LUCY
Peter, Peter, wake up! It’s there, it’s really there!

Susan shuffles in to find LUCY jumping on Peter’s bed. Edmund slouches on his bed

PETER
Lucy, what are you talking about?

LUCY
Narnia. It’s all in the wardrobe like I told you.

SUSAN
You’ve just been dreaming, Lucy-

LUCY
But I haven’t! I saw Mr. Tumnus again! And this time, Edmund went too!

Peter scowls at Edmund

PETER
You saw the faun?

Edmund hesitates. Lucy jumps in.

LUCY
Well, he didn’t actually go there with me. He...

Lucy stops, considering. She turns to Edmund.

LUCY (cont’d)
What were you doing, Edmund?

They all turn to Edmund

Edmund looks concerned. Telling the truth means admitting his betrayal of Mr. Tumnus. He swallows then:

EDMUND
I was just playing along.

Lucy looks at him, confused. He turns to Peter.

He turns to Lucy with a thin, superior smile.

EDMUND (cont’d)
I’m sorry Peter, I shouldn’t have encouraged her. But you know what little children are like these days. They just don’t know when to stop pretending.

Lucy’s face crumples. SHE RUNS OUT OF THE ROOM IN TEARS.

Peter glares, furious, but Susan pulls him away out the door.

39 INT. PROFESSOR’S HOUSE, BEDROOM HALL - NIGHT
Lucy tears down the hall. She stops, exhausted, her breath coming in heaving sobs.

Peter and Susan’s footsteps clomp behind her.

Lucy bumps straight into...

A TALL, GRAY HAIRED MAN, standing at the door to the Professor’s office.

She looks up at him, lip trembling. He looks down at her, kind, curious eyes peering from behind his spectacles.

Finally, Lucy throws herself at him, CRYING into his trousers.

Susan and Peter scramble up. The Professor eyes them.

MRS. MACREADY (O.S.)
You children are one shenanigan shy of sleeping in the stables-

An enraged MRS. MACREADY rounds the corner in a flannel robe.

Upon seeing the Professor, she stops, collecting herself.

MRS. MACREADY (cont’d)
Professor. I’m sorry. I told them you were not to be disturbed.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
It’s all right, Mrs. Macready. I’m sure there’s an explanation.

He looks down at Lucy.

PROFESSOR KIRKE (cont’d)
First of all, I think this one is in need of a little hot chocolate.

MRS. MACREADY
Come along dear.

Lucy blinks up at him. Mrs. Macready takes Lucy’s hand and leads the little girl down the stairs.

Peter and Susan turn to skulk back to their rooms, but:

PROFESSOR KIRKE
Ahem.

The Professor crooks his finger at them.

40 INT. PROFESSOR’S HOUSE, PROFESSOR’S OFFICE - NIGHT
Peter and Susan step timidly inside. Shelves line the walls, crammed with ancient books and artifacts.

The Professor takes a seat behind a crowded desk. He unscrews a SILVER APPLE, revealing TOBACCO.

He lowers his glasses and looks Peter and Susan over.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
You seem to have upset the delicate internal balance of my housekeeper.

PETER
We’re very sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.

Peter edges toward the door, but Susan lingers.

SUSAN
It’s our sister, sir, Lucy.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
The weeping girl?

SUSAN
Yes sir. She’s upset.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
Hence the weeping.

PETER
(glaring at Susan)
It’s nothing. We can handle it

PROFESSOR KIRKE
I can see that.

Finally, Susan just blurts it out.

SUSAN
She thinks she’s found a magical land in the upstairs wardrobe.

The Professor’s head snaps up, eyes sparkling strangely.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
What did you say?

Peter squirms.

PETER
Um, the wardrobe upstairs...Lucy thinks she found a forest inside.

SUSAN
She won’t stop going on about it.

The Professor rises and ushers the children to the couch.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
What was it like?

SUSAN
Like talking to a lunatic-

PROFESSOR KIRKE
No, no...Not her, the forest.

Peter and Susan look at each other, confused.

PETER
You’re not saying you believe her?

PROFESSOR KIRKE
You don’t.

SUSAN
Of course not. I mean logically, it’s impossible.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
What do they teach in schools these days?

PETER
Edmund said they were only pretending.

