20

The new Harry Potter play is called "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and while there seem to be a number of potential candidates for the title character, is there any indication of who the titular 'Cursed Child' actually is?

Is it Albus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy or someone else entirely?

Improve this question
6
  • 1
    are you asking this because you have read it and are not clear? or because you have not read it?
    – HorusKol
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 0:04
  • 1
    @HorusKol - I've read it. There seems an obvious choice but I'm struggling to find anything in the text (or interviews) that specifically confirms it.
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 0:06
  • @Valorum - Who would you say is the obvious choice?
    – Adamant
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 0:07
  • 1
    @Adamant - I think you've hit the nail on the head.
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 0:12
  • 2
    It's the audience.
    – Acccumulation
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 20:26

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
18

There could be more than one

JKR has at least confirmed that Tom Riddle is not the cursed child:

Good theory, because I do think Tom was cursed in the way that you suggest, but no, he's not the child

That said, the phrase "cursed child" is a bit playful. It could apply to numerous characters, probably intentionally so.

  • Harry Potter

    He was imbued with a portion of Voldemort's soul as a baby, so that definitely fits. There are some scenes in the play when Harry appears as a child, including this one:

    AUNT PETUNIA: We’re cursed! He’s cursed us! The boy has cursed us! (Seeing YOUNG HARRY.) This is all your fault. Get back in your hole.

  • Albus Severus Potter

    Albus is metaphorically cursed both with the Potter family legacy, and with the burden of being sorted into Slytherin. Bane also refers to him as having a "black cloud" around, presumably referring to him being "cursed" with an unpleasant future.

    BANE: There is a black cloud around your son, a dangerous black cloud. HARRY: Around Albus? BANE: A black cloud that may endanger us all. You’ll find your son again, Harry Potter. But then you could lose him forever.

  • Scorpius Malfoy

    He has to deal with the "curse" of the Malfoy family legacy, and with unfounded rumors that he is the son of Voldemort. In addition, he may possess a more literal curse, inherited from his mother.

    DRACO: We were capable of having children but Astoria was frail. A blood malediction, a serious one. An ancestor was cursed . . . it showed up in her. You know how these things can resurface after generations . .

But the best candidate is probably:

  • Delphini "Diggory"

    Delphini is the probable daughter of Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. She is thus cursed with Voldemort's legacy and powers, including Parseltongue, as well as that of her mother.

Improve this answer
7
  • You might want to consider this image as well; images.amcnetworks.com/bbcamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/…
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 0:13
  • The red hair made me think it was likely to be Albus
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 0:18
  • 1
    @Valorum - Even if it is, it could merely reflect his status as the main-ish character.
    – Adamant
    Commented Aug 1, 2016 at 0:19
  • @Valorum while the hair boesn't look blonde (like Scorpious), it also doesn't look red either (to me). Also, why would red hair make you think it was likely to be Albus? Albus has brown hair, not red. [Also, it could even be argued that it's a little girl, possibly pointing to Delphi. My point is that I don't think there's enough to know for sure who the person on the cover is :)]
    – RedCaio
    Commented Aug 12, 2016 at 23:42
  • @RedCaio - The actor they cast to play Albus in the play has dark hair. The actor they cast to play Albus in the film looks a hell of a lot like the kid on the poster and has slightly red hair. Also, the poster was drawn before the role was cast...
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 12, 2016 at 23:44
3

I completely agree with Valorum and Adamant when they say there are many candidates.

Adamant explains very well in what way each of them could be seen as cursed.

But I think the right one is Delphini.

Because of another clue:

The cover of the book shows a pic (also shown inside the book, on the website, and so on). It's kind of the logo of this book.

And what is it? An Augurey. The bird Delphini has a tattoo of. The bird of her guardian. Her nickname in her best-loved alternate reality.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    The child in the picture on the cover appears to be Albus Potter though.
    – Valorum
    Commented Aug 12, 2016 at 14:34

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.