Chapter 32: A Child's Prayer

Remus and Severus were equally puzzled by Emma's reaction. She was holding on to their arms so hard that it would undoubtedly cause bruises. When the doors opened, Severus was expecting a high-profile politician, a royal, or one of those famous telly people. Remus' wolf was tense for a member of his pack who was in distress. His senses were in disarray. All the cleaning that occurs in a hospital, the medicine, the sickness, the bright lights, and the beeps from machines, overwhelmed his senses. The worst part, for Moony, was that when the group of security agents moved out of the way, they revealed an underwhelming sight, which did not seem like a threat in any way.

What walked in, slowly, was a seemingly frail old man dressed in white from head to toe. Physically, he did not seem like he could stand against a strong wind without toppling over; he was using a cane to aid his walking. However, there was something about that man; perhaps it was his energy or his aura. His presence commanded attention and respect. Remus caught a whiff of him as he moved forward. He smelled clean and friendly. Moony knew better than to trust a stranger who was a cleric, in any case. Before Remus or Severus did anything, Emma let go of them and approached the man. He gave her his hand, and she half curtsied and kissed it, bowing over it. Both wizards looked at each other in confusion and put their wands back up their sleeves discreetly.

"Your Holiness," Emma said, stepping back after lowering the man's hand slowly.

The man nodded and motioned for security to step away, in a very particular accent he asked, "Do you know Father Martin? Mrs?"

"Granger," she replied, wondering how he knew she was a Mrs.

"Yes, he is like a brother to me," Emma said.

"I am glad he has somebody pious looking out for him. His aunt is a bit sick, and her vows do not allow her to leave the cloister. Were you with him when he was attacked? Who are the gentlemen with you?"

He looked pointedly at her bruised arm. He sounded genuinely concerned. Emma felt like she could not possibly lie to the actual head of her church. True, her beliefs were a bit rocky now, but still. This Pope, in particular, was someone she respected and admired.

"I was, your Holiness. We were celebrating… something at the restaurant."

"Horrible terrorist attack, I've been told," the man took her hand and patted it.

Emma swallowed. She couldn't really tell him what happened. Or… could she? "Well, I-"

"Emma, dear, won't you introduce us?" Remus wrapped his arm around her waist in silent support. Clearly, the doctor wasn't a good liar.

"Of course, I am terribly sorry. Pope John Paul the second, may I introduce my friends Remus Lupin and Severus Snape," she smiled at the men.

Severus semi-bowed, "Your Holiness."

Remus bowed, trying to hold back his laughter at the fact that someone called an authority figure your holiness. He had to tell Sirius. "Mr. Pope," he said, taking the man's hand and shaking it firmly, making two security guards clear their throats menacingly. Emma grimaced at his faux pas.

The Pope turned to the guards. "None of that. This is not the Vatican."

"Your Holiness," Dr. Fiels said, stepping towards them and kissing the man's hand.

"Are you the doctor taking care of our Martin?"

"Yes, Father," the doctor cringed as if he had said something wrong. Remus shrugged. The fear or high respect people seemed to have for this man puzzled him.

"Don't worry, child. I am, first and foremost, a priest. You can call me Father. These two don't have to. I assume they worship… elsewhere if at all," the man smiled sardonically. Remus and Severus nodded. "Enough niceties. Can I see him?"

"Well, it is usually hospital policy to allow only family…" the doctor began.

The director of the hospital cut him off. "Holy Father, please do not mind him. We can and will make an exception in this case, Dr. Fiels. However, your Holiness, we must ask you to put on appropriate sterile garments to go in. He is in our ICU, after all."

"Absolutely, son," the man smiled. Seeing Emma's desperate expression, he offered her his arm, which she took in a daze. "But I must insist she can see him too. She is his sister, after all."

Emma smiled in gratitude and looked at the wizards in a calming manner. "I will be back soon, please wait for me here."

Severus pulled Remus over to the waiting room so they could sit down and whisper.

"Sirius would have found the whole His Holiness business hilarious," Remus chuckled.

"He needs to grow up. How he ever landed a top-quality man like you baffles me exceedingly," Severus chuckled back.

"T-Thanks," Remus blushed and decided to tease the man, "I didn't know you swung this way," Remus added with a smirk.

