Taboo

Amid the scattered radiance, Albus Dumbledore stood like a legendary wizard stepped out of an ancient painting, every strand of his hair carrying the wisdom of age, his brilliant blue eyes blazing.

He held the boy securely in the crook of one arm, then turned to Harry with a gentle curve to his lips.

"You did very well, Harry."

There was unquestionable affirmation in his warm, mellow voice. Harry's ears instantly turned scarlet, and his eyes fluttered awkwardly as his gaze darted between Dumbledore's robes and the ground.

"I didn't really do much. Wade defeated them... Oh, right! Voldemort came back to life, and he touched me! He used the Killing Curse on me, but I... I died... and then I think I came back to life! I... I don't understand what happened..."

His face was clouded with confusion.

"I know, Harry, I know... We all saw it," Dumbledore continued gently. "But one thing is wrong. You did not die. Voldemort's Killing Curse failed to kill you..."

"Wh-why?" Harry asked. "I heard... anyone hit by the Killing Curse dies..."

"Oh, there are some rather complicated reasons behind that..."

A faintly pleased expression appeared on Dumbledore's face as he said, "But we can discuss that later, all right? We can sit down, and I'll explain it all to you slowly."

Harry suddenly realized that they were not at school, and this was not the right time for a heart-to-heart. He nodded, stepped back to Dumbledore's side, cast Wade a worried glance, and gripped the Golden Kettle tightly in his hand.

When he had awakened on the ground, he had seen the Tattooed Woman knocked unconscious by the Golems. The Golden Kettle had fallen beside her, and it seemed no one had noticed it yet.

Harry had immediately run over and picked