Embedded Files
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VLfn-b234_OsMh046_LAFadpF1f46DAj-K0DfrbncgE/edit
Harry Potter Reader’s Theater Script
Characters:
Rita Skeeter: Kira
Vernon Dursley: Ian
Rubeus Hagrid: Xander
Draco Malfoy: Andrew
Dobby: Ian
Harry Potter: Hannah
Argus Filch: Andrew
Props:
Tape recorder
Robes
Wands
Hagrid’s umbrella
Everyone wear black
Everyone print script before class
Rita’s green quill
Script Draft
Rita: (sitting down at an interview desk, sets up her green recording quill) Testing, testing… Rita Skeeter here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry reporting with the Daily Prophet on one of our time’s greatest controversies: Harry Potter and his exposé of magic to the children of the Wizarding and Muggle worlds alike through the latest seven installments of his autobiography. I’m here today to uncover the truth: has Harry Potter inappropriately exposed and promoted witchcraft and dark magic throughout the world, or has Harry provided a series of stories that contain valuable moral lessons for both wizarding and muggle children around the globe. I hope to answer these questions and more by talking to those who know Harry best! First interviewee up, the muggle who helped raise him: Vernon Dursley.
Vernon: (enters and sits across from Rita, looking disgusted with all this *gasp* magic)
Rita: Hello Mr. Dursley! Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me today. If you don’t mind, Vernon, would you please introduce yourself to the quill.
Vernon: The quill?!! The quill! I will not introduce myself to some magical object! Does everything you wizards do involve magic!?!?
Rita: Oh… I’m uh, sorry Mr. Dursley, why don’t you just introduce yourself to me then. Give it a go.
Vernon: (Pausing, quill scribbles on anyway) Fine. My name is Vernon Dursley and I am Harry's uncle, the one who raised him. But I don’t believe in all of this (waves hands in the air) magic and witchcraft, I’m perfectly normal, thank you very much!
Rita: Yes, of course. So I take it, you are not pleased with Harry’s autobiographical series, and its distribution throughout the muggle world. Can you share more of your opinion on this matter?
Vernon: I think it is positively preposterous! Opening up the dangers of the magic world to us normal people! Absolutely outrageous. I say: keep the magic in your world where it belongs, don’t bring us into your mess! Normal children don’t need to be corrupted by the mess that is the magical world, much less the mess that is my nephew!! I do say, this world would be a better place without all of this magic business in it!
Rita: Thank you for this revealing insight, Mr. Dursley. I believe that is all I need from you today. On your way out, will you please send in Mr. Rubeus Hagrid.
Vernon: (standing up) I’ll do no such thing! My son still suffers from complications after the removal of that pig’s tail that great oaf gave him. (Vernon walks out of the room grumpily)
Hagrid: (After a brief pause, Hagrid enters the room, and sits down knocking over a chair next to him) Why ‘ello there, Ms. Skeeter. I ur, didn’t know I was next, sorry for the delay. That great muggle Dursley made quite the show did he?
Rita: Well he certainly gave us an interesting muggle’s perspective! Anywho… Hagrid dear, can you please introduce yourself to the quill.
Hagrid: ‘course. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Rita: Thank you! (pause, shifting in seat) Hagrid, you are referenced quite a lot throughout Harry’s autobiographical series in question. Could you please share some of your thoughts and opinions of Harry and his series of stories?
Hagrid: Fine man, Harry is, (sniffs back tears) fine man.
Rita: Can you elaborate on that thought at all, Hagrid…
Hagrid: Harry was always such a good student and he’s an even better friend. Him and Ron and Hermione always had me back, through it all. Loyal man, Harry is. An example of true loyalty. Oh! And he was always so respectful and kind to all my magical creatures, like Norbert, my dragon, and Fluffy! Oh and Buckbeak! Back when Harry was just a wee third-year, he even rode Buckbeak all over London!
Rita: (Interrupting Hagrid) You mean to say he rode Buckbeak, the hippogriff, a horse-bird crossbreed, in plain sight of potential muggle onlookers???? (quill scribbles furiously)
Hagrid: (Nervously squirming in seat) No, wait, I mean… Oh I should not have said that, I should not have said that! (quill records that Hagrid revealed astonishing negative implications of Harry’s series)
Rita: No, thank you Hagrid, you’ve given us some very revealing insight, especially coming from someone so close to Harry. Certainly, you can agree that riding magical creatures in the presence of muggles would be frowned upon by both the Ministry of Magic and the muggle authorities, no? You’ve acknowledged here, Harry’s blatant disregard for the separation of the magical and muggle worl-
Hagrid: (standing and pointing his umbrella in Rita’s face) NEVER. INSULT. HARRY. POTTER. IN. FRONT. OF. ME.
Rita: (nervous, backing away from Hagrid’s umbrella) Right then, well thank you Hagrid. That should be all I need from you today.
Hagrid: (Pointing to quill) You make sure that bloody quill of yours knows that Harry is one of the greatest wizards and finest men who ever lived- you make sure of that! Because of him, kids and adults everywhere are more respectful of all sorts of creatures. (As he walks out the door, Hagrid continues mumbling) Fine man, Harry…. Great man….
