Episode 542.e Bubble Guppies: Nonny Pirruccello and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2! (Part 5)

Plot
Nonny, Gil, and Molly continue their quest of finding and destroying the Dark Lord's three remaining Horcruxes, the magical items responsible for his immortality. But as the mystical Deathly Hallows are uncovered, and Rotten Tomato finds out about their mission, the biggest battle begins and life as they know it will never be the same again.

Cast (Characters from the real movie)

 * Nonny as (Harry Potter)
 * Gil as (Ron Weasley)
 * Molly as (Hermione Granger)
 * Witch as (Bellatrix Lestrange)
 * Mr. Langoustine as (Rubeus Hagrid)
 * Allergic Wolf as (Griphook)
 * Tobias as (Draco Malfoy)
 * Oona as (Ginny Weasley)
 * Goby as (Neville Longbottom)
 * Deema as (Luna Lovegood)
 * Pablo as (Fred Weasley)
 * Brett as (George Weasley)
 * Lachlan as (Bill Weasley)
 * Melody as (Fleur Delacour)
 * Rotten Tomato as (Lord Voldemort)
 * Mr. Grouper as (Professor Albus Dumbledore)
 * Dr. Clark as (Ollivander)
 * Parmesan as (Lucius Malfoy)
 * Limbite as (Narcissa Malfoy)
 * The Oyster Bunny as (Aberforth Dumbledore)
 * Sandy as (Helena Ravenclaw)
 * Frank the Tow Truck Lobster as (Sirius Black)
 * Mr. Grumpfish as (Professor Severus Snape)
 * Mrs. Grouper as (Professor Minerva McGonagall)
 * Pronto  as (Professor Filius Flitwick)
 * Sir Mulligan as (Remus Lupin)
 * Miss Jenny as (Nymphadora Tonks)
 * Mrs. Gordon as (Molly Weasley)
 * Mr. Gordon as (Arthur Weasley)
 * Crabs, Lobsters, and Snails as (Other characters)

Information

 * Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy.
 * Rating: PG for some violence, a bit of cursing, and many scary scenes.
 * Type of film: Fantasy.

Trivia

 * This is based on the 2011 film "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." You can read about it on Wikipedia or IMDb.
 * There are regular and fanon characters. Some return in this movie while there are new characters too.
 * This is the second part of Nonny Pirruccello and the Deathly Hallows. This story takes place after the first part.
 * This is the final story of the Nonny Pirruccello series.

Story
Start of Part 5.

(Scene: Grounds)

(Smoke drifts from the battered castle.)

(Scene: Courtyard)

(Deserted. The flagstone stained with blood, strewn with broken wands. The trio stands looking.)

Molly: Where is everyone?

(Scene: Entrance Hall)

(Tracking behind the trio. Gil walks ahead, toward the Great Hall. Puts his hands to the doors... pushes them open.)

(Scene: Great Hall)

(Triage. The House tables have been pushed to the walls. The injured stand in groups, arms slung over one another, waiting to be treated by Madam Pomfrey. The Marching Bandit’s arm gushes blood. Pronto’s face is laced with gashes. Nonny stands in the doorway, taking it all in, as if some invisible force prevents him from going further, his face a mask as he views the dead laid out in the middle of the Hall, among them Sir Mulligan and Miss Jenny, their blood-stained fingers clumsily intertwined. A heartbreaking sob draws his gaze to Brett, who kneels over a familiar body, tears dripping from his eyes. Beside Nonny, he hears a gasp -- Molly -- but he doesn’t turn, his eyes instead lost on Oona, puffy-eyed and pale, standing alongside a distraught Arthur and Molly. Gil comes into view then, having left Nonny in the entryway to join his family. As he drapes his arm over Brett, drawing his brother into a limp embrace, the lifeless body comes into view: Pablo. Molly glances back at Nonny briefly before joining the Gordons. Seeing her, Oona begins to cry, burying her face in Molly’s shoulder. Gently, slowly, Molly strokes Oona’s violet hair, over and over, murmuring something softly. For a moment, Nonny stands, hung in the doorway, then the Great Hall seems to fly away from him, to grow smaller, to shrink as he reels backward, stumbling away...)

(Scene: Headmaster's Office)

(Nonny flings open the cabinet, snatches the Pensieve and slams it onto Mr. Grouper’s old desk. He pries the cork from the flask with his teeth, tips the silvery-blue liquid into the basin. As the Pensieve swirls, Nonny looks up, at the portraits of past headmasters hanging above. All the frames are empty.)

