I'd like to think that I understand the wizarding world...

I've read the novels many times, written seven full-length books of canon-compliant fanfiction, and have been a Potterhead for 20 years (unlike Jack Thorne, the original playwright). Most fans would agree that Thorne doesn't necessarily feel like one of us. He doesn't know the ins and outs of this world as intricately as we do. Could a part-time fan best him in a trivia contest? Probably. Yet, he was charged with writing the finale. And paid handsomely to do so.

With that said, I don't think it would be fair for me to take the Epilogue and develop whatever story I want and call it "my take on Cursed Child". You can't fairly judge a rewrite as a criticism. It's not. That would be considered fanfiction based on a simple premise. Instead, I think it's only fair that I take the bones of the play script and see if I can retool things a bit. Which is why I'm calling it The M. Clifford MOD.

As a definition, MOD is short for Modification. It is a term, borrowed from the video game world, where someone could hack a game down to the code and make alterations in order to create a more enjoyable playing experience for others, with a special touch from a dedicated fan who has a unique perspective on what made that property enjoyable and significant.

Original Vision

So, if we're going down to the code, let's start at the very beginning — the original concept — a script that "had the sensitivity, intensity, and intimacy" that JKR thought was "appropriate for bringing Harry's story to the stage." I could spend time here discussing why that statement didn't fit with what we got in the play, but this is less about what was done improperly and more about what I think the original intention may have been. More importantly, what I think JKR would have produced had she done all of this on her own. Because somewhere in the collaborative writing process, the foundation of a great story was lost.

I think I understand the characters and magical history well enough to tell a difficult, challenging, emotional tale that falls in line with what she originally wanted. Something that could be considered the 8th story without us being told that it is, because the final script would appropriately reflect the seven books that came before, and perhaps discover a hole in the overall narrative that needed to be filled.

White Board

It goes unstated that this play needs to be my version — distinctly the same and distinctly different from the original. I don't think it would be fair to tweak the story just enough to satisfy what the fans desired. I need to consider this as a deconstruction. And that I, M. Clifford, have been given the very serious and awesome task of reimagining the insanely famous and popular story.

I could easily start from square one and write a new play. That would be a copout. Anyone could do that. Were I to develop an entirely new story, I don't think it would be right for me to title it HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD. The other option is to print out the whole thing, transpose it, and then alter a few of the more irritating elements. That would be considered copyright infringement. Instead, I'm going to adapt what we were given, as if I were brought in as a secret fourth member of the writing team.

(Working under an Invisibility Cloak. Tripping Thorne whenever he walked into the room holding a mug of scalding hot tea. Y'know...productive stuff.)

To achieve this, I pictured myself being escorted into the writer's room and seeing the big whiteboard full of plot points and callbacks, where JKR and Co. were brainstorming all that they wanted to include in the play. I saw a pad of paper on the desk with the word HELP written in Jack Thorne's scratchy handwriting.

I also imagined myself laughing at this point.

Then I heard an assistant telling me that they needed a new set of eyes. Perhaps a Potterhead who could give the book a once-over to let them know where the story might end up going awry in the eyes of the fans. Maybe someone who could try to see the connective tissue between all of their ideas and find a way of making those elements fit within the framework of a modified story that better aligns with canon.

Does anyone know of such a person? haha

Now, as I stand here with much of the story completed, I'm confident that, had I been chosen, this is the version I would've wanted to tell.

The conclusion.

The 8th part of this amazing saga.

Remix

Communal stories have been around forever. In certain cultures, the job of Storyteller is a respected position in the community. The ability of storytellers to add their own enhancements and introduce new characters into an existing storyline is in keeping with this tradition.

In the modern world, what I'm about to do could be considered a remix (yep, my initials ain't MC for nothin', playah). There's no word for this method in the literary sense. In fact, I don't know if anyone has ever attempted this. It's not necessarily a rewrite. "MOD" is the best explanation because I'm breaking it down to the code, reassessing the story, then remixing the information within the copyrighted work in order to give you something new. All empty spaces of silence have been filled with original content. And hopefully, what we arrive at in the end will make the whole series feel like a harmonious canonical octave, rather than seven books and... some super extra throwaway play.

LEGO Hogwarts

Over the past few months, I've occasionally felt as if I had been handed this gargantuan castle made of LEGOs and was told that I needed to break it all down and rebuild the exact same structure without following the template provided. That I must force myself to use most of the existing pieces (without adding too many new ones) in an effort to create something that "felt right".

It's possible that my version may end up looking the way JKR and her producers intended for theirs to look when they first sat down in 2013, before they got too caught up in a story that felt like the right one. This is why it's typical for screenplays to have multiple writers to help develop drafts with differing viewpoints. One of those drafts could've been written by someone who, quite possibly, had their finger on the pulse of the fanbase a little more firmly. 

I feel like I have that. But... I'm just one person.

I'm not saying, as I sit on my high horse, that this should be considered the best version, or what should have been released. As I said, this is just the M. Clifford MOD. Some of you might be able to do a better version, which would be awesome. This is just my version. My personal reimagining of HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD.

It would be ignorant of me to collectively label the fandom and assume that we all agree. I don't want to tell you guys how to enjoy or interpret the play. Although we have similar likes in Harry Potter, I don't want to encourage that my interpretation is the only interpretation. Nor, do I want to manipulate your experiences with the franchise.

I accept that some of you may have enjoyed the parts of Cursed Child that I am going to change. From what I've read online, I doubt that will be widely true. But there are some fans who treat anything that JKR writes as Holy Writ. To those people, I would suggest that you don't read this if you think it's going to upset you.

Obviously, I can do whatever I want in terms of the story and the characters. You have given me the freedom to go nuts and I appreciate that. But for this to be considered a true MOD, rather than fanfiction that somewhat follows the premise of the play, I need to adhere to a certain set of rules.

Let's establish them.