Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

ACT ONE, SCENE SIXTEEN
WHITEHALL, CELLAR
SCORPIUS, flanked by ALBUS and DELPHI, is squinting at a bottle.
SCORPIUS: So we just take it?
ALBUS: Scorpius, do I really need to explain to you — übergeek and Potions expert — what
Polyjuice does? Thanks to Delphi’s brilliant preparation work, we are going to take this potion
and be transformed, and thus disguised we will be able to enter the Ministry of Magic.
SCORPIUS: Okay, two points, one, is it painful?
DELPHI: Very — as I understand it.
SCORPIUS: Thank you. Good to know. Second point: Do either of you know what Polyjuice tastes
of? Because I’ve heard it tastes of fish and if it does I will just vomit it back up. Fish doesn’t
agree with me. Never has. Never will.
DELPHI: Consider us warned. (She takes a breath and knocks back the potion.) It doesn’t taste of
fish. (She begins to transform. It’s agonizing.) Actually it tastes quite pleasant, yum. It is
painful but . . . (She burps, loudly.) Take it back. There is a — slight — (She burps again and
turns into HERMIONE.) Slight — overpowering — fishy residue.
ALBUS: Okay, that’s — wow!
SCORPIUS: Double wow!
DELPHI/HERMIONE: This really doesn’t feel how I — I even sound like her! Triple wow!