(Scene: Godric's Hollow)

(Nonny frowns, disturbed by this, but looks away and plunges his face into the basin, falling into darkness. A jerky POV, moving toward the dark village in the distance. Frantic breathing. We stop. Still. A baby’s cry separates briefly from the breeze. We circle about, leaving the POV, and locate a face hovering in the darkness. It is Mr. Grumpfish, chest rising and falling. Stricken. Concerned. We go to black...)

Mr. Grumpfish (o.s.): Lily...

(Then...)

Petunia (o.s.): Lily! Come out of there! Now!

(Scene: Weedy Field)

(Lily Evans emerges from some brush, a flower upon her palm, opening and closing its petals like some bizarre oyster. Her sister Petunia stares, then knocks the flower away.)

Petunia: We’re going home.

(Petunia takes Lily’s arm, turns -- and stops. A skinny grey fish boy sits beneath a tree, watching them. Without a word, he opens his hand and a leaf flutters from his palm like a butterfly, circling Lily once, then drifting up and away. Lily smiles, charmed. Petunia eyes the boy fearfully, then pulls Lily away. The boy watches them go. As Lily glances back... We go to black.)

(Scene: Pirruccello House)

(Mr. Grumpfish moves through a dark garden, his face like stone. He eyes the door ahead, hanging from its hinges. He peers up to the window above. The baby’s cry rises again. His eyes glitter. He moves on, disappears inside.)

(Scene: River)

(Lily and the boy fish lie together, staring up at the sky.)

Skinny Grey Fish Boy: She’s jealous. Because she’s ordinary and you’re special.

Lily: That’s mean.

Skinny Grey Fish Boy: It’s true. You know so yourself.

(The boy fish turns his head, notes the frown knitted across Lily’s brow. He peers back up, staring hard at the tree limb above. The leaves begin to TREMBLE, then burst free, fluttering like a cloud of butterflies. Lily watches impassively and then -- slowly -- smiles, shifting her gaze to another branch. Seconds later, those leaves burst free and the two fluttering veils pass back and forth high overhead, merging briefly, then separating, again and again. Lily laughs -- a beautiful sound -- and the HISS of a train engine is heard.)

(Scene: Platform Nine and Three Quarters)

(Smoke, drifting from the Bubblewarts Express.)

(Scene: Compartment)

(The boy fish peers out the window, watching Lily and Petunia on the platform arguing, their voices muted. Finally, Lily turns, dashing for the train in tears. The boy fish straightens up, running the flat of his hand over his lank hair. Moments later... Lily comes up the aisle, eyes stinging. She stops, seeing him. They stare at one another and then, finally, she steps inside the compartment, and sits down. The boy fish reaches over, pulls down the blind, wiping the screen and...)

(Scene: Great Hall)

(We emerge from the darkness of the Sorting Hat, sitting upon a stool in the candlelit Hall, House tables aglow with a sea of rapt faces.  Two boys sit together at the Gryffindor table, watching as... A younger Mrs. Grouper sweeps the hat from the stool and calls out a name. The boy watches Lily smile nervously at the boy fish next to her, then rise and make her way to the top of the Hall. As Mrs. Grouper lowers the hat over Lily’s brow, the boy watches intently, waiting. Finally, Mrs. Grouper speaks and all those around the boy cheer. He merely smiles, watching Lily approach. He gives the other boy a nudge, to move over, making a space for Lily. As she takes her seat, she glances across the hall to the boy fish, who watches impassively as the boy reaches out his hand to introduce himself to Lily. We go to black...)

(Scene: Staircase)

(Mr. Grumpfish mounts the stairs, peering upward in the darkness to the landing above and the open bedroom door beyond. As his eyes become level with the next floor, he sees a wand lying there. As he reaches the top and turns, he sees James Pirruccello -- the man -- lying dead in the middle of the hallway.)

(Scene: Courtyard)

(Snowflakes fall like butterflies. Lily walks, hugging her books, as the boy fish harangues her. He looks driven by desperation and perhaps because of it, says something too sharp. She looks up at him, eyes stinging with tears, then turns away. The boy fish starts to call after her, regret in his eyes, then sees the other boy waiting on the other side of the courtyard. As she reaches him, they turn and together exit the courtyard. The boy fish turns away, his own eyes stinging with tears, then closes his eyes and all goes black... dotted by stars.)