"I do not. I just think you two are nothing alike. Black lucked out if you ask me…"

Remus chuckled. "Nevermind that. The former Auror in me can't help but wonder…" Remus trailed off.

"What?"

"Why the bloody hell does the Head of a Church of all places has to move around with security more fitting for a politician, a royal… or the leader of a criminal enterprise?"

"I have no clue, but those guys do not like us… Let's stay vigilant."

"Wands at the ready at all times. I don't trust their kind, and one of them smells familiar… in a bad way," Remus held his wand again discreetly. "But now, we wait."

Nothing could have prepared Emma to see Martin in his current state, not even all her years in medical school nor her experience as a doctor. It is always worse when the person who is fighting for their life is someone you love. The Pope took a step back and began murmuring prayers. The priest was an absolute mess. He had tubes coming out of various places. A respirator was breathing for him. His prospects seemed slim to none. Emma began checking his signs and his file, which had fortunately been left next to his bed. Poor Martin, she thought as she read. They were waiting for his MRI results so they could begin to operate. He had skull fractures and possibly an internal hemorrhage. As she kissed her friend's hand, through her mask, the door to his room opened. Nurses were coming to prepare Martin for surgery. Emma crossed herself and drew a cross with her hand on her friend's bruised chest. The Pope blessed Martin. He then pulled out a necklace that had a small metal tube at the end. It was a small vial of Holy Water, which the man emptied on Martin's chest and head. Then, as the nurses took Martin away, he took both of 's hands, and they prayed together. Somehow, Emma felt like the prayer had the potential of being heard better if the Pope was the one saying it. She was also too distraught to want to lead it. He pulled her outside.

"It has come to my attention that Martin was put in this position because he became involved with a certain something that I should apparently know nothing about… some people in the church are going to extreme lengths to keep me out of it."

"Um, Your Holiness… I don't even know what to say," Emma shook her head to clear it, but she got dizzy instead. The man pulled her to a sofa a few meters away.

"Some people in the curia would rather keep me blissfully ignorant of these serious matters, but this is not the first time one of our priests ends up badly mangled because of this secrecy, Mrs. Granger. Disclose to me as much as possible, without betraying anyone's confidences, of course."

Emma paled. "If you don't mind. I would rather my friends help me. They know much more than I do about the… secrets."

The Pope was stopped from replying as a nurse came asking him to bless her rosary beads. He did so and then asked her to go get Remus and Severus. She did so immediately, holding her rosary to her chest with a wide, grateful smile and teary eyes.

The men came with two guards.

"Please, gentlemen. Sit with us," the Pope motioned.

The security guards immediately said, "Your Holiness, wait. We will pat them down."

The old man turned to them in an authoritative tone, "No, you will not. They are Mrs. Granger's friends. I trust her and them. Please go back to wait for me at the front desk. I am in a hospital, not a warzone. I will be just fine."

The guards looked at each other, nodded with a frown, and left.

"Now, talk to me. What is this secret they refuse to tell me about?"

"Sir, do you believe in magic?" Remus said with a solemn expression.

The old man chuckled and lifted a brow. "Are you about to pull a rabbit out of your clothes? Get a penny out of my ear?"

Remus looked very puzzled at this. "W-What? Of course not!"

Emma just shook her head at Remus. Severus took over. "No, sir. We are talking about real magic."

The man stared without blinking. Severus waited until a couple of nurses went away and then took his wand out and transfigured an armchair into a table and then back to an armchair.

"How did you-?! What is that… stick? Who are you?"

"They will put you in prison! Are you stupid!?" Remus whisper shouted and began looking around nervously, expecting Aurors or at least a Ministry owl to fly in at any second.

"Lupin, I am not stupid," Severus waved his wand, and several golden mist runes were now visible to the four of them. "This is undetectable by them. I have no wish to go to Azkaban."

"When did you even-?" Lupin began but was cut off.

The Pope was blinking rapidly, looking from one man to another. "What does whatever this is has to do with my priest?"

"Everything!" Emma whisper shouted in exasperation. "He is so hurt because he had to run away from thugs in our Church that wanted to silence him because he found out that the Church has known about this for centuries and has said nothing because it is not convenient!" Emma threw her hands up angrily. She then recalled who she was talking to and added a "Your Holiness."