(door closes behind Hagrid then opens with Draco Malfoy walking in)
Rita: Ah, welcome Draco dear. Have a seat and please introduce yourself to the quill and tell us how it is you know Harry.
Draco: Name’s Malfoy… Draco Malfoy. I’ve known Potter as long as anyone. We could’ve been friends too, but he chose to associate himself with muggle-sympathizers and mudbloods (Draco scoffs).
Rita: (Leaning in) Tell me more about that Draco…
Draco: (Arrogantly, leaning back in chair, arms folded behind his head) People like myself, know that the only true wizards are those of pure blood ancestry. Muggles and mudbloods only serve to spoil the blood line, weakening magical blood.
Rita: And Harry doesn’t share this view?
Draco: Disgustingly, no. He doesn’t. Potter got wrapped up in those muggle-worshiping Weasleys. (Looking like he might be sick) Potter believes that muggles and mudbloods are no better than purebloods. Can you believe that!?! (Draco scoffs again)
Rita: So, you would say Harry stands for equality among all people, wizards and non-wizards alike?
Draco: It’s not just people! He thinks the elves, and giants, and centaurs, and other disgusting beasts and half-breeds deserve rights, too! That Potter even lost my family our house-elf!
Rita: You mean to say Harry really does advocate for equality and equal rights among all wizards, muggles, and every magical creature, as he describes in his books?
Draco: (Sassily) Yeah, I mean, we kind of fought a whole war over it.
Rita: (throwing the sass back) You mean, the war that you lost.
Draco: (Yelling) How dare you speak to me that way, you filthy half-blood! Do you know who my father is?!?! My father will be hearing about this! (storms out of the room)
Dobby: (Cheerfully enters the room and stands in front of the interviewing desk)
Rita: Why hello Dobby, you’re looking abnormally well dressed today. I see you were able to get an upgrade from the old paper sack.
Dobby: Yes, ma’am! Since Dobby is free, he can wear whatever he wants!
Rita: I’m very glad to hear that Dobby. Why don’t you have a seat so we can hear your thoughts on Harry Potter?
Dobby: (tears welling in eyes) Ah! Dobby is still not so used to such kindness! Sitting and talking as equals! And Dobby knows he has Harry Potter to thank for that! Dobby loves Harry Potter! Harry Potter and his friends always treated Dobby with such kindness and respect Dobby never had before!
Rita: That is truly wonderful, Dobby! So would you say you support Harry’s autobiographical series?
Dobby: Why of course! Dobby thinks it is absolutely wonderful! Harry Potter’s story teaches people to be nice to everyone. Dobby thinks this is a story of friendship and goodness, just like Harry Potter showed me all those years ago! Most importantly, Harry Potter’s story can teach others not to discriminate, this is a big word Dobby just learned, now that he is free, against people for things they can’t control. Dobby thinks this book is very good! Everyone should read it!
Rita: It certainly sounds like Harry can teach people a thing or two about treating others with kindness, respect, and equality!
Dobby: Oh yes, absolutely!
(Door suddenly opens and Harry walks in)
Rita: Oh Mr. Potter! I was just finishing up speaking with your friend Dobby, please come in, come in.
Harry: Hello Rita. And hello Dobby!
Dobby: Harry Potter! So long it’s been! It’s so good to see you, sir! (Shakes Harry’s hand with both of his hands)
Harry: It’s just Harry, Dobby. Call me Harry.
Dobby: Yes of course, sir, Harry, sir. (gets out of chair and begins to walk to room) I hope to see you after your interview sir!
Harry: Yes! Dobby, we’re all meeting up at the Burrow afterwards, I expect to see you there!
Dobby: (Cheering and beaming, walks out of the room)
Harry: (sitting down) So Rita, how’ve the interviews been going so far? Are my books all that bad?
Rita: Well, much to my surprise, it seems-
Filch: (Suddenly bursting through the door) Students out of bed! Students in the corridor! What’s going on here?
Rita: This, Mr. Filch, . . . it's an, . . . interview.
Harry: And Mr. Filch, I haven’t been a student at Hogwarts for years. By the way, I heard about Mrs. Norris’s passing. My condolences to your cat.
Filch: (Face softening ever so slightly) Urmph. I guess I’ll be seeing myself out then. (Filch leaves the room).
Rita: Right then, ah… where was I?
Harry: You were just saying you were surprised….
Rita: Right yes! I am quite surprised! It seems that while your books do expose the muggle world to magic, which at first can seem quite frightening, as your uncle pointed out-
Harry: You brought Uncle Vernon in here?!?! How you convinced him to even agree to meet with you is beyond me, and AT Hogwarts, no less!
Rita: Yes, well, he seemed the least pleased of anyone.
Harry: (nodding) I’m not sure I’ll ever win him over.
Rita: As I was saying, Harry. While your books may, on the surface, talk about witches and wizards, magical spells and magical beings, on a deeper level, your stories really talk about so much more. You take us on a journey of self-discovery, friendship, and loyalty. Along the way you teach young readers about standing up for what’s right and respecting all beings no matter what, and advocating for justice and equality! Certainly, these are lessons we want our young people, wizards and muggles, to be learning!
Harry: Rita, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
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