MINISTRY OF MAGIC, ATRIUM, ELEVATOR LOBBY

The stage is invaded from all sides. The narrow hall is congested, full of people trying to go somewhere. PERCIVAL walks quickly along a bay of wrought golden grilles that conceal many elevators. The grilles clatter and jangle as they slide back and forth, shutting with a crash. With them, a COOL FEMALE VOICE repeats a phrase gently to those who enter.

COOL FEMALE VOICE: Mind your step. The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day.

PERCIVAL repeatedly attempts to skirt his way to the front as he tries to take one of the lifts.

PERCIVAL: Move aside. Make way! I'm the Minister of Magic for heaven's sake.

COOL FEMALE VOICE: Mind your step.

A flock of pale violet paper airplanes come soaring over PERCIVAL before entering an available elevator, one of these inter-departmental memos crashes into the back of his head. Forced to wait for an available lift, PERCIVAL opens a newspaper irritably.

COOL FEMALE VOICE: The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day.

Suddenly everything is a riot of noise as a crowd consumes HARRY, who enters through a set of golden gates. They have followed him. DELPHI is trying to stave them off — unsuccessfully — while HARRY seeks to reach PERCIVAL before he can flee the chaos.

DELPHI (to a member of the crowd): Yes, madam, I definitely think this is a matter for the Ministry to ponder at length, yes. (to another) Thank you, sir. We shall investigate. (to yet another) We have no firm information on who was responsible for...

UNKNOWN WITCH 01 breaks free from the group and sidelines HARRY. REPORTER 01 follows her lead.

UNKNOWN WITCH 01 (ardently): Now that we know the full truth of what you did to save us all, may I say — on behalf of wizarding kind how grateful we are for your heroism.

HARRY (stepping past her): I appreciate the sentiment.

UNKNOWN WITCH 01: What the Minister said...well, you set my mind at ease.

REPORTER 01: Who is to be believed? Harry Potter or the Minister of Magic?

HARRY sees REPORTER 01 and chooses not to respond.

UNKNOWN WITCH 01 (eagerly): Why not one and the same?

REPORTER 01 (his interest piqued): Harry as Minister? Are you leading a coup d'etat, Potter?

HARRY (looking aghast, he can't let this go unanswered): There is no such thing taking place. Do not print a word.

REPORTER 01: The public will want to know the truth. If the Minister is certain that Voldemort is back, who should they believe? Was he lying? Someone is lying.

HARRY rubs the back of his left hand, his gaze locked on PERCIVAL.

HARRY: The minister is...not as informed on this matter as I am.

REPORTER 01: Harry, we need more from you...

HARRY: Right now, I need to speak with the Minister in private. (he turns back) I promise I'll give you time soon. But this nonsense... He's just rattling cages. Trust me on this one, okay?

REPORTER 01 (hesitating, he puts away his quill and notebook): Of course, Harry. We do trust you.

HARRY: Splendid.

REPORTER 01: That doesn't mean we aren't going to print.

HARRY: I'd expect no less.

RON and HERMIONE enter as HARRY pursues PERCIVAL across the stage, DELPHI at his side. An elevator door opens. PERCIVAL moves toward it. HARRY fires his wand at the door. The golden grilles rattle in place but fail to close. HARRY looks at his wand, unsure why it hasn't worked.

DELPHI: Should I?

HARRY (disconsolate): By all means.

DELPHI aims her wand at the door with a stylistic flourish. The door swings closed. PERCIVAL frowns — perturbed — and returns to his newspaper. HARRY prepares to confront him when he is curtailed again, this time by HERMIONE. RON stands by, watching the paper airplanes and appearing inconvenienced.

HERMIONE: Harry, that must have been difficult for you back there. But telling them about the Horcruxes was the right thing to do. The necessary thing. And Percy — we must talk some sense into him. He nearly started a riot!

HARRY: I'm aware, Hermione.

HERMIONE (cautiously): I know you have a lot on your mind, but there is still something urgent Ron and I need to —

HARRY: It'll have to wait.

HARRY pushes onward toward PERCIVAL who is hurriedly flipping through the newspaper.

PERCIVAL (his head down): Ethel! Ethel... (he turns to find HARRY) You're not Ethel. (beat) I don't appreciate you not backing me up on this one, Harry. Where's Ethel...?

HARRY: Better question... Where's Voldemort?

PERCIVAL: Please don't name him. There was once a time when we had decorum in this building. And loyalty.

HARRY can hear the accusation in his voice.

I endorsed your promotion to head up my department because I believed—

HARRY: It's not your department, Percy.

PERCIVAL: I see you're upset, Potter. But I will not be Cornelius Fudge on this one. I will not stick my head in the sand. As Minister for Magic, it's my responsibility and right —

HARRY (gesturing to REPORTER 01): Why are reporters already hounding me? They were barred from the meeting, I made sure of it.

PERCIVAL: I persuaded them to put out an emergency edition of the Daily Prophet. If some part of You-Know-Who survived, in whatever form, we need to be prepared. All of us.

HARRY (getting angry): No part of Voldemort survived!

PERCIVAL (stung by hearing the name): I already heard the explanation of Horcruxes. Your information was useful but the confirmation... I was shocked to learn it. More so, that you kept such a thing a secret from me.

