KING'S CROSS — PRESENT

They are returned from time. The station is filled with sunlight, as before, but instead of people in sharp suits going about their day — robed Ministry officials are cleaning up the disaster HARRY and DRACO left behind. Other forces stand guard with KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT, wands drawn. At center stage stands PERCIVAL CLEARWATER, his expression a study in controlled fury. ETHEL approaches, holding a book.

ETHEL (gently): The Muggles are handled. We've searched every nook and cranny, Minister Clearwater. They're not here.

PERCIVAL: The reports are consistent. They never left King's Cross.

HARRY and DRACO peek out from behind the ticket counter as PERCIVAL takes the book from ETHEL.

DRACO: What is that?

HARRY: Rita Skeeter's tell-all.

PERCIVAL (loudly): Come out, Harry. There's no use hiding.

PERCIVAL opens the book to a marked page and reads.

"The fact is, dear truth seekers, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named split his soul into eight equal parts, seven Horcruxes, the seventh being transferred into a living child on the very night he became an orphan. The name of that child is Harry Potter. This was made known to the most pious deceiver, Albus Dumbledore, and yet he did everything in his power to keep Potter alive. Now, the last surviving fragment of Tom Riddle's soul resides in the man who stands as the Head of Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. The very establishment, I should remind you, that Potter has been keen to overthrow for years. If you are not concerned at reading this revelation, you should be."

A group of Aurors arrive with DELPHI. They are brought up to speed by SHACKLEBOLT. DELPHI looks concerned as PERCIVAL closes the book and holds it above his head.

Enough lies, Potter. It's over. Stand and face me.

DRACO does stand up, wincing in pain.

HARRY (to DRACO, surprised): What are you doing?

DRACO: They'll find us eventually. Let me provide you with cover.

HARRY: Really? Why are you so willing to help me?

DRACO: Are you joking? I don't want to be anywhere near you, once the curses start flying.

DRACO smirks in a way only he can do in a situation like this. There is a brief moment of comradery between them. The lifelong adversaries have reached common ground for the first time. HARRY stops him from leaving.

HARRY: Draco... Thanks.

DRACO: I wouldn't go picking out matching luggage just yet, Potter. (beat) Get free. Do your... 'boy who lived' thing. Fix this, yeah? I should be able to buy you fifteen minutes.

DRACO steps out from behind the ticket counter. He flexes his leg — he's in a lot of pain. The Ministry forces notice and regroup around PERCIVAL.

PERCIVAL: Malfoy.

DRACO (in a chipper tone): Minister. Fine weather we're having, wouldn't you say?

PERCIVAL (suspiciously): You were involved in this unlawful duel. Where's Potter?

DRACO prepares to deliver his most eloquent lie. But, of course, he doesn't.

DRACO: He's right back there.

HARRY throws his arms up in disbelief as DRACO indicates to the ticket counter. He immediately cringes.

Oup, sor-ry! Veritaserum. Can't help myself.

SHACKLEBOLT goes to collect DRACO, who limps awkwardly toward PERCIVAL and the combined forces of the Ministry. GEORGE, RON, and HERMIONE rush to help from stage left.

GEORGE: Kingsley, what's going on here?

HERMIONE (loud enough to be heard by all): Your inept brother is seeking to detain Harry over the unsubstantiated claims of a hack reporter, that's what.

PERCIVAL steps between them, eager to intercede.

PERCIVAL: Hermione, I'm grateful for your concern but there's no need —

HERMIONE spins in place to glare back, her gaze nothing short of wrathful.

HERMIONE: Don't — speak — to me!

RON (to HERMIONE): What is it?

He looks to PERCIVAL.

What'd you do?

HERMIONE (to RON): I'll tell you later. Right now, we need to stop our misinformed Minister from trampling the rule of law over some paranoid suspicion about Harry...

She faces PERCIVAL.

...someone who, I must remind you, saved — the wizarding world — from ruin!

PERCIVAL: He is deliberately running roughshod over the policies of the Ministry in order to weaken our standing!

DELPHI comes forward, representing the Aurors. The very sight of her stops HERMIONE from responding.

DELPHI: You're wrong about Harry, sir.

PERCIVAL (speaking quickly): Am I? Are you from the Improper Use of Magic Office, Miss Drake? Because Potter's little squabble of magical activity here was a serious breach under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.

DELPHI: He made a mistake, but he's not trying to overthrow the Ministry.

PERCIVAL: If that's true...

PERCIVAL raises his voice to a yell.

...then he should have no reason not to come out and explain himself!

SHACKLEBOLT delivers DRACO, who is refitting the long black glove onto his damaged left arm. DRACO stands beside HERMIONE. He looks her over.

DRACO: Granger.

HERMIONE (sighing): It's Weasley, actually.

DRACO nods, raising his eyebrows charmingly.

DRACO: You look good.

HERMIONE's jaw drops, RON doesn't know how to react.