The Pope looked at the woman for a long time without blinking, and his irises flashed silver. He stood up surprisingly quickly for a man his age, and his complexion went red with rage, "I will excommunicate all of them! How dare they do this!?"

Emma gasped. That this went all the way up to the top of the Church was a horrifying idea. How many more people were involved in this coverup? The old man staggered, and Remus immediately steadied him.

"They obliviated you."

"What?!"

"Your eyes just flashed silver. That means a witch or wizard used a spell to erase or modify your memory of our world."

"What?! They can do that?!" the Pope's knees felt weak.

"Yes, that and much more," Emma replied, looking around to see if the guards were coming.

"Just how many of you are there?" the Pope asked with wide eyes.

"Millions around the world."

"Well, I'll be damned!" the Pope exclaimed with wide eyes, sitting back down slowly. Severus and Remus stared at the man disbelievingly.

"Language!" Emma chided him, then grimaced, blushed furiously, and added a shaky, mortified, "Your Holiness."

"Andy," Narcissa shook her sister's shoulder.

"Hmm?" she stretched. "Cissa! I am so sorry, I fell asleep. I think my core is still a bit unstable."

"I am so glad Sirius could undo it," Narcissa smiled at her sister. "Neesy asked me to call everyone for breakfast. Your husband is already there."

"Lovely. Are you coming?"

"In a minute. I will check on the kids and then on Mr. Granger."

They weren't there. Harry and Hermione were not sleeping where she left them. She began rushing through the house. As she was about to alert everyone, she heard giggling coming from Mr. Granger's room. Daniel Granger did not giggle. The door was ajar, so she pushed it a bit and saw that Hermione and Harry were both with him. She sighed in relief.

"Excuse me…"

"Narcissa, is my wife back yet?" Daniel asked, and the children stopped giggling.

"No, I'm sorry. They are probably waiting for news on Martin. We hope he is okay… Listen, Neesy made a huge breakfast. I know you should not move much, so I came to see if you would like me to levitate you to the kitchen or if you would rather eat here," Narcissa shuffled.

"Children, go ahead and get something to eat. Narcissa will help me get there."

Harry and Hermione didn't need to be told twice because they were starving. They dashed past the witch and ran to the kitchen.

"Narcissa… Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know. I am so worried. Sirius is on a blood replenishing potion, and he will be alright in a couple of days. I am thrilled to have my sister here and that she got her magic back, truly. Severus and Remus are okay… But I am worried about Martin and about Draco, if-"

Daniel looked at the woman and felt a wave of feelings hit him. His father taught him to be a good listener, and he knew that many times a person says more by what they avoid mentioning. He realized that probably some of the men who attacked them had also assaulted her in the past. The doctor was aware that Draco wanted to be with Martin all the time since his father had cast him out. He wanted to console Narcissa, but he didn't want her to feel like he was imposing anything. Daniel thought she needed to know that she had a support system now.

"Narcissa, sit with me for a moment, will you?" he requested in a soft voice.

A second of fear shone through the witch's eyes, but she forced herself to approach him. She remembered her mantra: He is a decent man. He is not like them. "Are you in pain? Can I get you anything?"

"I am alright. But I suspect you are not," Daniel put his hand facing up and offered it to her. After a moment of hesitation, she placed a shaky hand on his. "Narcissa, I know we haven't talked much because I am not here as much as my wife. However, she has kept me updated as to what has happened. Are you okay? I have a feeling some of those wizards may have hurt you in the past."

Her lower lip quivered, but she forced herself not to burst into tears. Daniel squeezed her hand softly.

"I am aware that you probably don't consider me a friend. I understand. You do not have to confide in me if you don't want to. But if you ever want to talk, I have been told I am a decent listener. You just need to tell me if you want to vent or if you want advice. You know… us men, we're problem solvers. If you come to me just to vent, but don't tell me, I will try to fix whatever is wrong. As my wife keeps telling me, many times, women just want to let it out. I know you all are perfectly capable of fixing things on your own, but us men… we can't really tell. So, if you want to vent, I will hold the boxing bag or load you up some guns or whatever it is you do to blow off steam… And if you want advice, I will do my best… I know I am not Emma, but you should know that you have a family here."

Narcissa smiled and squeezed his hand.