(Scene: Hilltop)

(A windswept hilltop comes into view, desolate but for a few leafless trees. The adult Mr. Grumpfish turns on the spot, breathing heavily, his expression haunted and cheerless as his gaze sweeps the darkness. The wind rises suddenly and a jagged jet of white light stitches the night, sending Mr. Grumpfish’s wand flying and dropping him to his knees.)

Mr. Grumpfish: No! Don’t kill me!

(A snapping of robes precedes Mr. Grouper as he apparates into view.)

Mr. Grouper: That wasn’t my intention.

(Mr. Grumpfish stares fearfully at him.)

Mr. Grouper: Stand up, Mr. Grumpfish. I haven’t much time. What message do you bring from Lord Rotten Tomato this time?

Mr. Grumpfish: (rising) None. I come on my own account. I come with a... request.

(Mr. Grouper’s eyes flicker briefly with interest. He studies Mr. Grumpfish’s fearful face.)

Mr. Grouper: Is this about the Prophecy?

Mr. Grumpfish: Yes.

Mr. Grouper: How much did you relay?

Mr. Grumpfish: Only what I heard. But now... he thinks it refers to her.

Mr. Grouper: The Prophecy did not refer to a woman. It spoke of a boy born at the end of July --

Mr. Grumpfish: Yes! But he thinks it’s her son! He intends to hunt them down now! To kill them!

(Mr. Grouper eyes Mr. Grumpfish craftily.)

Mr. Grouper: If she means so much to you, surely Lord Rotten Tomato would spare her in exchange for the boy.

Mr. Grumpfish: I have asked.

Mr. Grouper: You disgust me. You would sacrifice the life of an innocent child over a schoolboy crush?

Mr. Grumpfish: She’s more than that! She’s different! Beautiful. Kind. (looking away) Hide them all. I beg you.

Mr. Grouper: And should I do so, what will you give me in return, Mr. Grumpfish?

Mr. Grumpfish: Anything.

(The wind rises again, the trees trembling.)

(Scene: Headmaster's Office)

(Mr. Grumpfish’s fist strikes Mr. Grouper’s desk, upsetting a tiny tin metronome.)

Mr. Grumpfish: You said you would keep her safe!

Mr. Grouper: Lily and James put their faith in the wrong person. Rather like you, Mr. Grumpfish.

(Mr. Grumpfish reels, staring miserably at the slate sky beyond the windows. Mr. Grouper studies him cunningly.)

Mr. Grouper: The boy survives.

(Mr. Grumpfish’s eyes shift. Regard Mr. Grouper.)

Mr. Grouper: He has her eyes.

Mr. Grumpfish: DON’T!

Mr. Grouper: If you loved Lily Evans, Mr. Grumpfish. If you truly loved her. Then your way is clear.

Mr. Grumpfish: He doesn’t need protection. The Dark Lord has gone --

Mr. Grouper: The Dark Lord will return. And the boy will be in terrible danger when he does.

(Mr. Grumpfish stares once more at the sky beyond. Then, softly:)

Mr. Grumpfish: No one can know. Your word.

Mr. Grouper: My word that I shall never reveal the best of you, Mr. Grumpfish? If you insist.

(Mr. Grumpfish continues to stare at the sky. We drift to it. It fills the screen and we tilt down...)

(Scene: Bubblewarts Castle)

(To Mr. Grumpfish and Mr. Grouper walking.)

Mr. Grumpfish: He exhibits no measurable talent. His arrogance rivals even his father’s. And he seems to relish his fame.

Mr. Grouper: Sometimes we see what we expect to see, Mr. Grumpfish. Other teachers indicate the boy is modest, likeable and while no prodigy, possesses above-average gifts. Personally, I find him rather engaging.

Mr. Grumpfish: You see what you want to see.

(Mr. Grumpfish walks on. Mr. Grouper smiles with amusement.)

Mr. Grouper: Perhaps. Oh. Mr. Grumpfish. (as he stops) Keep an eye on the Weather Weasel, won’t you?

(Scene: Headmaster's Office)

(A feverish, semiconscious Mr. Grouper raises his left hand and tips a goblet of golden potion over his lips while Mr. Grumpfish ministers to his right hand, which is blackened. A ring lies upon the desk before them.)

