When the Harry Potter series ended, I knew that it wouldn't really be over. Not permanently. For one thing, there was too big and devoted a fanbase. For another, too much money to be made. 
 And I was right, with the 2016 release of a new movie set in the same universe, and "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," a stage play that also serves as a sequel to the original series. While it lacks the narrative ebbs and flows of the books (three years pass in a few pages), it's a solid enough sequel that expands the story into the next generation -- there's dark overtones, plenty of new characters, and more magical shenanigans. 
 The story begins where the last book ends, with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger sending their children off to Hogwarts. But Albus Potter quickly finds that he's regarded as a disappointment by everyone there -- not is he pretty bad at magic, but he quickly becomes best friends with young Scorpius Malfoy... and is sorted into Slytherin. As the years go by, both Scorpius and Albus are troubled -- Albus by the weight of his father's legacy, and Scorpius by malicious rumors that he's actually the secret son of Voldemort. 
 Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione discover that a new, superior type of Time-Turner is being created, and Harry begins having strange dreams that hint that something horrible is coming. After the two boys use a Time-Turner to try to right an old wrong, they find that they've messed up the timeline -- and as they try to fix the mistakes they made, they soon find themselves in the grip of a terrible enemy. 
 Like most time-travel-centric stories, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" becomes a little brain-twisty at times, but the core of it is essentially about two relationships. One is between the unlikely best friends Scorpius and Albus, two boys who seem like opposites... until you realize that both are burdened by the legacy of a father/rumored father. And the other is about Harry and Albus, a father and son who love each other but can't communicate well, and the clash between Albus' moody loneliness and Harry's overprotectiveness. 
 Admittedly the concept feels rather like a fanfic at times (especially the big reveal about a certain character's true identity -- no, I'm not going to mention who it is, but it's eye-rollingly fanficcy). However, it's a fairly well-written one, with some quirky dialogue ("I don't remember the last time someone asked my name." "What is your name?" "I've forgotten") and new characters who fit fairly well into the narrative. There are also some chilling glimpses of a Hogwarts-that-might-have-been, after twenty years of ruthless rule by Voldemort and his followers. 
 And of course, fans will see a lot of familiar faces -- not just Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco, but a number of lesser characters in the past or alternate presents (such as Snape or Umbridge). And it does an excellent job fleshing out some of these characters, such as an older, grief-stricken Draco Malfoy, who ironically has more insight into Albus than Harry does. The scene where he and Harry discuss their families and experiences is one of the best of the play. 
 Probably its biggest problem is a few conversations that don't add much to the actual story or characters, but aren't well-written enough to be entertaining on their own (Ginny and Harry discussing Albus and his issues, which is quite cliched). It feels like it needed another rewrite or two in places, or a scene or two whittled down. 
 "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" has a somewhat fanficcy flavor, but is a fairly clever story with some solid dialogue, and two strong character-driven subplots. I doubt I'll be watching it onstage, but the story itself is certainly worth checking out for fans of this universe.