"I don't mean just Sirius or your sister. I mean all of us. You have people that will help you, that will fight with you, and for you, that will try to make you smile. I know you are weary of men, and rightfully so. That is the main reason why I have kept my distance from you and your son. I would never want to make you uncomfortable, but if you need me, I am here… I reckon that since you and my wife are close like sisters, I guess I am your brother-in-law," he chuckled and immediately regretted it when the stitches pulled painfully.

"I always wanted to have a brother," Narcissa smiled with watery eyes. "It vexed my father to no end that he had no sons."

"Well, you don't always have to have them yourself. Sometimes you just need to take them in. I love Harry as if he was my biological son… Would you like me to talk to Draco? Has he ever lost anyone? I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does, he should be prepared," Daniel squeezed her hand.

"I would appreciate that. We haven't lost anyone Drakey would remember," Narcissa shrugged. "Now, let's get you to the dining room. It is better to wait with a full stomach."

The Pope seemed defeated. His head hung. "I am absolutely ashamed. To think this has all been going on behind my back in my Church…"

"Your Holiness, I… I thought exorcisms weren't a thing anymore," Emma said in a questioning tone.

"They aren't. People need to go through extensive psychological, psychiatric, and other medical tests first. The Church only intervenes if those tests have shown that the person is technically healthy and they or their family requests it, and then again, most requests are denied… or at least I thought they were."

"Sir, what should we do? If people know we broke the statute, we will go to prison. Martin wanted to take this to the press, and that is why he had to run away and stay with us. One of his mentors threatened him."

"Another priest threatened him!? Who!?"

"Yes, he called one of his exorcism mentors who was in the Vatican at the time. Apparently, the mentor had to meet with the Camerlengo the following day. We don't know who it was, but that could help you narrow it down. I imagine there aren't many exorcists who mentor others… When Martin confronted him and complained that his mentor had lied and kept him ignorant, that priest said, and I quote, 'Naïve is better than dead Shaw.' Perhaps you can do some digging."

The Pope's eyes were as wide as they could possibly be. "I will. You say Martin has been staying with you?" the Pope asked.

"Yes, he came to stay with us in a magical hidden location. That was the only way he thought they wouldn't find him… Oh! I just remembered! When Martin was introduced to the magical world, after the exorcism, he had a lot of questions. A prominent figure in our world told him to write to Cardinal Poupard."

"Are you sure, Mrs. Granger?"

"Yes, the same figure told him that the church hides magic in that council as if it were a religion…" Emma sighed.

"That is most helpful. Thank you."

"I am glad. Anyhow… since Martin was staying somewhere remote, but my husband works near the parish, he went to his office to get Martin's mail, and he was attacked and kidnapped!" Emma exclaimed with exasperation.

"By whom?!" the Pope was pale.

"Some thugs, a priest, and a wizard," Severus replied.

"And did you get him back? Is he okay?" the old man asked with a concerned frown.

"Yes, Remus went beast mode and scared them away," Emma smiled.

The Pope tilted his face in confusion. That man did not look threatening at all. "Beast mode?"

"Yes," Remus moved as far from the old man as he could while staying in the wards.

"Meaning?"

"He's a werewolf," Emma explained.

The old man chuckled. Mrs. Granger really knew how to insert a comedic pause. He liked that.

"I am serious. Remus is a werewolf. They are real."

The man's eyes widened and moved around wildly as if trying to see whether either cracked up and admitted they were kidding.

"Sir, I will not attack you, but look at me," Remus asked. He let his wolf slip a little and growled menacingly at the man. His face looked different. His teeth were canine, his skin was visibly thicker, and his jaw looked stronger".

The Pope looked terrified but refrained from moving away. "God almighty, give me strength," he murmured as he crossed himself.

"He scared them all off," Emma smiled proudly.

"I see… This is most concerning. I will have to see who is working behind my back. It is hard to know who to trust. I never thought I would say that about my own flock, but this information will help me."

"Respectfully, sir, do not look at them directly in the eyes. There is something called mind magic. If one of them is a wizard in disguise, you should avoid eye contact at all costs. They can read your mind, go through your memories, alter them, insert fake ones, delete inconvenient ones, and the like," Severus explained.

"Your Holiness, is there an office that works to preserve catholic faith?" Emma asked. "Perhaps you should look there."

"We have an office in charge of spreading the gospel," the man sighed.

"The gospel?" Remus whispered to Severus, who shrugged.

