The official artwork for the Harry Potter stage play The Cursed Child depicts The Chosen One inside a Golden Snitch, and there’s a lot worth analyzing.

The new art was unveiled Thursday afternoon. Before we get into analyzing, first take a look at this animated version:

Now take a closer look at the boy. That definitely looks like Harry, and he’s sitting in a model of a Golden Snitch resembling a nest:

The phrase “I open at the close” immediately comes to mind when we look at this artwork. Harry needs to be released from his holdings.

Could his placement in the nest (he’s in the fetal position) symbolize Harry being in development before hatching? One could argue he was incubating all those years at the Dursley’s home. And yes, this artwork does seem to confirm the play will take place during that era of Harry’s life.

As revealed in Deathly Hallows, the Snitch only opened for Harry once he was prepared to face death. Its opening allowed him to retrieve the Resurrection Stone Dumbledore hid within the Snitch, thus allowing Harry to have a brief but important conversation with Lupin, Sirius, James, and Lily. Might this artwork also suggest we’re going to learn more about his departed loved ones?! Okay fine, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

Coincidentally, J.K. Rowling revealed earlier this week that this chapter from the final book is her favorite in the series.

How this all plays into The Cursed Child is still a mystery. The Snitch may not play into the story at all, but this artwork could suggest that death plays an important part.

This artwork may also suggest that “The Cursed Child” is Harry. Then again, could the title’s potential redundancy suggest otherwise?

Last month we learned The Cursed Child is being split into two parts due to the “epic nature” of the story. In other words, you’ll have to purchase two tickets to see the entire story played out across two separate performances. $$$.

What do you make of ‘The Cursed Child’ artwork?

The play hits London’s West End next summer. Details about the story have yet to be revealed, but Rowling has insisted it’s not a prequel.

We’ll be talking about this art on the next MuggleCast which we’ll be releasing Friday. Stay tuned!