Dear Mr. Jesus (An Abused Child's Prayer)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Harry Potter. JK Rowling does. I also don't own this song, Dear Mr. Jesus (An Abused Child's Prayer), either. The words and music are by Richard Klender. But I do own this plot.

Author's Notes: Since in the book, Sirius never had good parents, let's just pretend for now that he has. I'm making some sort of change and you'll understand about why Sirius would run away though after he's grown up quite like the event in the book. Only, this didn't start out the same way. Just read and see.

Dear Mr. Jesus (An Abused Child's Prayer)

[Dear Mr. Jesus, I just had to write to you]

A young, three-year old Sirius Black looked out the window, troubled. He saw a small bird land on a branch extending in Sirius's room.

"Hello, little birdy…." Sirius said. "You know, I saw something really strange today. Really, really strange…."

The small bird just looked at Sirius and chirped. Then, the bird started to sing.

"Good for you," Sirius said. "You don't have to be worried about anything. I guess it must be really neat, flying and not having to worry about anything…"

Just then, another bird came and chirped at the smaller one. Then, the two flew away together.

"You're lucky, little birdy," Sirius said. "Your parents love you. I'm lucky, too. But not everyone is like the two of us…"

Sirius spotted a piece of parchment on his table. He quickly got it and found it blank. Sirius got a pen and sat down, the blank parchment in front of him. His mother once told him that everyday, all the time, there was Someone great. Someone who listens to their prayers. And his father had added that that Someone loves children the most. Sirius' father had told him to write to that Someone when he feels troubled.

Sirius looked out the window again. Then, he started to write…

Dear Mister….

[Something really scared me, when I saw it on the news]

Sirius remembered the face of the girl he saw in the Daily Prophet. He could see the bruises covering the girl's face and remembered how she looked sad, crying as she was brought to the hospital.

It was scary and Sirius felt unhappy when he heard from his father that there were many kids being treated the same way. It wasn't fair!

"Sirius?" Mrs. Black peeped inside Sirius's room. "Dear? It's time for dinner."

"Mommy, why was the little girl crying?" Sirius asked.

"What little girl?" Mrs. Black asked, entering the room.

"The little girl in the news. Daddy said that many kids are treated that way. What way, Mommy?" Sirius asked.

"Oh," Mrs. Black sighed and sat beside Sirius. "You weren't supposed to see that."

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

"Because you're too young."

"To endrestand, you mean?" Sirius asked.

"To understand," Mrs. Black corrected. "Yes."

"How come?"

"Because, Sirius, it's just that way. You'd understand when you get older."

"But I wanna know bout the little girl!" Sirius stuck his bottom lip out, looking at his mother with puppy eyes.

"Oh, all right, Sirius," his mother laughed. "I'll tell you."

[A story 'bout a little girl beaten black and blue]

Sirius listened intently as his mother told him about the news.

"You see, dear," Mrs. Black started, "not everyone has good parents. Some little kids have parents who beat up their own children."

"But why?" Sirius asked.

"Because they don't really love their children. At times, it's because the parents are too pressured or feel violent and they let it out on their children," Mrs. Black said.

"But, Mommy, you said parents always love their children. How could they do that then?" Sirius asked.

"Problems, love. They can make people do the strangest things," Mrs. Black said.

"Like beating up their own children?" Sirius asked.

"Yes."

"But… you and daddy never did that to me," Sirius reasoned out.

"Because your daddy and I love you very much," Mrs. Black said.

"Then, they should be like you and daddy," Sirius said, knowingly. "You and daddy make good parents. Children be happy like me, no?"

Mrs. Black smiled.

"Yes, Sirius. If only the world thought of doing good. Then, there wouldn't be any pain…"

[Jesus, thought I'd take this right to you]

Sirius ate his dinner happily. The food was great and his parents were around. It was a great night!

"Mommy, you think the girl will ever smile?" Sirius asked suddenly.

Mr. Black looked at Mrs. Black. Mrs. Black looked at Sirius.

