The World of What-if: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Ohakonyapachininko. Yo, buddies. Still alive?

I bought a book. Well, I pre-ordered a book, to be precise. That was back in April, when a bookstore I’m not gonna name, Toko Gunung Agung, open a pre-order for one particular book. At first, I thought it was weird that the “book” was too thin for the series’ continuation, but I realized that was a cover mock-up for an upcoming book that will continue the story of Harry Potter. So, I decided to pre-order the book. The book is called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

I just got the book last Sunday, and a day later, I already skimmed the entire book. That was fast, I know. But, there’s a reason for it. Which is why, I decided to share what the book is all about here.

WARNING: This post contains spoilers for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The cover of the book

This book is actually a script. No, really, it is. The book even said itself: Special Rehearsal Edition Script. If you’re a Harry Potter geek. You’ll know that Cursed Child isn’t actually a novel written by J.K. Rowling, the author of the original Harry Potter series, but a stage play based on the series, although Ms Rowling was involved in the storywriting. It’s an original story, so everything is new. The funny thing is that the stage play was premiered on July 30th, while the book was released a day after. So, this book is actually a sort of “raw script” that is used during the rehearsal stage of the play before the big event.

Cursed Child takes place nineteen years after the event of Deathly Hallows, and tells its story in the perspective of Harry Potter and his son Albus Severus Potter. The story tells their life after the event of Deathly Hallows, as Harry works in the Ministry of Magic as Head of Magical Law Enforcement, while Albus became best friends with another student in Hogwarts named Scorpius Malfoy.

“Who and… who?”

A Potter and A Malfoy. Pretty unexpected and unimaginable, huh? That the two rival’s sons became best friends right from the get-go. Well, I’m not gonna tell you how it ended up like that, but to put it bluntly, they have this sort of “parent’s child’s dilemma” where their parent’s status as an important figure (In this case, Harry as hero of wizarding world and Draco as a former ally of Voldemort’s Army) made their life difficult because they unwillingly carries a burden of living up to their parent’s fame, something that is always present in animes and mangas. So, this dilemma led to the two boys whose chemistry shouldn’t match with each other becoming friends with each other. Although, It’s rude to say that they became friends because of them sharing the same “guilt.”

The story puts a heavy subject of “what-if world.” Cursed Child had a strong link to one of the previous novel that became the center point of the story. It’s going to be a hassle trying to cover up the reference of the novel, so I’ll just spit it out: It’s the Goblet of Fire. (I decided to cover the name, so if you haven’t read the novel and reeeeeeally don’t want to get spoiled, you can continue on. Otherwise, go block the text.) The boys thought that what if they have a mean to travel to the past and save Cedric Diggory from being killed by Voldemort? Their raison d’être is that his father, Amos Diggory, was still grieved after the novel’s conclusion and is seeking Harry for a way to bring him back to life. Albus wanted to ease Harry’s burden so he and Scorpius decided to help Amos. The easiest answer to that, of course, was to travel back in time, but doing that means there’ll be a “time paradox” where changing the past even a bit could significantly change the future. It was made evident in Cursed Child, twice.

“Don’t do it the third time, or it’ll be way worse!”

If you’re not an actor or never been on a stage play, you may find the script difficult to relate, particularly since there’s not much description on the background or the character’s physical description. But, if you love making wild imaginary ideas, then it won’t be hard for you to construct the situation. It will even be much helpful if you  It’s even much easier if you have watched the movie version, so you can project the background of the scenario. I’ve read and watched all of the movies, so I can pretty much understand and imagine the situation of the scenario I’m currently in. That’s why I can skim through the book and read them all in just a day. I should stress out that if you haven’t read the previous books or at least watched the movies, then you’re gonna have a hard time figuring out the minor characters and why they are so important anyway.

The book also depicts Harry’s difficulties in relating to Albus’ problems, his issues as a father, his constant haunting of people who had to die because of him, regardless of their reason, particularly Cedric Diggory, which is the center point of the book’s story. You know that it’s not pleasant in knowing that you “saved millions of lives” in exchange for “sacrificing fews who are important to you.” Yes, the hero’s dilemma. Everyone tells you that you saved many people while those who died had sacrificed their life to protect you, the so-claimed “I have served my country.” While Harry displays the hero’s dilemma, Albus displays the hero complex. He’s desperate in wanting to prove that he can be of use, so he decided to take the task of preventing Cedric’s death, which he succeed in the second attempt… at the cost of his own life and the outcome of a war. Wow, that escalated quickly.

Between people you don’t know and your family, which one do you choose?

In the end, I don’t regret reading the book. In fact, I want to watch the stage play if possible. If the movie version is possible, I’ll go and watch it too. It was such a wonderful story telling that you shouldn’t mess with the past, that you no matter who you are, it cannot be a barrier in befriending other people, and that regardless of your status, families matter most than anything else.

Period!