Which is covered in thick white steam pouring from the
HOGWARTS EXPRESS.
And which is also busy — but instead of people in sharp
suits going about their day — it’s now wizards and
witches in robes mostly trying to work out how to say
good-bye to their beloved progeny.
ALBUS: This is it.
LILY: Wow!
ALBUS: Platform nine and three-quarters.
LILY: Where are they? Are they here? Maybe they didn’t
come?
HARRY points out RON, HERMIONE, and their daughter,
ROSE. LILY runs hard up to them.
Uncle Ron. Uncle Ron!!!
RON turns towards them as LILY goes barreling up to
him. He picks her up into his arms.
RON: If it isn’t my favorite Potter.
LILY: Have you got my trick?
RON: Are you aware of the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes–
certified nose-stealing breath?
ROSE: Mum! Dad’s doing that lame thing again.
HERMIONE: You say lame, he says glorious, I say —
somewhere in between.
RON: Hang on. Let me just munch this . . . air. And now it’s
just a simple matter of . . . Excuse me if I smell
slightly of garlic . . .
He breathes on her face. LILY giggles.
LILY: You smell of porridge.
RON: Bing. Bang. Boing. Young lady, get ready to not being
able to smell at all . . .
He lifts her nose of .
LILY: Where’s my nose?
RON: Ta-da!
His hand is empty. It’s a lame trick. Everyone
enjoys its lameness.
LILY: You are silly.
ALBUS: Everyone’s staring at us again.
RON: Because of me! I’m extremely famous. My nose
experiments are legendary!
HERMIONE: They’re certainly something.
HARRY: 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 give 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.L.s.
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.