
This ultimately leads to their fight in which Harry says he sometimes wishes Albus weren't his son. While Harry has always been a bit rash with his words, as an audience we had hoped he would have grown to be better with this, especially with his son. This is even more difficult for Albus considering the hardships he is facing at school and from being Harry's son.
Wizard nursing home
In the script we learn of the wizarding nursing home. Here we find Amos Diggory confined to a wheelchair despite being half the age of many other wizards we have encountered throughout the series. This is an odd new piece of information considering the healing powers we have previously seen. We have seen bones be regrown and curses slowed down immensel,y which brings up the question of what could have put Amos into a wheel chair the way it did.
Cedric became evil?
In the alternate realities experienced in this script, we learn that after being humiliated in the Triwizard Tournament, Cedric Diggory turned into a Death Eater. This turn of events led to Voldemort winning the battle of Hogwarts and leading to Harry Potter's death. Cedric was the one responsible for killing Neville Longbottom which meant he was unable to kill Nagini, the last horcrux. This led to Harry entering a duel with Voldemort that he had no chance of winning.
Hermione and Ron were destined for each other
Hermione and Ron are still happily married in "The Cursed Child." However, we find out in the alternate universes they weren't always married. In one of these universes, due to Hermione finding Albus and Scorpius rude while they were posing as Durmstrang students, she never accepted Krum's invitation to the Yule Ball and instead went with Ron. While this sounds like it would work more in their favor, without Ron's jealousy they were unable to make it work. This did not mean they lost feelings for each other though. We learn that Ron married elsewhere and had a child with Padma Patil. When it came back down to it we learned they still had feelings for each other.
In the alternate universe where Voldemort Day is a thing, we learn that Ron and Hermione are both outlaws, which kept them from ever being able to have a relationship. When Hermione decides to sacrifice herself for Scorpius, Ron decides to stay with her, and they both face the dementor's kiss together.
Hermione is Minister of Magic
Hermione Granger became the most powerful witch in the Ministry of Magic. While it is no surprise that she could rise this high, it was a surprise to learn that she did. In the Deathly Hallows we see that she doesn't have a very high opinion of the Ministry. Many assumed she was going to take her stance on S.P.E.W. further. We have no way of knowing for sure what she accomplished in regards to this before her time as Minister began, which only leaves us with questions towards her future goals for house elf rights.
Time Travel
Much of the plot of "Cursed Child" surrounds time travel. The Ministry confiscates a time turner with the ability to travel back years instead of hours. The last we had heard of time turners they had all been destroyed so the possibility that there may be more out in the world begs the question of what else has been changed and what else could be changed.
In a move oddly convenient for the plot, Draco Malfoy has a similar time turner in his family with the ability to go back years. This leads to the dramatic fight with Delphi and emotional journey of Harry having to watch his own parents be killed. Hopefully if anymore time turners turn up, Hermione will know better then to hide them inside her bookcase again.
While this book may not be exactly canon, despite what J.K. Rowling says, the script still made for an interesting read. Some fans want to forget about this book while others like the changes it brought about. Either way it is here to stay and will have a lasting effect on the Wizarding World.