Mr. Grumpfish: Why did you put it on? Surely you realized it carried a curse.

Mr. Grouper: I was... foolish... greedy...

Mr. Grumpfish: Drink the rest. It will contain the curse to the hand for the time being.

(Mr. Grouper’s eyes open, examine his damaged fingers.)

Mr. Grouper: For the time being?

Mr. Grumpfish: It will spread.

Mr. Grouper: How long?

Mr. Grumpfish: Maybe a year.

(Mr. Grouper nods, smiles.)

Mr. Grouper: Well, this makes matters much more straightforward.

(Mr. Grumpfish studies Mr. Grouper briefly, looks away.)

Mr. Grouper: Do not ignore me, Mr. Grumpfish. Was it not you who told me of Rotten Tomato’s plan to have the Gordon boy murder me?

Mr. Grumpfish: It is not expected that he will succeed.

Mr. Grouper: But should he fail, one would presume the Dark Lord will turn to... you.

(Mr. Grumpfish does not respond.)

Mr. Grouper: You must agree.

(Mr. Grumpfish stares in horror at Mr. Grouper. Mr. Grouper nods.)

Mr. Grouper: Yes. You must be the one to kill me, Mr. Grumpfish. It is the only way. Only then will the Dark Lord trust you completely.

Mr. Grumpfish: You ask too much.

Mr. Grouper: (thundering) Too much! Nothing I could ask is too much. You know what is at stake! You more than anyone!

(Mr. Grumpfish says nothing. Mr. Grouper sits back, painfully studies his hand.)

Mr. Grouper: There will come a time when Nonny Pirruccello must be told something. But you must wait until Rotten Tomato is at his most vulnerable.

Mr. Grumpfish: Tell him what?

Mr. Grouper: On the night Lord Rotten Tomato went to Godric’s Hollow to kill Nonny, and Lily Pirruccello cast herself between them, the curse rebounded. When that happened, a part of Lord Rotten Tomato’s soul latched itself onto the only living thing it could find: Nonny himself.

(Mr. Grumpfish stares in disbelief. Mr. Grouper nods.)

Mr. Grouper: There’s a reason Nonny can speak with snakes. There’s a reason he can look into Lord Rotten Tomato’s mind. A part of Lord Rotten Tomato lives inside him.

Mr. Grumpfish: So when the time comes, the boy must die.

Mr. Grouper: Yes. And Rotten Tomato himself must do it. That is essential.

(Mr. Grumpfish nods, pondering all of this. His voice is bitter.)

Mr. Grumpfish: You’ve kept him alive so that he can die at the proper moment. You’ve been raising him like a pig for slaughter.

Mr. Grouper: But this is touching, Mr. Grumpfish. Don’t tell me you’ve grown to care for the boy?

(Mr. Grumpfish eyes Mr. Grouper fiercely, then:)

Mr. Grumpfish: Expecto Patronum!

(A blast of light bursts from his wand, soars out the window: a silver doe.)

Mr. Grouper: Lily. After all this time?

Mr. Grumpfish: Always...

(We go to black...)

(Scene: Bedroom)

(In the f.g., a baby fidgets in its crib. We see Mr. Grumpfish enter the room, glance at the baby, then down toward the floor. He stands, utterly still... then his face creases with pain. Lily lies in profile, eyes open but empty, staring toward the ceiling. Her chest is still. Mr. Grumpfish leans down and, cradling her, begins to weep...)

Mr. Grouper (v.o.): The irony of course, Mr. Grumpfish, is that -- in the end -- you and the boy desire the same thing...

(Scene: Headmaster's Office)

(Nonny emerges, dripping, from the Pensieve and stares at his reflection in the window opposite, watching as the liquid runs like tears from his face, then evaporates. Gently, he touches the center of his chest.)

(Scene: Marble Staircase)

(The castle is eerily quiet as Nonny walks, the portraits he passes empty. As he reaches the end of the corridor, he turns and stops. In the shadows of an alcove, Molly murmurs to Gil, their faces close. For a long moment, Nonny simply watches them. Then, as if sensing his presence, Molly turns. Instantly, she runs to him. Gil follows.)

Molly: Where’ve you been?

Gil: We thought you’d gone to the forest, we thought you might be --

Nonny: I’m going there now.

Gil: Are you mad! No!

