Time-Turners Symbol in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Time-Turners illustrate the dangers of fixating on and altering the past. Time-Turners allow the user to go back in time and change the past, which often unintentionally changes the present. In the play, Albus and Scorpius steal a Ministry Time-Turner, hoping to try to save Cedric from an unjust death. However, as a result, they create ripple effects in time that have disastrous consequences—first making it so that Hermione and Ron never marry or have their daughter Rose, and then making it so that Voldemort wins the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry dies, Albus never exists, and Voldemort reigns over the wizarding world. This results in Scorpius having to go back in time again to correct the mistakes that he and Albus made, illustrating the potentially disastrous and life-altering consequences of changing the past.

Draco illustrates how not using a Time-Turner is a more noble thing to do. He holds onto a Time-Turner his entire life but never uses it, even though he would love to have more time with his late wife Astoria, because he knows the potentially dire consequences of altering the past even slightly. Ultimately, Harry and Draco use this Time-Turner only to try to prevent any further changes to the past. Their journey reflects the play’s suggestion that it’s better to focus on the present and come to terms with the past, rather than dangerously trying to alter the past and, as a result, creating chaos in the future.

Time-Turners Quotes in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The Harry Potter and the Cursed Child quotes below all refer to the symbol of Time-Turners. 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:

ALBUS: When Amos Diggory asked for the Time-Turner my father denied they even existed. He lied to an old man who just wanted his son back—who just loved his son. And he did it because he didn’t care—because he doesn’t care. Everyone talks about all the brave things Dad did. But he made some mistakes too. Some big mistakes, in fact. I want to set one of those mistakes right. I want us to save Cedric.

SCORPIUS: Okay, whatever was holding your brain together seems to have snapped.

ALBUS: I’m going to do this, Scorpius. I need to do this. And you know as well as I do, I’ll entirely mess it up if you don’t come with me. Come on.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, Amos Diggory

Related Symbols: Time-Turners

Page Number and Citation: 51

Explanation and Analysis:

SCORPIUS: From the moment I first heard of it, I was desperate to go. I mean, Dad didn’t much like it there but even the way he described it… From the age of ten I’d check the Daily Prophet first thing every morning—certain some sort of tragedy would have befallen it—certain I wouldn’t get to go.

ALBUS: And then you got there and it turned out to be terrible after all.

SCORPIUS: Not for me.

ALBUS looks at his friend, shocked.

All I ever wanted to do was go to Hogwarts and have a mate to get up to mayhem with. Just like Harry Potter. And I got his son. How crazily fortunate is that.

ALBUS: But I'm nothing like my dad.

SCORPIUS: You're better. You're my best friend, Albus. And this is mayhem to the nth degree.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Voldemort

Related Symbols: Time-Turners

Page Number and Citation: 102-103

Explanation and Analysis:

ALBUS enters and walks up one staircase.

SCORPIUS enters and walks up another.

The staircases meet. The two boys look at each other.

Lost and hopeful—all at once.

And then ALBUS looks away and the moment is broken—and with it, possibly, the friendship.

And now the staircases part—the two look at each other—one full of guilt—the other full of pain—both full of unhappiness.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Rose Granger-Weasley

Related Symbols: Time-Turners

Page Number and Citation: 124

Explanation and Analysis:

SCORPIUS: Have you heard me, Albus? This is bigger than you and your dad. Professor Croaker’s law—the furthest someone can go back in time without the possibility of serious harm to the traveler or time itself is five hours. And we went back years. The smallest moment, the smallest change, it creates ripples. And we—we’ve created really bad ripples. Rose was never born because of what we did. Rose.

Related Characters: Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Albus Severus Potter, Harry Potter, Rose Granger-Weasley

Related Symbols: Time-Turners

Page Number and Citation: 137

Explanation and Analysis:

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.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy (speaker), Delphi Diggory (speaker), Harry Potter

Related Symbols: The Augurey, Time-Turners

Page Number and Citation: 215

Explanation and Analysis:

CEDRIC: Emancipare! Emancipare!

The boys are freed.

And now I can go on? Finish the maze?

The boys look at CEDRIC—they know exactly what it means for him to finish the maze.

ALBUS: I’m afraid you have to finish the maze.

CEDRIC: Then I shall.

CEDRIC walks confidently away. Albus looks after him—desperate to say something, unsure what to say.

ALBUS: Cedric-

CEDRIC turns towards him.

Your dad loves you very much.

Related Characters: Albus Severus Potter (speaker), Cedric Diggory (speaker), Scorpius Malfoy, Delphi Diggory, Voldemort, Amos Diggory

Related Symbols: Time-Turners

Page Number and Citation: 231-232

Explanation and Analysis:

Time-Turners Symbol Timeline in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The timeline below shows where the symbol Time-Turners appears in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...addresses the rumor about him: that his parents couldn’t have children, so Astoria used a Time-Turner to travel to the past and conceived Scorpius with Voldemort. Rose jokes that Scorpius couldn’t... (full context)

...very ill. He asks if the Ministry could release a statement explaining that all the Time-Turners were destroyed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, but Harry tells Draco that... (full context)

...papers when Harry enters in a rush. He explains that he apprehended someone with a Time-Turner, which he holds up to her, grinning. Then he asks her what she’s doing in... (full context)

...to help him get Cedric back, because Amos heard that the Ministry now has a Time-Turner. (full context)