"The CDF," the Pope said to Mrs. Granger, pointedly ignoring the wizards. "Congregatio pro Doctrina Fideior Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith"

Severus looked pensive for a second and then his face turned angry, "Oh, hell no! That I do know! That was the Congregation for the Holy Inquisition!" Severus whisper shouted, pointing his wand at the old man. Remus jumped back away from the Pope and did the same. Emma was perplexed but stood between the wizards and the priest with her hands up in an explicit stop stance.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! Neither of you knows what a gospel is, but you know that?" Emma exclaimed, shaking her head. "I am Catholic, and I don't have a clue about the CDF!"

The Pope sat down, defeated, and sighed, covering his face with his hands, then throwing them up in surrender.

"Well, excuse me, but my brain took a beating… We learned that in History of Magic at Hogwarts."

Remus quickly whisper shouted, "Your bloody Inquisition was the endless torture and senseless murders of countless magical and non-magical folk!"

Severus nodded. "Not even werewolves escaped unscathed, and they are feared by all creatures! Your missionaries almost ended them completely!"

"Lower your wands! He is an unarmed man of principle and peace, not to mention a senior citizen! You cannot blame him for the past! Also, those gorillas out there will shoot you if you touch him!"

The wizards shared a look. "We will meet you halfway."

Severus lowered his wand and pocketed it, but Remus kept his pointing at the man. Emma sighed in exasperation.

"Gentlemen, I am very sorry for the pain you and your people have suffered. I studied the Inquisition in detail, and it fills me with shame that so many suffered due to ignorance," the man said with a sad sigh.

"Too little, too late, Mr. Pope," Remus whispered.

The Pope sighed sadly. It wasn't the first time someone said that to him.

"Okay, if you are through having this macho standoff, we should enquire after Martin, it's been a few hours," Emma walked away towards the nurses' station.

"Look, if I were you, I would be cautious as to what I drink. We have potions that alter the mind and behavior of who drinks it. Some of them have no flavor at all," Severus said. "Do a loyalty test. See who passes it. Then you will know who can help you with this. I would be meticulous about what I say and to whom. Perhaps keep a journal that only you can access."

"I thank you for the advice. I will be cautious," the old man replied.

"Martin is still in surgery. Apparently, he had extensive internal bleeding. They need some O neg donors. I am a match, so I will be going to the blood bank."

"I am a match too. I would like to donate."

"Your Holiness, respectfully, I think you can't… because of your age," Emma blushed.

"Oh. That is too bad. I will ask the guards if any of them would like to help out… Then, I will go to the chapel to pray. Please let me know if something happens."

"Dr. Granger," a nurse shook her shoulder. The doctor had fallen asleep after her donation.

"How is he?"

"He got through surgery. He is in the surgical ICU."

"Can I talk to the surgeon?"

"Later, doctor. He is having breakfast. The surgery extended more than expected. Mr. Shaw is in a very delicate state right now. The best thing you could do is go home, rest, have a good meal, and come back later if you want to stay here," the nurse smiled with understanding. "He will not have any visitors for the time being, but we understand if you want to be here just in case… things change."

"Thank you," Emma replied, and the woman left. The doctor looked to her right. Remus and Severus had fallen asleep. She would have loved to take a picture to tease them later. Somehow, Severus' head was on Remus' shoulder, and Remus' head was tilted and resting against the top of Severus' head. She quickly went to the chapel and found the Pope kneeling down and praying in Latin. A light coming from the stained glass windows gave him an ethereal glow. The sight would imprint on her mind forever. Had he been kneeling all these hours?

"Your Holiness?"

"'In Nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti," the man crossed himself and stood up slowly. He was in pain from the position. "Did he make it?"

Emma nodded with happy tears. "There's still hope."

"We must thank the Lord… I called the cloister and gave permission to his aunt so she can come out to see him and to recover from her illness as well. I hope I could stay longer, but I have a conspiracy to tackle, and I can do so better from the Holy See."

"I understand. Martin will appreciate your visit."

"About that, I have penned this letter for him," the man handed her a few folded pages. "Please read this to him if- no. When he wakes up, please read this to him."

"Absolutely," she took the pages gently.

"I would like to learn more about this magic world. Do you know if I can get some books or other material?"

"Sir, if there is a way for me to send you mail, somewhere it wouldn't be intercepted, I can send you some things…" Emma whispered.

