-SCRIPT-

Night Conversation

Characters Involved:

ALBUS POTTER

JENNA MCLAGGEN

ALBUS awakes in his dormitory and sits up, looking
around. With a sigh, he climbs out of bed and puts on a dressing gown. Making
his way to the door and opening it, he looks down the passage to his left and
sees the flickering of the fire in the common room. ALBUS then walks down the
passage to enter the common room, and upon entering sees JENNA sat in front of
the fire. He goes and sits down beside her and begins a conversation awkwardly.

ALBUS: Er – Good evening.

JENNA: You mean morning

ALBUS: What time is it?

JENNA checks her watch

JENNA: Two a.m.

Pause

ALBUS: So…why are you up?

JENNA: A cat woke me.

ALBUS: How? (slight laugh)

JENNAL (smiling) It batted my
face with its paw.

ALBUS and JENNA laugh slightly, the ALBUS speaks again.

JENNA: Why’re you up?

ALBUS: Don’t know really.

JENNA: (looks around) It’s a
nice room.

ALBUS: Yeah.

JENNA: I wanted to see it
earlier but I don’t like being surrounded by people I don’t know.

ALBUS: You were fine on the
train.

JENNA: (looks at him) I don’t
like being surrounded by Slytherins I
don’t know.

ALBUS: I thought you loved
them.

JENNA: Loved them?

ALBUS: You were all for
Slytherin. You told your brother you were pleased.

JENNA: (sighs) I know.

ALBUS: Well were you lying,
then?

JENNA: I don’t know…now that
I’m here and I’m thinking about it…I just don’t know.

ALBUS: So what about all that
stuff you were saying about inter-house peace and all that? About Slytherin
being a noble house?

JENNA: I suppose I was trying
to make myself feel good. Because I knew it was coming, really. But I didn’t
want to be a Slytherin…I don’t want
to be a Slytherin.

ALBUS: Neither do I (darkly)

JENNA: I mean…I don’t want to
think I’m sly, or malicious, or spiteful…

ALBUS: Jenna, I know I’ve
only just met you, but I can tell you’re none of those things.

JENNA: Then why am I in
Slytherin?

ALBUS: Look, Jenna, I don’t
think I’m those things either. Neither of us are like that.

JENNA: Did the sorting hat
get it wrong, then?

ALBUS: You’re forgetting the
other qualities of a Slytherin; Ambition, Resourcefulness. They’re not bad.

JENNA: I can’t call myself
either of those things.

ALBUS: Oh come on, Jenna.
Stop putting yourself and Slytherin down. If you mope around, nothing will get
better. Think about what you said to me earlier. You may me feel better about
Slytherin, and ashamed for putting down the house. Slytherin isn’t bad. Not
unless we think of it that way, not unless we become that stereotype. Now think
about those things and see sense.

Pause. Then JENNA looks up at him and smiles.

JENNA: Albus, do you realise
what you’re doing?

ALBUS: What?

JENNA: You’re defending
Slytherin.

ALBUS opens his mouth and pauses. JENNA laughs and continues as he does
so.

JENNA: There’s me ‘moping’
about and then you step in with such impressive speech that proves you’re all
about the stereotype as well. I knew it would work.

ALBUS: How – wait – what?

JENNA: Let’s just say I may have
tricked you slightly. Possibly unintentionally.

ALBUS: Hang on, what did I
just do?

JENNA: (laughs) Oh, I’m
sorry, Albus, I really didn’t mean to.

ALBUS: You tricked me?

JENNA: Well, sort of.

ALBUS pauses, then looks at her.

ALBUS: You – you…

JENNA: Just made you admit
Slytherin’s your house. Unintentionally.

ALBUS: Unintentionally?

JENNA: I would say that, yes.

ALBUS: So…you still feel the
same way as you felt before.

JENNA: (Smiles) Not really.
Your speech did the trick.

ALBUS: I didn’t really know I
had that in me. (turns to Jenna) Thanks.

JENNA: (laughs slightly) For
what?

ALBUS: Showing me Slytherin’s
not the ‘evil’ house and proving that I belong in it.

JENNA: It’s not something I
get up to every day, but thank you. For the apology as well.

ALBUS: Apology?

JENNA: I’ll take it as an
apology.

ALBUS opens his mouth, then shuts it. There’s a slight pause, then he
speaks again.

ALBUS: Who would you say is
your greatest role model in life?

JENNA: Where did that come
from.

ALBUS: Just thinking. Anyway,
who’s your role model?

JENNA: Before I would have
said Hermione Granger. But now…well, it’s going to be a bit difficult.

ALBUS: I’m in the same boat.
I tried to follow my Dad but…well, I suppose it hasn’t really worked.

JENNA: Let’s just be
ourselves, Albus. I think we share the fault of trying to change ourselves to
much. Let’s enjoy Hogwarts.

ALBUS: Sounds like a plan.

There is a pause, then JENNA looks at ALBUS warily and speaks.

JENNA: What about Scorpius,
though?

ALBUS: Don’t talk to me about
Scorpius.

JENNA: (laughs slightly) Why
do you hate him so much?

ALBUS: It’d take me a long
time to explain.

JENNA: I’ll just have to keep
you away from him then. You seem to turn very unpleasant when you’re near him.

ALBUS: Do I?

JENNA: Yes. Definitely.

ALBUS: It’ll be hard, with us
in the same house.

JENNA: Hmmm, it can be
avoided.

ALBUS: (looks at her) I
thought you liked him.

JENNA: I like you and Rose
more.

ALBUS: (grins) You gonna be
part of the gang then?

JENNA: What gang?

ALBUS: I thought we’d make
one. Me, you, Rose, Lor, Ly.

JENNA: (grins) Sounds like
fun

ALBUS: We’ll need a name
though. Any suggestions?

JENNA: The famous five?

ALBUS: Something less…I dunno
– retro?

JENNA: (laughs) You know, I
always loved those stories of the Marauders.

ALBUS: What, you mean my
Grandad and that?

JENNA: Yeah. I wish we had a
map like they did.

ALBUS: Well actually, we
kinda do. Rose got this map for her birthday that’s like a copy of it but
stylized for her. Her Mum made it. She can even change the names on it by just
writing, and add a password.

JENNA: God, that sounds
awesome! D’you think we could make it like a gang map? Be the next Marauders.

ALBUS: We have a plan.

JENNA: We certinaly do. We
just have to get the others to agree.

ALBUS: They’ll love it. I’ll
ask Rose in the morning.

JENNA: You mean later.
(grins) I’ll remind you that it’s past two.

ALBUS: God. We’d better get
some sleep.

JENNA: Agreed. (stands up)
See you in the morning, Albus.

ALBUS: (grins, standing up)
You mean later, Jen.

JENNA grins and walks to the corridor where the girl’s
dormitories are. ALBUS turns, looks into the fire for a pause, smiles, and then
heads for his own. The scene closes.