Nonny: It’s... meant to be.

Gil: Rubbish! You can’t just give yourself up to him --

(Molly squeezes Gil’s arm, silencing him.)

Molly: What is it, Nonny? What is it you know?

(Gil studies her face, then looks back to Nonny.)

Nonny: There’s a reason I can... hear them -- the Horcruxes.

(Molly begins to shake her head, not wanting to believe. Nonny simply nods, touches the center of his chest.)

Nonny: I think I’ve known for awhile. (studying her) I think you’ve known too.

(Molly stands still, miserable.)

Molly: I’ll go with you. I’ll --

(She falters hopelessly as a single tear traces her cheek. Nonny reaches out, wipes it away.)

Nonny: Kill the snake. Kill the snake and then it’s just him. Then it will be over.

(He turns then, leaving them. Gil and Molly stand silently, watching every step he takes until he reaches the end... and is gone.)

(Scene: Entrance Hall)

(As Nonny descends, Goby and Mr. Shapero appear in the Entrance Hall far below, carrying the body of a smallish boy: Edmond.)

Mr. Shapero: I’ll take him from here.

(Mr. Shapero throws Edmond over his shoulder, enters the Great Hall. Goby watches them go, looking, for a moment, very old. Then, wearily, he turns, heading back outside.)

(Scene: Grounds)

(In the distance, shadows collect the dead, too occupied with their grim task to notice Nonny. He stares straight ahead, just walking, until a voice tugs his ear:)

Oona: It’s all right. We’re going to get you inside.

(Oona crouches over the tiny Ravenclaw girl, who is crying.)

Young Girl: I kept calling. No one came.

Oona: Don’t worry. I won’t leave you. I promise.

(Oona strokes the sobbing girl’s hair, her own face haunted by sorrow. Nonny studies her, moved, then continues on. A moment later, Oona turns, looks to the place where he was standing... but finds only darkness.)

(Scene: Forbidden Forest)

(Nonny reaches the Forest’s edge. Within, further on, he can see Dementors drifting within the trees. Nonny starts to enter, then pauses, reaches into his pocket and removes the Snitch. Eyes the words etched upon it: “I open at the close.” Nonny frowns, then closes his eyes, brings the metal orb to his lips. His fingers tremble, then lowers his hand, watching as the metal shell falls away to reveal... the Resurrection Stone. A jagged crack runs down its center, along the line representing the Elder Wand. The triangle and circle, representing the Cloak and Stone, are faintly visible. Nonny stares at it, then closes his eyes and begins to roll the Stone over in his hand.)

Nonny: (murmuring) Once. Twice. Thrice...

(Nonny stands for a moment and then, slowly, opens his eyes. Reacts. Four people stand within the Forest: James Pirruccello, Frank the Tow Truck Lobster, Sir Mulligan and Lily Pirruccello. Lily eyes him lovingly and beckons him forth. As if in a dream, Nonny drifts through the trees, stops before her.)

Mrs. Pirruccello: You’ve been so brave, sweetheart.

Nonny: Why are you here? All of you?

Mrs. Pirruccello: We never left, dear.

Nonny: Does it hurt? Dying?

Frank: And he will want it to be quick.

Mr. Pirruccello: You’re nearly there, son.

Nonny: I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of you to die for me. And Sir Mulligan, your son...

Sir Mulligan: Others will tell him what his mother and father died for. Someday he’ll understand...

(A chill breeze shakes the trees. Nonny looks ahead.)

Nonny: You’ll stay with me?

Mr. Pirruccello: Until the end.

Nonny: He won’t be able to see you?

(Frank shakes his head, gestures to Nonny’s heart.)

Frank: No. We’re here, you see.

(Nonny turns to his mother.)

Nonny: Stay close to me.

Mrs. Pirruccello: Always...

(Nonny glances back, toward the Forest’s Edge, takes a last look at the castle in the distance, then sets off. Dozens of Dementos drift amongst the smoking trees, but his guides insulate him, and they merely peel away. Nonny walks on, his legs driving him, until light splinters the trees ahead, and a clearing comes into view.)

(Scene: Clearing)

(A fire burns, its light flickering over the throng of Death Eaters present. Parmesan and Limbite Gordon, weary with fear, sit apart. The Witch paces in and out of the shadows, muttering madly. And then there is Rotten Tomato, who stands with his head bowed, his skeletal hands folded over the Elder Wand. Nagini lays in a heavy coil at his feet. The Cyclops enters the clearing.)

