Did We Know the Identity of the Cursed Child All Along?
J.K. Rowling’s announcement about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has fans aching to know more about the non-prequel story coming to the stage this upcoming summer. Many are dying to know who this “cursed child” might be, and thanks to some attention to detail, one of our own may have an idea as to who it is.
Chloe, an intern at MuggleNet, realized that there are a few pieces of information that could be connecting the dots. What if the “cursed child” in question is Harry himself? It sounds crazy since Rowling insists the play is not a prequel, but hear us out.
TVGuide reported that “The storyline will follow Harry’s parents, Lily Evans Potter and James Potter, pre-Voldemort attack,” including Rowling’s tidbit about how the story is not a prequel. Then BBC wrote, “Called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it will tell the ‘untold part’ of the boy wizard’s story, including the story of the lives of his murdered parents.” These are two pieces of press indicating that the play will focus around James and Lily Potter. However, there is zero evidence to support this from either article.
Rowling has said that the play is, “an untold part of Harry’s story” and that fans should consider what they see on stage as canon.
While looking at Pottermore for any extra information, we found an interesting quote from one of the writers working on Cursed Child. It reads,
There are many people working on this production who grew up with the books, or discovered them with their kids, and it’s been thrilling and humbling to hear them say ‘We never thought we’d get Harry back. But he’s here…’
If we choose to place emphasis on the potential subtext of the last few words, there is a lot left to our imagination.
Could Cursed Child actually be a separate story, one depicting the wizarding world in the Marauders era? It’s a theory that has been discussed by many before. If the play did follow this plot line, the news of Cursed Child being performed in two parts works nicely. We can envision part one focusing on James and Lily Potter’s relationship with Lord Voldemort prior to learning about the prophecy and part two demonstrating the aftermath and their life in hiding.
Another potential theory could be Part 1 centered on James and Lily Potter’s life and Part 2 being a lead into the Potter series, showing Harry’s life at Privet Drive as a young boy.
When announcing that Rowling was collaborating with playwrights on a stage play back in December 2013, her Facebook page wrote,
What was it like to be the boy in the cupboard under the stairs? This brand new play, which will be developed for the UK theatre, will explore the previously untold story of Harry’s early years as an orphan and outcast. Featuring some of our favourite characters from the Harry Potter books, this new work will offer a unique insight into the heart and mind of the now legendary young wizard. A seemingly ordinary boy, but one for whom Destiny has plans…
What are we to make out of all of this? For one, we are extremely confused as to how this play is not a prequel, if what we are seeing is the intended plotline. However, we are placing our trust in Rowling to fulfill our greatest fantasies, including the ones we have yet to realize we have.
What are your opinions on this information? Do you believe Harry truly is the “cursed child”? For now we will have to wait and see.
