A Slytherin’s Opinion on “Cursed Child”
There have been many, many, many, many posts on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, but this time it will be from a slightly different perspective. A few MuggleNet staff members voiced an interest in knowing what a Slytherin thought about the script, and I have hesitantly obliged.
A slight disclaimer before we continue ― this isn’t going to be a one-sided canon debate. There’s been plenty of that, and everyone should decide for themselves how they feel about this particular installment. These are just the feelings that I, as a Slytherin, have toward Cursed Child. There are also definitely going to be spoilers, so stop reading now if you aren’t prepared. Now that has been cleared up, let’s begin!
I was not excited about the play ― I was even less excited for its publication. The epilogue was always my least favorite part of the entire series, and that’s saying a lot when compared to how much I hated Quidditch (that is, I hated it until I read a fabulous essay on how Quidditch is just one giant allegory for the series as a whole, plus much more). I didn’t pre-order it until a few hours before it actually came out, and I didn’t attend any midnight release parties. I wasn’t going to buy the thing at all, but I felt somewhat obligated because, I mean, it is the “Eighth Story,” right?
If by “Eighth Story” you mean official fan fiction.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always wanted to know what would’ve happened if Voldemort had won the Battle of Hogwarts. Before Deathly Hallows came out, I hoped that J.K. Rowling would do the unthinkable and kill the hero. I am a serious sucker for villains ― but let’s face it, the villains never win! When the plot started to unfold as I was reading Cursed Child, however, I became seriously disappointed at a rapid pace.
It seems a little too obvious, or maybe perhaps cheap, that Albus would be Sorted into Slytherin and become friends with a Malfoy. This all could very well be an attempt by Rowling to shine a new light onto the Slytherin House, but it just doesn’t sit right. Neither of them really seems the Slytherin type, to be honest… maybe if there were a bit more character development, it would be easier to recognize.
I will admit, I started to tear up a little when Snape appeared, yet my glimpse of hope was cut short when he started talking. He just didn’t really seem like Snape. Everyone, in fact ― particularly the supposed “bad guys” like Snape, Umbridge, and Draco ― seemed like watered-down versions of themselves. Perhaps this was because they were usually shown having conversations with the Scorpion King, but to me, it felt like something sinister was lacking in their actions. If this alternate reality was a place they could be their most evil selves, why were they so tame in comparison to the original story?
And as for Delphi? I just don’t get it. Seriously. There was no reason for Voldemort to have a child ― he wasn’t concerned with love, and he didn’t need an heir. Even if that did make any sense whatsoever, she was also seriously lacking in the evil department considering she was supposedly the daughter of two of the most villainous characters in the entire wizarding world.
Overall, I guess I still kind of hoped for a not-so-happy ending, but once again, those good ol’ Potter kids always win. Maybe that’s the Slytherin in me, or maybe I’m just jaded. At least both are green!
Were you expecting something different than what Harry Potter and the Cursed Child offered, or did it exceed expectations? Let us know in the comments!