The Professor nods seriously. He takes a PIPE from the hand of a WOODEN MONKEY.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
And he’s usually the more truthful one, is he?

Susan and Peter exchange a glance.

PETER
No...this would be the first time.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
So, if she’s not mad and she’s not lying, then logically...

He eyes Susan as he lights his pipe.

PROFESSOR KIRKE (cont’d)
We must assume she’s telling the truth.

Peter and Susan gape.

PETER
You’re saying that we should just believe her?

The Professor nods with a satisfied smile.

PROFESSOR KIRKE
She’s your sister, isn’t she? You’re a family.

The Professor looks at them over his glasses.

PROFESSOR KIRKE (cont’d)
You might just try acting like one.

A41 INT. PROFESSOR’S HOUSE, WARDROBE ROOM-DAY
THE WARDROBE stands silent against the wall.

PULL BACK THROUGH THE WINDOW TO FIND...

PETER (O.S.)
And Peter winds up, poised to take yet another wicket (etc).

SUSAN (O.S.)
(laughs)

41 EXT. PROFESSOR’S HOUSE - DAY
EDMUND, stares up at the WARDROBE ROOM.

A CRICKET BALL whacks into him.

EDMUND
Owwww!

PETER (O.S.)
Oops. Wake up, Dolly Daydream.

Edmund, stands at bat, he turns from the house, sulky.

EDMUND
Why can’t we play hide and seek again?

PETER
I thought you said it was a kid’s game.

Susan throws the ball back to Peter. She looks over at Lucy, sitting glumly beneath a tree.

SUSAN
Besides, we could all use the fresh air.

Edmund takes his place at the wicket, grumbling.

EDMUND
It’s not like there isn’t air inside.

Peter grips the ball and glares at Edmund.

PETER
Are you ready?

EDMUND
Are you?

He smacks the ground with the bat.

Peter winds up and bowls.

EDMUND SWINGS, SMACKING THE BALL HARD INTO THE AIR...

ROCKETING IT PAST PETER AND STRAIGHT THROUGH THE LEADED GLASS WINDOW OF THE LIBRARY. SMASH! CLANG!

Peter and Susan gape, frozen.

Lucy looks up, surprised.

42 INT. PROFESSOR’S HOUSE, PROFESSOR’S STUDY - DAY
Shards of glass spread across the carpet, mingling with pieces of a FALLEN SUIT OF ARMOR.

The Pevensies look down at the wreckage.

PETER
Well done, Ed.

EDMUND
You bowled it.

Peter turns, livid. SUDDENLY, FOOTSTEPS CLATTER IN THE HALL.

MRS. MACREADY (O.S.)
What on earth is going on up there?!

SUSAN
The Macready!

The children look at each other.

PETER
Come on.

They rush out, leaving the armor oddly assembled.

43 INT. PROFESSOR’S HOUSE - DAY
The kids runs up the stairs. FOOTSTEPS CLATTER BEHIND THEM.

They run down the hall. FOOTSTEPS RUMBLE IN FRONT OF THEM.

They race through a maze of passages, FOOTSTEPS ALL AROUND.

They skid to a halt in front of THE WARDROBE ROOM.

THE FOOTSTEPS THUNDER.

They run in and shut the door behind them.

44 INT. PROFESSOR’S HOUSE, WARDROBE ROOM - DAY
The four children pant in the quiet. But then...THE FOOTSTEPS RESUME, JUST OUTSIDE THE DOOR.

Edmund runs to the WARDROBE AND OPENS IT. Gesturing for the others to climb in

EDMUND
Come on

SUSAN
You’ve got to be joking.

Peter shrugs. They scramble inside, leaving the door AJAR.

45 INT. WARDROBE - DAY
Peter puts his eye to the crack. Outside, the DOORKNOB starts to turn. The kids scrunch further into the wardrobe.

PETER
Move back. Stop shoving!

LUCY
Oww!! You’re on my foot.

EDMUND
Don’t push!

SUSAN
Watch out. Stop it.

Peter and Susan inch themselves backward, reaching behind them, until...THEY PLOP DOWN ON THE GROUND.

SUSAN
Peter? Are your trousers wet?

They look down to see they’re sitting on A PATCH OF SNOW.

Kindly provided by DavisChristian

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