The nearest grille opens. PERCIVAL moves to enter the elevator. HARRY runs to block PERCIVAL before he enters through the door. HARRY blocks him once, and then blocks him again, outflanking PERCIVAL to do so. The doors close. PERCIVAL sighs.

HARRY: I wasn't keeping anything a secret from you, Percy. Dumbledore never gave me permission to tell anyone. The entire mission was a secret. And there are still some aspects I'm keeping to myself.

PERCIVAL: Well, that would explain why he is back, now wouldn't it? You're not all-powerful, Harry. Trust others to help you once a while.

HARRY: The fact of the matter is, you are making up a story to generate publicity, once again. Only this story will frighten millions. And that is something I cannot support.

PERCIVAL: Support it. Do not. It doesn't matter. You-Know-Who is back.

HARRY: You are about to send the entire wizarding world running for the hills. And how did you even find out about the Horcruxes?

PERCIVAL makes for the door, HARRY blocks him again. PERCIVAL tries to dodge past him. He tries to get into the elevator one final time, HARRY blocks him with an outstretched arm. It develops into quite a struggle. PERCIVAL's guardsmen look ready to remove HARRY by force, DELPHI sidles up to HARRY. Both men back off. PERCY adjusts his clothes, assuming they are making a scene. No one really cares, as they all have somewhere else to be.

HARRY: How did you find out, Percy?

PERCIVAL: I'm the Minister of Magic, Harry. That honor makes me the beneficiary of the privileges this office affords. Which means that I am fully aware of the information you provided to Kingsley Shacklebolt when he was acting Minister following the war. He requested that you submit a formal explanation following the destruction of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

HARRY: That document was sealed and confidential.

PERCIVAL: Yes, well...I unsealed it. When a source came forward, brave enough to confess what he had seen, I found it necessary to understand why and how you had failed.

HARRY (scoffing): Who is this source you claim to have?

PERCIVAL: Protecting the anonymity of a source is vital to the....

HARRY: I know you can't be talking about the photograph that was circulating years ago. That was a costume, and it was probably George. (beat) And if not, it certainly wasn't Voldemort!

PERCIVAL: How can you know for sure?

HARRY: I killed him! I was present, as were you. And there are other reasons, personal reasons, why I know... (HARRY loses his balance as a passing wizard bumps into him) for a fact... that Voldemort will never return.

Harry touches his scar nervously.

PERCIVAL: Do you honestly think I would risk my considerable reputation by making public claims based on an unsavory photograph? You insult me. Naturally, I have conclusive evidence — an eyewitness.

HARRY: Yes, and who is that?

PERCIVAL: A Muggle-born wizard. Hogwarts graduate. Named Finch-Fletchley.

HARRY (dismissively): Justin Finch-Fletchley? One of the students who was petrified by the stare of the Basilisk when the Chamber of Secrets was opened?

PERCIVAL: The same. He brought this to the attention of my wife. Penelope has befriended him in recent years, as she has done with all those still afflicted by the memories of their petrification.

HARRY: Afflicted? That's a gentle way of putting it. He's gone completely mad. No wonder he sees Voldemort. He probably sees Godric Gryffindor as well. How can you give credence to a personal account from that man? Last I heard, Finch-Fletchley is still haunted by the ruddy Basilisk. Spends his days surrounded by ghosts, just in case he needs to duck for cover. That — is your witness. I have heard it all...

PERCIVAL: He is, and this is quite the pickle. Your doubt alarms me, Potter. It's clouding your judgment.

PERCIVAL walks a few paces and then turns. He looks at HARRY rather more blankly.

Harry. I like you. You've always shown such promise. But you know what they say about pride coming before the fall...

HARRY (sarcastically): No, I'm not familiar with that one.

PERCIVAL: Please, conceit doesn't look good on you. Let's not pretend that you're having a good year. I'm still waiting for news on the whereabouts of the escaped convict from Azkaban.

HARRY (beat, this is a sensitive topic): I've torn down most of London.

PERCIVAL: He must be hiding somewhere.

HARRY: I don't know what else you expect me to do.

PERCIVAL: More. Clearly. Pariah Prince is rumored to be the leader of the Tempest. He is the most wanted rebel in the wizarding world. We need to see some arrests. Otherwise, I'll lose what limited popularity I already have. And now that You-Know-Who has returned —

HARRY: He hasn't!

PERCIVAL: Face it, Harry. You failed. There was at least one more Horcrux that went undestroyed.

HARRY frowns as he tries to digest this. Through the crowd comes ETHEL, and PERCIVAL is delighted to see her.

Ethel! There you are. Cancel the goblins.

ETHEL nods and turns back around. She scurries through the crowd and exits. PERCIVAL folds his newspaper and slaps it against HARRY's chest. HARRY takes it.

COOL FEMALE VOICE: Mind your step.

PERCIVAL: I'm through discussing it. Your mess, your mop. Best get to cleaning.

HARRY says nothing. A set of golden grilles open behind PERCIVAL. He is visibly tickled to enter the elevator unimpeded. PERCIVAL adjusts his cravat and makes hard away.

COOL FEMALE VOICE: The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day.

PERCIVAL: Don't force me to step in and do the job for you.