A Family's Promise

"Hermione, your parents are right." Caesar's voice was gentle, yet carried a formal authority she had never heard from him before.

He looked at her calmly, as if stating the most natural fact in the world. "At school, we need to follow certain rules. How we address one another is one of them."

At his words, Hermione felt a faint sting, like the prick of a quill against her skin.

She lowered her head and stared at her fingers, clenched around the hem of her skirt. The brass compass was still in her hand, its cold metal digging into her palm.

She understood that her parents had a point, and she understood Caesar's position, too. Still, an inexplicable sense of hurt spread through her.

It was as if changing the way she addressed him forced something pure and private between them to be hidden away.

She took a deep breath. When she raised her head again, she tried to make herself look sensible and composed.

She looked at Caesar, trying to imitate the obedient way students on TV acted around their teachers. In a voice as clear as she could manage, though still a little stiff, she said:

"Yes, Father. Mother. I understand."

She paused, as if she needed to gather her courage, then finally fixed her gaze on Caesar.

"Professor Caesar."

The words came out softly, yet they seemed to draw an invisible but unmistakable line between her and Caesar.

"Very good, Miss Granger." He answered her with the same formal address, but a fond smile slipped onto his face the next moment.

"Haha, little Hermione really is so obedient and adorable. From now on, you only need to call me 'Professor' when other students are around. In private, you can call me whatever you like."

"You... Hmph!"

Hermione realized she had been tricked. She gave a quiet snort and sat off to the side, no longer eagerly interrupting as she had before. She looked like she was waiting for him to come and make it up to her.

Seeing her like that, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on but was trying to stay composed, Caesar's eyes flickered with the faintest hint of amusement. He went over and hugged the adorable, proud little girl.

"Sorry, Hermione. To make it up to you, I'll get your wand and cauldron for you. How does that sound?"

Hermione's eyes shifted, and her puffed-out cheeks finally relaxed. "That's more like it. I'll give you one chance, but don't let it happen again."

After that, the Grangers insisted on keeping Caesar for lunch to welcome him. He didn't refuse, since they weren't in any particular hurry.

Mrs. Granger prepared a lavish meal and spent the whole time asking about the details of life at Hogwarts, from the dormitory conditions to the food. She left no stone unturned.

Caesar patiently answered each question with good humor, deftly easing the anxiety of the parents who were about to be separated from their daughter.

Reunions were always too brief. Lunch ended in a cheerful atmosphere tinged with sadness.

When the clock struck three in the afternoon, Caesar elegantly dabbed the corners of his mouth with his napkin and gently reminded them:

"We should be going. Hermione still needs time to buy her school supplies and get used to her new surroundings before term begins."

The room fell silent at once.

Mrs. Granger immediately set down her fork. The eyes that had sparkled as she talked about magic were now clouded with a thin sheen of tears. She reached out and clasped her husband's hand tightly.

"Yes, yes, of course..."

Mr. Granger took a deep breath and stood, then walked over to Caesar. The usually calm and rational dentist now had a father's solemnity in his eyes.

"Caesar..."

He paused, seeming to search for the right words, then spoke with all sincerity.

"I'm entrusting Hermione to you. She's clever, but stubborn, and far too curious. We won't be there beside her, so please look after her."

Mrs. Granger came over as well, her eyes reddening and her voice catching. "Please take good care of her. She's never been away from home for this long before..."

Hermione stood behind her parents with her head bowed, biting her lip hard to keep from crying.

She could feel the weight of their love and worry, and it stirred her more deeply than the first time she had received a letter about magic.

Caesar looked at the couple entrusting their beloved only daughter to him, and the detached air of someone introducing a new world to Muggles quietly fell away.

In its place came a deep and solemn expression.

He gave a slight nod, looking from Mr. Granger to Mrs. Granger, then finally to Hermione, who was fighting back tears.

"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger." Caesar's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable force, as though he were making an ancient vow.

"Please don't worry. As long as I'm at Hogwarts, I won't let any real harm come to her. I'll watch over her as she grows, guide her, and protect her."

"That is not only my duty as a teacher."

Caesar paused. His voice grew lower, carrying unmistakable personal feeling. "It is also a promise I make as family."

At the words "a promise I make as family," Hermione jerked her head up. Tears finally slipped down her cheeks, but she struggled to turn up the corners of her mouth.

"Caesar."

The Grangers stepped forward and embraced Caesar tightly, overcome with emotion. "That's wonderful. We've always thought of you as part of our family, too. You're just like an older brother to little Hermione."

"All right, it's getting late." Caesar resumed his gentle expression and turned to Hermione. "Get your luggage. We should be going."

Hermione nodded firmly, gave her parents one last tight hug, then picked up the small suitcase she had packed earlier and stood resolutely beside Caesar.

Caesar gave the Grangers one final nod, then took a small object from the inner pocket of his robe. It looked like a lighter and glimmered with faint sparks.

The Floo Powder Guide.

He snapped his fingers at the empty fireplace in the living room. A burst of green flame roared to life in the cold hearth.

It quickly spread, forming a steady, swirling passage that glimmered with an eerie green light.

"Stay close to me," Caesar said, stepping into the green flames first. His figure vanished in an instant.

Hermione looked back one last time at her astonished, reluctant parents, took a deep breath, and hugged her suitcase tightly.

Following Caesar's example, she bravely stepped into the dazzling green flames.

The moment she disappeared, the fire in the hearth returned to normal, leaving the Grangers standing where they were.

They gazed at the now-empty living room, their hearts full of hopes for their daughter's future and a lingering trace of wistfulness.

But they knew their Hermione was heading toward a wider world.

And she had a reliable guardian by her side.