Why ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ is Unfairly Treated

The Harry Potter series is one of the most important entities in my life. Not most important book series – the most important entity all over. (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child included, because fandom is all-encompassing.) There are a number of reasons for this, but the most important one is that it has played a huge role in moulding me into the person I am today. My formative years were spent being a shy, I-don’t-want-to-go-out-and-meet-people sort of person – a trait that I sometimes exhibit even today. I preferred books and fictional characters to real people. In such situations, how is a child to understand the intricacies of identifying the good from the truly bad, the inherent goodness in people, and the reasons behind certain actions? Harry Potter helped me understand all of this. With its variety of characters written in beautifully simple language, it made sure I understood from its pages what I refused to pay attention to otherwise. Every year, I dreamed of going to Hogwarts, hanging out with the trio, get scolded by Professor McGonagall, watch Dumbledore’s eyes twinkle, help Hagrid with his tea or rock cakes, and indulge in the many adventures that the Hogwarts castle promised. When the series came to an end, I, like many others, was devastated even though I knew it was coming. What wouldn’t I give to read the series for the first time all over again! It was the end of an era for me and millions across the world. The end of our childhood as we knew it. And then, they announced Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And I couldn’t believe it. I thought, for about two seconds, that my senses were playing tricks on me. But it was true that The Cursed Child was coming to life! A sequel in the form of a play! And who was ecstatic? Me! I preordered the screenplay and soon enough, I had it in my hands. This would be the first time I had a brand new Harry Potter book in my hand, and the feeling was unmatchable. I finished The Cursed Child in less than 4 hours. And I absolutely loved it! Very unlike the numerous people who dissed it to no end and ripped it apart. They said The Cursed Child was like fan fiction and that the Harry Potter should have ended in King’s Cross, 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. I was aghast! Was this the same army of Potterheads that was now hating on something from their beloved Universe? But I did and do understand where they are coming from. The Cursed Child is like fan fiction and nothing like J.K. Rowling’s original work. That’s the whole point, though, isn’t it? The Cursed Child is a play by Jack Thorne, screenplay written by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling. The ones who are dead against this book/screenplay say that it is a major disappointment, but this is unfair, in my opinion. To be fair to Tiffany and Thorne, The Cursed Child went ahead with the blessings of Queen Rowling. Nobody can ever compare to her, but if it is good enough for her, it is more than good enough for me. Yes, as I read through it I could sense the disconnect between the reasons behind Harry’s actions and Albus’s actions. But it was slight and not as much as to carry enough weight to influence my opinion otherwise. I loved how, even in the screenplay, the two playwrights explained and connected everything so beautifully. Right from beginning to end, I found the book a joy to read because that was what I was looking for. I wouldn’t expect anything else in a book related to Harry Potter. And at least for me, The Cursed Child was everything that I wanted it to be. All I want to say is:The Cursed Child isn’t as bad as everyone is making it out to be. I might be too much in love with it to be saying it, but I really do think so. If it helps, just go into it with your expectations set low and maybe you’ll see what I’m talking about!