"It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and the father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where...
RON: How was I supposed to know they put in a trapdoor?
HERMIONE: Because it's Fred and George!
HARRY (his voice steady): Hermione, can you reach your wand?
HERMIONE: I can't.
HARRY: Ron, what about the Time-Turner?
RON: Trying. (beat) Yes, that's good.
He grunts.
That's less good.
HERMIONE: Work faster!
RON: It's no use. Can't move.
HARRY: So, what do we do now?
HERMIONE: There's got to be something we can do. Just — think.
RON: Hermione, will you please stop hitting me?
HERMIONE: I'm not hitting you.
RON: You are hitting me, and it hurts.
HERMIONE: How? I can't even move.
RON: Well, something is hitting me?!
An abrupt flare of blinding light shines down on their faces and we can see that HARRY, RON, and HERMIONE are being held in place by many loose, disjoined hands. The audience can faintly detect EXTRAS on stage in full-body black suits with only their hands exposed. One of the hands is knocking on RON's head as if it were rapping on a door. The trio look around, alarmed by the situation in which they find themselves.
HERMIONE: Okay, so that's utterly horrible.
HARRY: I think I preferred the dark.
An animated voice, like a CIRCUS BARKER, is heard. Followed by a tiny, more SINISTER VOICE.
CIRCUS BARKER: Come one, come all! That's right, witches and lizards. Nothing to fear. I'm here now.
SINISTER VOICE:Here just as the battle is lost.
CIRCUS BARKER: Wow. Quite a ride. Yes, oh yes. But just you wait. There's more! You have to see it to believe it.
SINISTER VOICE: You'll never forget.
HARRY: I don't like the sound of this.
RON: Shh! Pay attention. Trust me.
HERMIONE struggles against the unrelenting grip of the hands.
CIRCUS BARKER: Step right up, don't be shy.
SINISTER VOICE: Don't be too confident either.
CIRCUS BARKER: Greet the wonder of the century, come from a distant land. Here he is... the most mysterious of sorcerers...
Another light comes up on a puppet sitting on a brightly colored box, almost carnival in its appearance. The puppet is wearing a turban and stares at them. Its legs are crossed casually. Its arms are crossed casually. It speaks with the SINISTER VOICE. We recognize this puppet instantly as the one GEORGE brought to GINNY's funeral in the future.
SINISTER VOICE: WIZZO!
HERMIONE: Oh, no...
SINISTER VOICE: You've come to steal. To pilfer. To filch. So make me a deal, lest you exit with zilch.
The puppet turns its head slowly to look at each of them.
HERMIONE: That's not at all disturbing.
HARRY: What's the deal?
SINISTER VOICE: To break free, my fool. You must play a game. There is but one rule. Please tell me my name. Your circumstances, I must address. You have ninety chances to make your guess. So be wise, dear thief, and take your time, for you will not leave if —
RON(simply): Panju. Your name's Panju.
The puppet's mouth drops open. All the hands release them.
PANJU (less SINISTER, more CARNIVAL BARKER): How... How'd you know my name?!
The puppet flops in place as the hands recede into the darkness.
HERMIONE: I don't think I would've ever guessed that name.
RON: Never liked that puppet. And here I thought he was a new addition to the family after Fred died.
The puppet's mouth drops open again.
PANJU(shocked): Master Fred is dead?!
RON: No, not yet.
PANJU (more shocked): When?
RON: Shut it, Panju!
HARRY: Ron, don't anger the puppet.
PANJU (gasping): How ill-mannered! How utterly uncouth!
HERMIONE(to PANJU): We've solved your riddle. How do we get out of here?
The puppet frowns.
PANJU: Frankly, I'm offended... Auf wiedersehen...
The room goes dark.
HARRY: Wait! Panju!
The lights come back on for only a moment.
PANJU (head craning madly): I said AUF WIEDERSEHEN!
The stage goes dark. We can't see the trio again.
RON: Now what?
HERMIONE: Relax. Both of you, come close. Hand me the Time-Turner.
There's a whooshing noise. And then there's a sucking sound. And a BANG. The lights come back. It's the same scene, but different. PANJU is gone. The storeroom on the second floor is empty except for a massive cauldron and a heap of logs.HARRY, RON, and HERMIONE are standing in a room with many shelves of potion bottles — and a ladder!
HARRY: The apothecary. When... are we?
HERMIONE: Fourth year.
RON rubs his forehead where one of the hands was knocking in the dark.
RON: Hogwarts, then?
They nod and climb the ladder.
Fade to black
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