Faced with Dumbledore's gentle gaze, Su Er froze for a moment, inwardly bracing himself.
Here it comes!
"A task?" Su Er put on a puzzled look, then an apprehensive one. "Could you explain in more detail?"
Dumbledore nodded gently. "Of course. Do you remember our speculation that Harry became one of the Horcruxes without Tom knowing?"
Su Er nodded. "I remember."
"During this time, I have tried various avenues to find a way to remove the Horcrux without harming Harry himself, but found nothing, until I noticed the spell that was still working on Harry. That may be our only opening."
An opening? Su Er caught on at once.
"You mean the spell Harry's mother cast to protect him before Voldemort killed her?"
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded and snapped his fingers softly. A house-elf appeared in the Headmaster's Office carrying a tray. It was someone Su Er knew, too: Kleis.
"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. Good evening, young master." Kleis bowed slightly and placed the black tea from the tray in front of Su Er. "Would you like a sugar cube? Or some milk?"
Su Er gave Dumbledore an embarrassed glance and shook his head at Kleis.
"No, thank you, Kleis."
Kleis nodded, bowed to Su Er, and vanished.
The house-elf's appearance was only a brief interruption. Dumbledore showed no surprise at all that the house-elf had called Su Er master.
The conversation continued.
"Let us return to the subject," Dumbledore said softly. "When I was at a loss, I came across an ancient book that contained information about the protective spell on Harry."
"It also made me realize why Tom insists on using Harry's blood to complete his resurrection."
"Because Harry's blood carries the magic of the protective spell?" Su Er ventured.
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded. "After repeated failures, Tom has come