...and he tells Amos that the rumor isn’t true and that he doesn’t have a Time-Turner. (full context)

...friends. Rose makes conversation, saying that she heard rumors that the Ministry found an illegal Time-Turner. Surprised, Albus turns to find Scorpius, but Rose stays with Albus. When he asks her... (full context)

Friendship, Family, Love, and Bravery Theme Icon

...at the wrong time. But, Albus says, they can make it right by using a Time-Turner. He wants to correct one of Harry’s mistakes and help Amos get his son back.... (full context)

...correct the injustice. He asks Delphi to go with them, knowing that even getting the Time-Turner will be dangerous. She agrees, and Amos says he hopes they succeed. (full context)

...to act casually. They’ve used Veritaserum on a Ministry official and found out that the Time-Turner is in Hermione’s office. Suddenly, they hear the real Harry and Hermione approaching the office.... (full context)

...it’s weird that Albus had to kiss his aunt. They start to look for the Time-Turner, but as they do, Scorpius asks about what Harry said about wishing Albus weren’t his... (full context)

...the floor and gives them a riddle, which Delphi believes will lead them to the Time-Turner. They soon puzzle out that the answer is “Dementors,” and they search for a book... (full context)

...and chaos stop and the bookcase stops attacking them. Inside the book, they find the Time-Turner. (full context)

...Scorpius and Albus then hear voices in the forest, looking for them, Albus activates the Time-Turner. It vibrates and explodes as the stage warps. Time spools backwards. (full context)

...Cedric dives out of reach as the dragon. As this happens, Scorpius notices that the Time-Turner has started ticking. As Cedric pulls out his wand, Albus disarms him, and everything starts... (full context)

...is hollering in pain. Scorpius realizes that there must be some time limit on the Time-Turner, and Albus wonders if they’ve changed anything. Suddenly, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Draco emerge, and... (full context)

...get Cedric and Rose back. They’ll be more careful this time. Scorpius takes out the Time-Turner but worries about doing further damage. Albus grabs the Time-Turner and says they have to... (full context)

...Diggory. Harry wonders in horror if it’s possible that they could have gotten the Ministry’s Time-Turner. (full context)

Just then, the world becomes darker, almost black, and the Time-Turner stops ticking in a flash. Back in the present, Scorpius emerges from the lake, triumphant.... (full context)

...which Voldemort was defeated at the Battle of Hogwarts. He explains how he used a Time-Turner to try to save Cedric Diggory by preventing him from winning the Triwizard Tournament, but... (full context)

...Snape assures her that some costs are meant to be borne. They start up the Time-Turner, and the stage warps once more. (full context)

...look on anxiously. As Albus attempts to disarm Cedric, Hermione blocks his spell. Then, the Time-Turner spins as they’re pulled back into it. (full context)

...them some of what happened. Scorpius realizes suddenly and with dread that he lost the Time-Turner. Professor McGonagall tells them that they have a lot of explaining to do. (full context)

...and McGonagall tells her that it was also incredibly stupid for her to keep a Time-Turner in a place that the boys could find it. (full context)

...to prevent that from happening. She tells them all to get out and find the Time-Turner. (full context)

...Harry explains that they’re negotiating with the Merpeople to dredge the lake and find the Time-Turner. When Harry asks why Albus did what he did, Albus says that it’s unfair what... (full context)

Scorpius says that they have to destroy the Time-Turner, pulling it from under his pillow. Albus is surprised that Scorpius lied and told everyone... (full context)

...of the Hogwarts owlery, Albus and Scorpius debate what spell to use to destroy the Time-Turner. Suddenly, Delphi appears, and Albus explains that he sent her an owl to let her... (full context)

As Delphi takes the Time-Turner, Albus notices a tattoo on the back of her neck for the first time. She... (full context)

...the Dark Lord return.” She pulls Albus and Scorpius towards her and sets off the Time-Turner. Time warps once more. (full context)

...Albus is desperate, thinking that they can try to run out the clock on the Time-Turner—it only lasts five minutes. They try to run away, but Delphi flies without a broom... (full context)

As Albus watches Cedric go, Delphi crawls away and pulls out the Time-Turner from her robes. Scorpius and Albus realize that she’s trying to leave them behind. They... (full context)

Harry and the others realize in horror that Delphi must have the Time-Turner and that she’s using Albus (the “unseen child”) and Scorpius to fulfill the prophecy. They... (full context)

...Professor McGonagall, who is in the crowd, is shocked that Harry and Hermione kept the Time-Turner (not realizing Albus and Scorpius lied about what happened), but Draco defends Hermione and Harry,... (full context)

...Ministry man anyway—his father wanted him to be one. He goes on, explaining that the Time-Turner that the Ministry found was a prototype—it was limited, only being able to go back... (full context)

...pasts that they’ve failed their sons. Draco says that’s why they have to use the Time-Turner—they have to find their sons. Harry protests, saying that they have no idea where or... (full context)

...send an owl to Hermione and Draco to meet them at Godric’s Hollow with the Time-Turner. Ginny and Harry kiss again, full of gratitude and love. (full context)

...Ron that they’re all on the same team, and Ron relents. Draco takes out the Time-Turner, and time warps around them. (full context)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

Time-Turners Symbol Analysis

Time-Turners Quotes in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Time-Turners Symbol Timeline in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child