HERMIONE: Excuse me?

DRACO (to RON): No offense, Weasley. I'm behaving like a prat. I didn't mean anything by it. It's the truth serum talking. I've always thought you two were a fine pair. I just...

He faces HERMIONE, his voice unexpectedly smooth.

When it comes to your lovely wife, the weathering of time has met its match.

HERMIONE (awkwardly): Um... thank you.

GEORGE: Brilliant.

RON: I'm going to be sick.

PERCIVAL: Malfoy, now is not the time for... whatever this is...

He projects his voice.

It's no use hiding, Potter. We have you surrounded.

Still behind the ticket counter, HARRY says nothing, thinking fast as the forces of the Ministry coalesce. HERMIONE looks around the platform, concerned, and then shouts.

HERMIONE: Tell them, Harry! Tell them the Horcrux was destroyed!

PERCIVAL: So, you knew about this as well? I'm surrounded by turncoats. Is there no one loyal?

DRACO: Can I be honest...?

PERCIVAL and HERMIONE and RON and DELPHI and SHACKLEBOLT and GEORGE: No.

DRACO: Fair enough.

RON: The Horcrux was destroyed, Percy.

PERCIVAL: Were you there to see it happen?

RON stammers.

HERMIONE: Harry died.

PERCIVAL: That's odd. Then who married my sister?

RON: He chose to come back.

PERCIVAL: Is that how it works? I was told...

He reopens SKEETER's book to a marked passage.

"The container must be eradicated beyond magical repair."

GEORGE: Harry's our brother.

PERCIVAL: In-law. And hardly that, George, to be fair. Ginny's gone, isn't she?

Gasping, HERMIONE slaps PERCIVAL hard across the face. He holds back his forces with a simple gesture and vacantly touches his cheek.

HERMIONE (voice low): That was from your mother.

PERCIVAL: Suppose I deserved that.

RON: And more.

HARRY stands, still hidden. He desperately searches for a way of describing his side of the story.

HARRY: Percy!

The stage goes silent. PERCIVAL grins.

PERCIVAL: I was wondering when you'd join the conversation.

HARRY: What you said was obviously true — but — there are more factors at play here than —

PERCIVAL: Have you heard me completely, Harry? Come out here. You're risking everything — because you don't want to face me?

HARRY: This is bigger than you and I.

PERCIVAL: Quite right. Let's avoid an escalation, yes? No more need to die.

HARRY: No, and I shouldn't have survived — it was my destiny to die — even Dumbledore thought so — and yet I lived. I beat Voldemort. At least I thought I did. All these people — all these people — my parents, Cedric, Fred, the Fallen Fifty — Ginny — Albus —

HARRY is overcome with emotion.

And it's me that gets to live? How is that? All this damage — and it's my fault.

HERMIONE: They were killed by Voldemort.

HARRY: But if I'd stopped him sooner? All that blood on my hands. And now it's all coming back — to haunt me...

RON (quietly): I don't like the sound of this.

HERMIONE: Stop it. Do you hear me, Harry? Stop.

HARRY: You were right, Draco. I'm The Boy Who Lived. (beat) How many people have to die for the Boy Who Lived?

PERCIVAL: Potter, whatever you've got to prove — this isn't the way.

HARRY: I don't have anything to prove! I've got to save the bloody wizarding world before it turns to dust. Again. And maybe — without you holding me back — I can make a proper go of it.

PERCIVAL (amused): Without me? Oh, poor Harry Potter. With his chip on his shoulder, with his need to show magic to Muggles. Poor Harry Potter. So sad.

HERMIONE (to PERCIVAL): Shut it, will you.

She steps away from the group and raises her voice.

He has a point. You did something really reckless — something really stupid and dangerous — something that could have destroyed everything —

HARRY: I know. Okay. I know.

HERMIONE: It's unfair that this is happening to you.

HARRY: Of course it's unfair, Hermione, don't you think I know that? I was there. I saw both of them die.

HERMIONE: But to do this... to risk all this...

HARRY: I know. But what if they're right? What if some part of Voldemort is still inside me? What if the Horcrux was never destroyed? (beat) There's a new prophecy, you know. The Tempest — they think I'm Blitzfanger. That's why we've never been able to identify him. He's me.

HERMIONE turns to RON, who looks concerned. PERCIVAL doesn't like the way this is developing.

PERCIVAL (to DRACO): He's over-confident. Does he have any special weaponry?

DRACO: Do you mean like undercover pastries? (he laughs) He has a Time-Turner.

PERCIVAL stares in disbelief at HERMIONE, who had been tasked with guarding the Time-Turner. DRACO cringes again.

Sorry, Potter... Yeah, he's got a Time-Turner.

PERCIVAL (to SHACKLEBOLT): And who's to say he's not involved in Dark Magic? Let's move in while we have the chance.

ETHEL: I'll relay the order.

HERMIONE: No!