"Absolutely. I will write down the address," the man took out a small notepad and a small pencil and wrote. "Can you read it?"

Emma noticed the beautiful handwriting, "Yes." She read it in a whisper to make sure it was right.

Remus and Severus came in briskly.

"Emma! You scared us! We couldn't find you!" Severus panted.

"I'm sorry. You seemed so cozy and peaceful that I didn't want to wake you," Emma smirked. The wizards blushed.

The Pope took Emma's hands. "Mrs. Granger, it has been a pleasure. Please keep me posted. I have already set up credit here to pay for Father Shaw's expenses. Do not worry about that. Gentlemen, thank you for being honest and patient with me."

"Thank you for listening," Remus said, shaking the man's hand.

Severus bowed. "Please remember our warnings."

"I will. God bless you all," the man drew a cross with his hand in front of each of them. Remus and Severus looked at each other. They felt clean energy pushing into their core when they were blessed. It was followed by a sensation of peace and wellbeing.

The Pope took out his rosary beads, closed his eyes, blessed them, and handed them to Emma. "Dear, I want you to hold on to this. Please give it to Martin when he wakes up."

Emma's eyes were glistening. One of her hands took the beads shakily. "Thank you. This will mean the world to him."

The Pope nodded. A security guard was waiting by the door. "Let us go, son. I have other matters to attend to."

The guard nodded and spoke into his wrist, "Everyone into position. We are moving."

"Alright, now that he's gone, Emma, why does he move with so many guards? He's the head of a church, not the mafia…" Severus asked.

"You would think it's unnecessary, but in 1981 an assassin shot him twice in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City."

"Well, that takes guts. It would be like shooting Nagkrat in Gringotts…"

"Yes, pretty much. Fortunately, the Pope was able to recover from his injuries… and later, he actually forgave his attacker."

"He is something else. Someone shoots me, I pay him in kind," Remus frowned.

"Well, if he wants people to be forgiving, he has to teach by example. He is a good man," Emma sighed. Then, she crossed her arms, pensively, "One of you needs to go back to the house."

"Emma, you need to rest," Remus said, crossing his arms too.

"I can rest on one of these sofas," she countered with a frown. "I have done so many times in the past."

"What about Daniel and the children? They must be worried sick," Severus attempted to convince her, appealing to her affections. That always worked with Lily's stubbornness. "You can explain Martin's situation better."

"Fine, but you are to take me there and bring me back in an hour. I don't want Martin to be alone. Also, one of you needs to stay," Emma put her arms beside her body.

"I will," Severus offered. He was sure Remus wanted to see his boyfriend. "Please tell my mother not to worry… that I am fine."

"Of course; Remus, let's go. I need to talk to the surgeon real quick, and I want to be back as soon as possible."

Daniel called Draco to his bedroom after lunch. The boy came in on shaky legs. He was terrified that the doctor was calling him in to tell him Martin had died.

"I-Is he d-dead?" Draco whispered.

"What?! No, Draco. We don't know how he is doing, yet," Dr. Granger explained.

The boy sighed in relief and pouted.

"Martin is a fighter. I am sure he will push as much as he can to come back to us. But, Draco… if he doesn't, if he can't be healed, we have to accept that regardless of how much it hurts."

The boy held back a sob. "He shouldn't die… He is good… He told me that the god he believes in protects his people…"

"He did?"

"But it isn't true. A fair god would not let anyone hurt Martin," Draco's lip quivered.

Daniel took a moment. This was a struggle for all believers. "Draco, there is something God gave us all. It is called free will. That means we can do whatever we want. He doesn't intervene in our freedom. However, our actions have consequences, and sometimes that doesn't seem fair."

"It is unfair. My fa-" the boy corrected himself, "Lucius is a bad man. He has hurt many people. My mom cried every day. She thinks I never h-heard her, but I did. And he is a-alive and rich and… consequences d-don't apply to everyone! God sucks!" Draco's burst of magic broke a pitcher of water and a glass next to it on the side table, making the water flow down.

Daniel winced. It is hard to argue with a kid who is hurting and who is also very smart. "Perhaps he is not hurt right now, but he is in prison. Sirius told me he lost over half his money to your mom in the divorce. Draco, I know it doesn't sound like it would matter to him, but kicking you both out of his life will have horrible consequences for him. He will grow old alone. No one will care for him or love him. He will feel abandonment and hurt."

