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Harry’s Blanket
The Augurey symbolizes Delphi’s desire to shape her own future. Literally, Augureys are “sinister-looking black birds that cry when rain’s coming.” Delphi explains to Scorpius and Albus that wizards used to believe that the Augurey’s cries foretold death. Delphi’s guardian, Euphemia Rowle, used to tell Delphi that her Augurey would cry because it could see that Delphi would come to a “sticky end.” Delphi then gets the bird tattooed on her neck because she wants to believe that the future can be whatever she wants it to be. This is why, in the timeline in which Voldemort lives, the Augurey becomes a major symbol of his regime—with Delphi ruling by his side, she implements the symbol to suggest that she is the master of her own destiny, and of the world’s destiny, too.
The Augurey Quotes in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Augurey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part 2, Act 3, Scene 2
Quotes
SCORPIUS: You—Polly Chapman—want me to take you to a—ball?
There is the sound of screaming behind him.
What is that screaming?
POLLY CHAPMAN: Mudbloods, of course. In the dungeons. Your idea, wasn’t it? What’s going on with you? Oh Potter—I’ve got blood on my shoes again…
She bends and carefully cleans the blood of her shoes.
Like the Augurey insists—the future is ours to make—so here I am, making a future—with you. For Voldemort and Valor.
SCORPIUS: For Voldemort it is.
POLLY walks on, SCORPIUS look agonized. What is this world—and what is he within it?
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Part 2, Act 3, Scene 7
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HERMIONE: We get this right, Harry’s alive, Voldemort’s dead, and the Augurey is gone, for that no risk is too great. Though I am sorry what it will cost you.
SNAPE: Sometimes costs are made to be borne.
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Part 2, Act 3, Scene 16
Quotes
SCORPIUS: An Augurey?
DELPHI: Haven’t you met them in Care of Magical Creatures? They’re sinister-looking black birds that cry when rain’s coming. Wizards used to believe that the Augurey’s cry foretold death. When I was growing up, my guardian kept one in a cage.
SCORPIUS: Your… guardian?
DELPHI looks at SCORPIUS, now she has the Time-Turner she’s enjoying the game of this.
DELPHI: She used to say it was crying because it could see I was going to come to a sticky end. She didn’t like me much. Euphemia Rowle… she only took me in for the gold.
ALBUS: Why would you want a tattoo of her bird, then?
DELPHI: It reminds me that the future is mine to make.
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Get the entire Harry Potter and the Cursed Child LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Augurey Symbol Timeline in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Augurey appears in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 2
...tells him it’s Mudbloods in the dungeons being tortured—his idea. She tells him that the Augurey insists the future is theirs to make, and she wants to make one with him....
(full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 3
...Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry. Around his office are flags with an Augurey on them. Draco is authoritative and scolds Scorpius harshly for being late. Scorpius is baffled...
(full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 7
...and return safely. If they get it right, Harry is alive, Voldemort is dead, the Augurey is gone, and no risk is too great. Though she says that she is sorry...
(full context)
Part 2, Act 3, Scene 16
...of her neck for the first time. She tells him it’s a bird called an Augurey that cries when rain comes—wizards used to believe that they foretold death. She explains that...
(full context)
...the reason she didn’t come to Hogwarts. In the other world, they called her the Augurey. Delphi starts to smile sinisterly, and she quickly binds Albus and Scorpius, snapping their wands...
(full context)
Part 2, Act 4, Scene 11
...speaks in Parseltongue and flies in the air as proof, explaining that she is the Augurey to his Dark Lord, and she is ready to serve him.
(full context)
