A Family's Promise

"Hermione, your parents are right." Caesar's voice rang out, gentle yet carrying a formal weight she had never heard from him before—the tone of a teacher.

He looked at her, his gaze calm, as if stating the most natural fact in the world. "At school, we need to follow certain rules, and forms of address are one of them."

At his words, Hermione felt a faint sting, like the light prick of a quill tip.

She lowered her head, staring at her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her skirt, still holding that brass compass, the cold metal pressing into her palm.

She understood that her parents made sense, and she grasped Caesar's position in this moment, but an inexplicable sense of grievance still spread through her heart.

It was as if, with this change in address, something pure and private between them had been forced into hiding.

She took a deep breath, and when she lifted her head again, she tried to make her expression look sensible and calm.

She looked at Caesar, attempting to mimic the posture of a well-behaved student facing a teacher, as she had seen on television, and spoke in a voice as clear as she could manage, though it inevitably carried a hint of stiffness:

"Yes, Dad, Mom. I understand."

She paused again, as if needing to gather courage, and finally fixed her gaze on Caesar:

"Teacher Caesar."

Those four words came out softly, yet they seemed to draw an invisible but real boundary between her and Caesar.

"Very good, Student Hermione." He responded with the same formal address, but the next moment, he couldn't help but reveal a doting smile.

"Haha, little Hermione is so obedient and adorable. From now on, you only need to call me 'teacher' when other students are around. In private, feel free."

"You... Hmph!"

Hermione realized she had been tricked, let out a cold snort, and sat quietly to the side, no longer chiming in with the same liveliness as before, putting on an air of 'come coax me.'

Caesar watched her like this, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on yet trying to act composed, a faint glint of amusement flickering in his eyes. He stepped forward to embrace this adorable, tsundere little girl:

"Sorry, Hermione. As an apology, I'll prepare your wand and cauldron from now on, alright?"

Hermione's eyes darted, and her puffed-up cheeks finally relaxed. "That's more like it. I'll give you a chance, but no next time."

Next, the Grangers, eager to welcome Caesar, insisted he stay for lunch, and Caesar didn't refuse, since time wasn't pressing.

Mrs. Granger prepared a table full of food, and throughout the meal, she kept asking about the details of life at Hogwarts, from dormitory conditions to eating habits, leaving nothing out.

Caesar answered each question patiently and humorously, skillfully soothing the anxiety of the parents about to part with their daughter.

Time for reunion was always short, and lunch ended in a pleasant yet slightly bittersweet atmosphere.

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

"We should be on our way. Hermione still needs time to buy her school supplies and get used to the new environment before term starts."

The air fell silent instantly.

Mrs. Granger immediately put down her fork, her eyes, which had been sparkling while discussing magic, now glazed with a thin layer of tears, and she tightly gripped her husband's hand.

"Yes, yes, of course..."

Mr. Granger took a deep breath, stood up, and walked over to Caesar. This usually calm and rational dentist now had eyes full of a father's solemnity:

"Caesar..."

He paused, as if organizing his words, and finally spoke in the most sincere tone possible: "We're entrusting Hermione to you. She's smart, but also stubborn, and too curious. Since we won't be by her side, please take good care of her."

Mrs. Granger also came over, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice choked with emotion: "Please look after her well. This is the first time she's been away from home for so long..."

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

She could feel the heavy weight of her parents' love and worry, stirring her heart even more than when she first received her magical letter.

Caesar looked at the couple entrusting their beloved only daughter to him, and the calm demeanor he had worn while explaining the new world to Muggles quietly faded.

In its place was a deep and solemn expression.

He gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over Mr. and Mrs. Granger before finally settling on Hermione, who was fighting back tears.

"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger." Caesar's voice was not loud, but it carried an unshakable force, as if he were making an ancient oath.

"Rest assured. As long as I am at Hogwarts, I will never let any real harm come to her. I will watch her grow, guide her, and protect her."

"This is not only the duty of a teacher."

Caesar paused, his voice dropping lower, carrying an unmistakable personal emotion: "It is also the promise of a family member."

Those words, "promise of a family member," made Hermione jerk her head up, and tears finally slipped down her cheeks, but the corners of her mouth struggled upward.

"Caesar."

The Grangers stepped forward and embraced Caesar deeply, saying with emotion: "That's wonderful. We've always considered you part of our family. You're like a big brother to little Hermione."

"Alright, it's getting late." Caesar put back on his gentle expression and turned to Hermione. "Grab your luggage. We need to go."

Hermione nodded firmly, gave her parents one last tight hug, then picked up her small, already-packed trunk and stood resolutely by Caesar's side.

Caesar gave the Grangers a final nod of farewell, then reached into the inner pocket of his robe and pulled out a small gadget that flickered with faint sparks, resembling a lighter.

The Floo Powder Guide.

He snapped his fingers at the empty fireplace in the living room, and with a whoosh, a cluster of green flames burst to life in the cold hearth.

It then rapidly expanded, forming a steadily rotating channel that flickered with an eerie green light.

"Stay close to me," Caesar said, stepping into the green flames first, his figure instantly swallowed up.

Hermione took one last look at her parents, their faces full of amazement and reluctance, took a deep breath, and hugged her trunk tightly.

Following Caesar's example, she bravely stepped into that dazzling expanse of green.

The moment she vanished, the flames in the fireplace returned to normal, leaving only the Grangers standing in place.

They stared at the empty living room, their hearts filled with hope for their daughter's future and a lingering trace of wistfulness.

But they knew that their Hermione was heading toward a broader world.

And that a reliable guardian was by her side.

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