"Sir, please. He doesn't have any feelings at all. Maybe you would never forgive yourself if you hurt your family because you are a good man, but my father isn't you… Martin says he's probably a psy-psy-psychopath."

Daniel sighed and closed his eyes. "Perhaps that is true, but life will always equalize things. If you hurt people, that hurt will come back to you. Maybe not today, or next year, but eventually, those consequences will show."

"I want to go see Martin… I-If he d-dies, I want to say goodbye and to thank him… for being kind to me," Draco said, fighting back tears.

"I will tell Emma," Daniel began, only to be interrupted by his wife coming inside.

"Mrs. Granger! How is he?" Draco ran to her. She gave him a tight motherly hug.

"He survived the surgery, but he is really hurt sugar. He is in a part of the hospital called ICU, which means the Intensive Care Unit. That means that he can only have visitors if the doctor there says it is okay. So far, he is not allowed any visitors. He is sedated. We will not know the result of his injuries until he wakes up. His head and back were very hurt, and that may have long-lasting consequences…"

"I don't care. If Martin is hurt, I want to help him. I want to be there when he wakes, please," the boy begged with teary eyes.

"Honey, you need to ask your mother. Keep in mind that being at the hospital will be boring, and there may be many hours of waiting. There is no guarantee they will let us see him. If she says you can come, you should bring a book or something to entertain yourself, okay?" Emma gave him a small smile.

He nodded enthusiastically and ran out to convince his mother.

"Love… How is he really?"

She sat next to her husband, "I told Draco the truth. His vitals were a bit unstable but quite normal for the ordeal he went through. The surgery took more hours than they expected, but the surgeon was confident they fixed as much as could be fixed," she sighed. Daniel opened his arms, and she lay her head on his chest, carefully avoiding any bandaged area. "It was horrible! There were so many tubes coming out of him… I was able to see his chart. His skull had horrible fractures, and his spine may have been damaged beyond repair…"

"Em, I am so sorry you had to see that. Neesy came by earlier and told me that if my doctor allowed, she could do some elf healing something to help me heal faster," Dan said.

"Of course. That would be great… Dan, you will not believe who came to see Martin," Emma sat up.

He frowned, "Who?"

"The Pope."

Daniel chuckled. His wife could always make him smile.

"I'm serious, look," she took out the rosary beads, "He blessed them! They are for Martin."

Daniel paled. "For real? Tell me everything…"

It would be weeks before Martin would regain consciousness. However, as soon as the doctor had allowed, he had visitors every single day. His most frequent visitors were his aunt, the Grangers, Harry, Narcissa, and Draco. The blonde came as much as his mother allowed. He read stories to Martin and held his hand. Harry and Hermione would pump healing energy into the man's head as soon as they were left alone with him. They had been told it wouldn't work, but they didn't believe that. Magic was about intention, and their aim was to heal their friend.

After many visits, Draco was growing desperate and spent most of his visit crying. He knew Mrs. Granger would be cross with him, but he needed to hear Martin's heartbeat to make sure he was still alive. The priest seemed so eerily still, except for the respirator thingy breathing for him, that Draco sometimes thought the man was dead. He climbed to the hospital bed and lay his head on the priest's chest. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Draco sighed. Martin had a rosary around his neck. The boy looked at the tiny Jesus person on the cross. He would try anything. He imitated what he saw Mrs. Granger and Mr. Granger do when they prayed. He crossed himself.

"Um, Hi God. I know you don't know who I am… I don't even know if you really exist. Martin believes you do. So I am going to ask in his name, not mine…."

Emma stood frozen at the door when she saw what Draco was doing. Her heart melted as she heard him.

"Martin told me people ask you for things, and you help them if they believe in you. I know I said you suck. I am sorry. I don't know you enough to know if you do suck. But… if you do help good people, you must help Martin! He is the kindest person I know… You see, my f-father doesn't care for my mother or me. I think he h-hates me… Martin h-helped me when I was really sad. He held me. He c-cried with me. He gave me h-hope. He l-listens to me without complaint. He helps e-everybody. He g-got hurt protecting his friends. You know, God? I wish he was my father. I know he is a Father, but I wished he was my real father."

