Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Act Three

by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter now has children of his own, but when his son Albus begins school at Hogwarts, it seems that the past is returning to haunt them both.

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pensive
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    He has a pensive look on his face.
  2. dispatch
    an official report, usually sent in haste
    I’ve positively glowed about you in dispatches to the Augurey.
  3. dilettante
    showing frivolous or superficial interest; amateurish
    Our work together flushing out the more dilettante students has made this school a safer, purer place—
  4. ludicrous
    inviting ridicule
    And this ludicrous fascination with Cedric Diggory.
  5. aberration
    a disorder in one's mental state
    No. No. Consider me restored. Temporary aberration. That’s all.
  6. emblazon
    decorate, adorn, or inscribe with a design
    Flying down either side of the room are Augurey flags—with the bird emblazoned in a fascistic manner.
  7. fascist
    relating to authoritarian hierarchical government
    Flying down either side of the room are Augurey flags—with the bird emblazoned in a fascistic manner.
  8. defy
    resist or confront with resistance
    She said that Grandfather didn’t like her very much—opposed the match—thought she was too Muggle-loving—too weak—but that you defied him for her. She said it was the bravest thing she’d ever seen.
  9. murky
    dark or gloomy
    She could always help me find light in the darkness. She made the world—my world, anyway—less—what was the word you used—“murky.”
  10. exultant
    joyful and proud especially because of triumph or success
    SCORPIUS looks up at SNAPE, slightly breathless, slightly unsure, slightly exultant.
  11. inflict
    impose something unpleasant
    And don’t think the Malfoy name will prevent me inflicting punishment.
  12. considerable
    large in number, amount, extent, or degree
    Dumbledore’s Army has shrunk considerably since its peak.
  13. presumably
    by reasonable assumption
    I’m dead, presumably.
  14. disconsolate
    sad beyond comforting; incapable of being soothed
    He looks at his wand—disconsolate, unsure why it hasn’t worked.
  15. tranquil
    free from disturbance by heavy waves
    It's so still, it's so peaceful, it’s so perfectly tranquil.
  16. contrite
    feeling or expressing pain or sorrow
    DRACO, GINNY, and HARRY stand behind a contrite-looking SCORPIUS and ALBUS.
  17. resolve
    the trait of being firm in purpose or belief
    Suddenly HERMIONE bursts in. All action and resolve.
  18. heed
    pay close attention to
    And it does sound as if you were brave, Scorpius, and you, Albus, but the lesson even your father sometimes failed to heed is that bravery doesn’t forgive stupidity.
  19. sustain
    supply with necessities and support
    You were—reckless—with the world some people—some very dear friends of mine and yours—sacrificed a huge amount to create and sustain.
  20. dredge
    search the bottom of a body of water for something valuable
    No luck, as yet, with the Time-Turner searching. They’re negotiating with the Merpeople to dredge the lake.
  21. aspersion
    a disparaging remark
    I mean Gryffindor rooms are all well and good but the trouble with red is—it is said to send you a little mad—not that I’m casting aspersions...
  22. reckless
    marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
    You did something really reckless—something really stupid and dangerous—something that could have destroyed everything—
  23. succumb
    give in, as to overwhelming force, influence, or pressure
    She approaches and then sits by her sister’s grave, trying hard to fight the emotions as they come to her but succumbing all the same.
  24. rapscallion
    one who is playfully mischievous
    Must have blown over from the other graves. Or someone’s playing a trick. Yes, I think that’s most likely, some young rapscallion with too much time on his hands has gone around collecting flowers from all the other graves and deposited them here—
  25. stench
    a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant
    I smell guilt, there is a stench of guilt upon the air.
  26. contemplative
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    SCORPIUS looks at ALBUS, his face grows more contemplative.
  27. arrogant
    having or showing feelings of unwarranted importance
    The stupid thing wasn’t going back once—anyone can make that mistake—the stupid thing was being arrogant enough to go back twice.
  28. covenant
    a signed written agreement between two or more parties
    I know who you are, Mr. Potter, but even you must understand that it’s against school covenant for parents or professors to enter a House quarters without express permission from...
  29. despotic
    ruled by or characteristic of a tyrant
    Imagine the worst possible world, and then double it. People being tortured, dementors everywhere, a despotic Voldemort, my dad dead, me never born, the world surrounded by Dark Magic—we just, we can’t allow that to happen.
  30. luminous
    softly bright or radiant
    SCORPIUS’s arms are bound in vicious, luminous cords.
  31. pliant
    capable of being influenced or formed
    But you’re far easier to control than Amos—children, particularly male children, are so naturally pliant, aren’t they?
  32. marital
    of or relating to the state of marriage
    RON: I mean, we’ve been together so long—and married for so long—I mean, so long—
    HERMIONE: If this is your way of saying you want a marital break, Ron, then, to be clear, I will skewer you with this quill.
  33. disconcerted
    having self-possession upset; thrown into confusion
    They all turn to look at RON, he’s briefly disconcerted but batters on.
  34. senility
    mental infirmity as a consequence of old age
    Don’t play the senility card with us, old man.
  35. compel
    force somebody to do something
    They move through the maze, SCORPIUS and ALBUS being compelled by DELPHI.
  36. unwieldy
    difficult to use or handle because of size or weight
    Brooms—such unwieldy, unnecessary objects.
  37. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    But if the prophecy is inevitable why are we here trying to influence it?
  38. contradict
    prove negative; show to be false
    Your actions contradict your thoughts—you’re dragging us through this maze because you believe this prophecy needs to be enabled—and by that logic prophecies can also be broken—prevented.
  39. incompetent
    showing lack of skill or aptitude
    What is undoubtedly true is: I’m done with trying to use you annoying, incompetent creatures for anything.
  40. spartan
    marked by simplicity, frugality, or self-denial
    Where can she have hidden anything? It’s quite a spartan room.
Created on Thu Aug 25 11:40:47 EDT 2016 (updated Tue Jul 26 09:02:58 EDT 2022)

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