Cyclops: No sign of him, my Lord.

(Rotten Tomato nods, unmoving.)

Rotten Tomato: I thought he would come. I was, it seems... mistaken.

Nonny: You weren’t.

(All eyes shift to Nonny, standing at the clearing’s edge. He lets the Resurrection Stone tumble from his fingers and James, Frank, Sir Mulligan and, lastly, Lily -- all vanish. Nonny steps into the firelight.)

Mr. Langoustine: NONNY! NO! WHAT’RE YEH DOIN’ ‘ERE!

(Mr. Langoustine is trussed to a tree. The branches shake violently as he tries to break free.)

Cyclops: Quiet!

(He flicks his wand and Mr. Langoustine slumps, goes silent. A cackling laugh rises on the air and Nonny turns, sees the Witch glancing eagerly from Nonny to Rotten Tomato. Rotten Tomato takes a step forward and the flickering flames wash over his pale skin. He tilts his head to the side. A smile curls on his mouth.)

Rotten Tomato: Nonny Pirruccello. The Boy Who Lived. Come to die.

(Nagini hisses behind her protective guard of Death Eaters. Nonny’s gaze shifts to her when Rotten Tomato raises his wand. Scarlet flickers in his eyes. Then a bolt of green light shatters the night and all is...)

(Scene: King's Cross)

(Gone. All but a bright white mist. Nonny lies face down. For a long moment. Finally, he stirs, sits up. Touches his face. His goggles are gone. He peers into the mist. Nothing. But somewhere, out there, in the mist, is a soft thumping. He stands. Peers up. A domed glass roof hovers -- familiar. The thumping persists. Unnerving. Nonny squints into the mist. Moving, the thumping growing louder. Up ahead, a small mass quivers. Nonny slows... recoils. A thing -- like a small naked child -- lies shuddering on the ground, its skin raw and rough. Nonny leans close...)

Mr. Grouper: You cannot help.

(Nonny spins, finds Mr. Grouper standing within the mist. At the sight of Nonny, Mr. Grouper beams and spreads his arms wide. His hand is whole, no longer damaged.)

Mr. Grouper: Nonny. You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man. Let us walk.

(Nonny and Mr. Grouper walk.)

Nonny: Sir, this, is this... I mean, forgive me, but you are dead, aren’t you, sir?

Mr. Grouper: Oh, yes.

Nonny: Then... I’m dead too?

Mr. Grouper: Ah. That is the question, isn’t it? On the whole I think not.

Nonny: Not?

Mr. Grouper: Not.

Nonny: But I didn’t defend myself. I let him kill me.

Mr. Grouper: And that will, I think, have made all the difference. I suspect you now realize that you and Rotten Tomato have been connected by something other than fate since that night in Godric’s Hollow all those years ago, Nonny.

Nonny: It’s true, isn’t it, sir? A bit of him lives in me, doesn’t it?

Mr. Grouper: Did. It was just destroyed only moments ago by none other than Rotten Tomato himself.

(Nonny plays his fingers over his sternum.)

Mr. Grouper: You were the seventh Horcrux, Nonny; the Horcrux he never meant to make.

Nonny: And you knew this? That’s why you were certain I wouldn’t die?

Mr. Grouper: Certain? No. Little is certain in this world, Nonny. Call it an educated guess.

(Mr. Grouper smiles. Nonny ponders this, then, deep in the mist, the thumping returns.)

Nonny: Mr. Grouper, is that -- ?

Mr. Grouper: Something beyond either of our help.

(Nonny ponders his surroundings.)

Nonny: Exactly where are we, sir?

Mr. Grouper: I was going to ask you that. Where would you say that we are?

Nonny: It looks like King’s Cross station -- only a lot cleaner. And without the trains.

Mr. Grouper: King’s Cross! Is that right? Well, this is, as they say, your party.

(Nonny looks perplexed by this, but Mr. Grouper only smiles.)

Nonny: Sir, why didn’t you just tell me about the Deathly Hallows?

Mr. Grouper: You will have to forgive me, Nonny. You see... I didn’t trust you.

(Nonny stares at him. For the first time, Mr. Grouper looks troubled.)