The machine next to Martin beeped a bit faster. Emma's eyes widened. The priest's eyes were shut, but he was visibly moving his eyes around behind closed lids. She rushed to get Martin's doctor. Maybe he was waking up.

Draco ignored the beep but held on to the cross and continued. "Mrs. Granger -you do know her, she's very kind too- told me that if he wakes up, he may not be well… That he will need a lot of help. I just want you to know that if you do wake him up, I will spend all my free time helping him get better. I promise you. I know that when people promise you things, they have to keep those promises, and I will."

Martin's hand twitched. Draco saw it and immediately looked at the man's face.

"Martin?" the boy whispered, getting off the man's chest and holding his hand. The large hand squeezed the small one. Draco smiled and eagerly pushed the button Mrs. Granger had explained to him would alert the healers.

The door opened right away.

"He squeezed my hand!"

"Honey, give the doctor some room," Emma asked as she pulled Draco away.

Martin's eyes shot open and scanned around the room hurriedly. He began struggling with the breathing tube. The doctor started telling Martin to calm down. Emma expertly turned Draco away. The process of taking out a patient's breathing tube was never a pretty sight. Once his airways were free, he took a loud, deep breath and immediately had a coughing fit. Draco winced.

"Mr. Shaw, have a sip of water."

The priest obeyed a bit clumsily.

"W-Where?" was all his raspy voice could manage. Emma approached him and took his hand comfortingly.

"You are in a hospital. You had surgery. You have been in a medically induced coma for a few weeks. Do you remember what happened?" Doctor Fiels addressed him.

"Y-Yes."

"Do you know who I am?" Emma asked.

He gave a small nod with a pained grimace. Since he had been so still for so long, any motion hurt as his muscles were not used to the movement.

Doctor Fiels said "Mr. Shaw. Can you try to wiggle your toes?"

The priest looked at his feet. There was no motion.

"Can you feel this?" the doctor asked, checking for responses and getting none.

"I-I f-feel t-that," Martin said slowly. "A b-bit n-numb."

Martin's doctor did not seem convinced. "We will need to do more X-Rays and possibly another MRI to make sure your spine isn't damaged. Your head injuries and your internal bleeding were our first priorities. I will go schedule those and order some broth to be brought up. I want you to drink it even if you are not hungry. Dr. Granger, I trust you can make him take it," the doctor winked and left with the nurse as Emma nodded with a smile.

Draco stood behind Emma, shuffling. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to jump into Martin's arms but he didn't want to hurt the priest. Emma bent to kiss Martin's forehead.

"We were worried sick. You saved my life as well as Hermione's," Emma squeezed his hand. He returned the gesture.

"I am g-glad I c-could help," Martin called in a calm whisper. "D-Draco…"

The boy was lifted by Emma to sit next to Martin. With great difficulty, the man opened his arms to the boy who immediately hugged him and cried.

"I-I heard you, son," Martin smiled. "I h-heard all of y-you. You p-pray beautifully."

"I t-tried to do w-what you taught m-me."

"You did," Martin sighed and kissed the top of the boy's head. "G-God always h-hears those with pure hearts like yours."

Draco sighed and snuggled into the man's chest with a smile. That is how Narcissa found her son. Her heart constricted, and she wished she had given Draco a better father. Drakey needed that bond with a man. She felt fortunate to be surrounded by good men now. She went in to thank Martin. Outside, Harry and Hermione opened their eyes. They had been sending energy to Martin for weeks and this last push had them very tired. Emma came out and had to give them the Pepper Ups to go that Andy had given to her. The children explained what they were doing. Emma was floored. She needed to talk to Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Lady Longbottom soon.

A/N: Thank you for reading! :) I'm back! Sorry for the absence but things got a bit crazy. I had to move houses because the floor of the house I was living in begun to sink. Yes, you read that right. There is a separation of about an inch between the floor and the wall. I didn't even know that was possible! Anyhow, I am still working through giving grades at the university, but I had a few hours to finish this so I decided to do so right away. Thank you for the reviews, the follows, and the favorites. you are all very kind. There was just one review that I thought was very interesting... the reviewer said this was too political lol. *Shrugs* Um, sorry not sorry? Hopefully, once I am done with the grading completely, I will be able to finish this part. Only three more chappies to go! I hope you join me for the next part which will see more of the kids and their development. -Lux-