'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' book review: Like father, like son

If there is one theme that the Harry Potter series is known for itrsquos that of friendship Rowling being the literary genius that she is had managed to keep the theme friendship strong and intact throughout Harryrsquos previous journeys from books 17 With the launch of her new playturnedbook Harry Potter and the Cursed Child the author manages to base the central plot around friendship once again but this time the theme is seen played out between Albus not Dumbledore but Harryrsquos second oldest child mdash Albus Severus Potterand Scorpius Malfoy the son of Draco and Astoria However the constant timetravelling using ldquoyouknowwhatrdquo could prove to be quite a task for readers who havenrsquot read the earlier books at least a dozen times not to mention that in some parts of the book solutions to problems characters face do appear somewhathellipmagicallyHarry PotterRemember the first time Harry met Ron aboard the Hogwarts Express in their first year Well as they say like father like son Bearing a drastic resemblance to their Harry and Ronrsquos first conversation where the duo instantly click and become best friends Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy strike up a remarkable friendship aboard the Hogwarts Express mdash nineteen years later mdash in the first of four acts of Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildThere are a few changes in the wizarding world as Potter fans know it Harry is the head of the Ministry of Magicrsquos Law Enforcement Department Hermione is Minister for Magic Aunt Petunia is dead Ginny edits the sports pages of the Daily Prophetand Albus becomes the first Potter to be sorted into Slytherin mdash along with Scorpius mdash earning him the wrath of fellow Gryffindors Scorpius too doesnrsquot have it easy He is rumoured to be Voldemortrsquos son Both the firstyears have less in common with their fathers too Albus canrsquot summon his broomstick ldquouprdquo whereas Scorpius unlike the drawling pompous figure of his father is kind funny and exceptionally intelligentBattle royaleAs the story goes on Albus and Scorpius decide to steal the last timeturner all the time turners were smashed in the battle that occurred at the Ministry of Magic remember from Hermionersquos office in the Ministry in order to right some wrongs primarily Cedric Diggoryrsquos death They undertake a journey into the past to the Triwizarding tournament in which Cedric was killed but are within a span of five minutes brought back to the present mdash the sideeffect of a really old and notsopowerful time turner But in those five minutes the duo manage to do some irreversible damage and need to visit the past again in order to undo what they had done But as luck would have it the boys end up doing more damage than good on their second trymdashthey end up humiliating Cedric Diggory at the Triwizarding tournamentmdashan act that causes the goodlooking and adored Cedric to turn into a Death Eater In this timeline Ron and Hermione arenrsquot married he is married to Padma Patil and the latter is the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts a Voldemort day is ldquocelebratedrdquo annually and one of the most hated characters to ever live in Rowlingrsquos pages mdash Dolores Umbridge mdash is the headmaster at Hogwarts once againTime travelIf there is one thing that plays a crucial role in Rowlingrsquos latest literary tryst it is the role of time turners In Prisoner of Azkaban we had seen how time turners could be used for doing good and how Dumbledore himself had egged Hermione on to use it to save the Hippogriff Buckbeak and Harryrsquos godfather Sirius Black However in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child the constant shifting through time back and forth could leave readers flicking back through pages to know which universe and timeline they are currently inThings take a darker turn in the second and third acts of the book during which Scorpius and Albus are forced apart a decision taken by Harry who himself has become extremely authoritarian based on the advice given to him by Bane the centaur A certain character whose name we will not divulge as we do not believe in spoilers is introduced to the central plot of the play one who is acting upon a prophecy that will bring back the Dark Lord mdash an act to prevent which Albus and Scorpius go back in time for the third and last time to clean up their mess However this time Harry who has so far only been seen in glimpses throughout the book makes a commanding reentry into the plot and ldquomagicallyrdquo goes back in time as well along with Ginny Draco Ron and Hermione in order to rescue the kids as well as put an end to the fabled prophecy this ldquocertain characterrdquo was fulfillingThe resemblance is thereOn the whole Rowlingrsquos new book bears a drastic resemblance to the earlier Potter books especially in terms of imagery Moments where Harry offers Albus chocolate when the latter is weak reminded us of how Lupin offered a troubled Harry some Honeydukes chocolate after his Harryrsquos first encounter with a dementor Albus is as reckless as his father as Harry was like James according to Sirius and instances of his recklessness are paced well throughout the book The book in itself is written in four acts and many different scenes which gives it a slightly different narrative style than the original paraphrased HP booksThe new fan will like it tooFor the new Potter fan the book will hold surprises but for those familiar with Rowlingrsquos writing and style the surprises may not be as hard hitting After all the Harry Potter series has been read and reread scrutinised and analysed discussed and dissected to a point where readers have learnt to gauge clues and their outcomes This 330page sequel to one of the best fantasy book series holds a lot in story for both oldschool Potter fans and the ones who are newly getting acquainted with the magical world But if you thought you know who the ldquocursed childrdquo is therersquos a 99 chance that yoursquove got it wrong