Mr. Grouper: I feared that you would make the same mistake I made, that you would be intoxicated by the power the Hallows promise their possessor. But I crave your pardon, Nonny. It’s clear to me now, as it should have been all along, that you are the better man.

Nonny: Sir --

Mr. Grouper: You are the worthy possessor of the Hallows, Nonny, not me. I was fit to own the Elder Wand, because I took it not for gain, but to save others from it. But I took the Stone because I longed to recall someone who has long been at peace and for that I paid with my life.

Nonny: You wanted to see Demanda again, didn’t you, sir?

Mr. Grouper: Yes.

(Nonny ponders this, then frowns.)

Nonny: I used the Stone as well, sir, only a little while ago when I entered the Forest. I saw my mum and dad, and Frank and Sir Mulligan...

Mr. Grouper: True. But ask yourself this: were you calling them? Or were they calling you?

(Nonny studies Mr. Grouper, whose expression remains serene.)

Mr. Grouper: (looking him in the eye) You are the true master of death, Nonny, because the true master does not seek to run away from death. He accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the living world.

(For a moment, they stand in silence.)

Nonny: I’ve got to go back, haven’t I?

Mr. Grouper: That is up to you.

Nonny: I’ve got a choice?

Mr. Grouper: Oh yes. We are in King’s Cross, you say? I think, should you so decide, you would be able to, let’s say, board a train.

Nonny: And where would it take me?

Mr. Grouper: On.

(Nonny nods.)

Nonny: Rotten Tomato’s got the Elder Wand.

Mr. Grouper: True.

Nonny: And the snake lives.

Mr. Grouper: Yes.

Nonny: And I’ve nothing to kill it with.

Mr. Grouper: ‘Help will always be given at Bubblewarts to those who ask for it.’

(Nonny glances at him.)

Mr. Grouper: I have always prized my ability to turn a phrase -- words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable both of inflicting injury and remedying it. But I would -- in this case -- amend my original statement to this: (leaning close) Help will always be given at Bubblewarts to those who most deserve it... (leaning back) Assuming circumstances in the main are favorable to such an outcome, of course.

Nonny: With all due respect, sir, I think what we need here is a miracle.

Mr. Grouper: I’ve never put much stock in miracles, Nonny. On the other hand, I can attest wholly to the extensive advantages of a related phenomenon.

Nonny: Which would be, sir?

Mr. Grouper: Luck.

(Nonny studies Mr. Grouper’s face, then peers back into the mist again. The thumping continues, more faintly.)

Mr. Grouper: Do not pity the dead, Nonny. Pity the living and, above all, those who live without love.

Nonny: Sir, my mother’s Patronus. It was a doe, wasn’t it? Just like Mr. Grumpfish’s. Curious, don’t you think?

Mr. Grouper: Actually, if I think about it... it doesn’t seem curious at all. (a smile) I’ll be going now, Nonny.

Nonny: Mr. Grouper.

(As Mr. Grouper stops, Nonny gestures vaguely.)

Nonny: Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?

Mr. Grouper: Of course it is happening inside your head, Nonny. But why should that mean that it is not real?

(Mr. Grouper beams as the mist thickens around him, then swallows him altogether...)

Limbite (o.s.): (in a whisper) Is he alive...?

(Scene: Clearing)

(Nonny lies facedown, goggles askew. He opens his eyes a millimeter, finds Limbite’s face swimming in the dawn’s muted light, eyeing him with a strange intensity: the question, he realizes, was posed to him.)

Witch: My lord, let me help you --

Rotten Tomato: I do not require assistance.

(Across the clearing, Rotten Tomato rises shakily, the Witch at his elbow. The Death Eaters watch, stirring uncertainly. Rotten Tomato glances toward Limbite, toward Nonny. The Witch detects the wary glint in his eyes.)

Witch: The boy. Is he dead?

(Nonny’s eyes shift, meet Limbite’s once again. Something in her expression... He closes his eyes. She places her fingers over his heart, whispers:)

Limbite: Is he alive? Tobias?

(Nonny hesitates and then... nods -- so subtly it’s barely perceptible. Limbite withdraws her hand, turns to where the Witch stands alongside Rotten Tomato. Nods. The Death Eaters cheer. Mr. Langoustine howls in misery. The news seems to rejuvenate Rotten Tomato. A fierce glint returns to his eyes. His stature grows. He eyes the Elder Wand... and smiles.)

End of Part 5.