"Perhaps she will, someday," Mrs. Black said.

"Daddy!" Sirius said. "You know where she is, right?"

"Yes," Mr. Black said. "Why?"

"Have you seen her smile?" Sirius asked.

"Why, no. Why?" Mr. Black asked.

"I bet she'll look really ateractive as mommy would say," Sirius exclaimed.

Mr. Black and Mrs. Black smiled.

"Would you like to visit her, Sirius?" Mr. Black asked.

"Huh?" Sirius looked at his parents. "What will I tell her?"

"Well, you can just be yourself," Mrs. Black said. "You can also tell her that you'll be her friend."

"I can?" Sirius looked doubtful. "But she looks loads older than I am. You think she'll let me be her friend?"

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Black said.

"Yes," Mr. Black agreed, teasingly. "After all, who can resist our little angel?"

[Dear Mr. Jesus, I don't understand]

Sirius searched his room for something. His father and mother had told him to get ready and they would visit the girl after dinner. Now, Sirius was looking for something for the little girl.

"Sirius dear, it's time to go," Mrs. Black said.

"Mommy, I can't find anything," Sirius said sadly, his bottom lip trembling.

Mrs. Black smiled. She hugged her son.

"Sirius, the little girl would need your friendship more than she needs any material things we can give her," Mrs. Black said.

"Really?" Sirius asked. "Surely, really, super duper, postive?"

Mrs. Black laughed.

"Yes, Sirius. And that's positive," Mrs. Black took Sirius's hand. "Now, shall we go?"

The Black family reached the hospital just in time to see people running quickly.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked, clinging to his parents, tightly. "Why are they running fast?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Black said. "Maybe something has happened."

"I'll go check it out," Mr. Black said, running in the same direction as the people.

"Wait!" Mrs. Black called after her husband. She then turned to Sirius.

"Sirius, you wait here, okay?" Mrs. Black said.

"I wanna go with you," Sirius pleaded. "I will be real careful, promise!"

After much hesitation, Mrs. Black nodded.

[Why they took her mom and dad away]

Sirius went with his mother as they ran to go after Mr. Black.  They passed many hallways and stairs until they turned the corner on the fifth floor.

Mrs. Black and Sirius were met with a very frenzied scene. Everywhere, people were screaming. But the root of the whole event seemed to be coming from one of the hospital rooms.

"Oh no," Mrs. Black whispered. She ran towards the room. Sirius ran after her.

Sirius fell behind but soon caught up. He looked at the scene in front of him with fear.

His father, along with some of Mr. Black's friends from the Ministry, was holding back a couple. Mrs. Black was with some of the nurses, covering the patient from view.

'So this is the girl's parents,' Sirius thought sadly.

He darted between the wizards and slipped between the barricade made by the nurses. He saw the little girl, crying and hugging her knees to her chest.

"Don't cry," Sirius whispered. "No one will hurt you."

Sirius offered the girl a small towel.

"I don't have a hankerchif," Sirius said. "Mommy said that little girls like hankerchif. But this is all I have for now."

The girl looked at him, fearfully.

"I won't hurt you," Sirius said. "You're older than me, aren't you? I'm three," Sirius said, holding up four fingers, hoping to distract the girl from the fighting. "You?"

"I'm eight," the little girl said softly.

"Eight!" Sirius exclaimed. "You're too old!"

Sirius counted his fingers. "My fingers can't even reach your age!" Sirius muttered. That made the girl smile.

"You don't know how to count properly. And it's handkerchief," the little girl said.

"I can count to!" Sirius said, indignantly. Suddenly, he frowned when he noticed that the girl was now trembling and looking behind him.

Sirius turned to see the girl's mother. It seemed that the mother was able to slip in unnoticed.

"Go away!" Sirius squeaked, fearing for his and the girl's safety. "I'll tell my parents!"

"Stupid brat!" the mother slapped Sirius away. Sirius cried out as he fell down. He felt something sticking his back and when he turned, he saw a wand.

Sirius got the wand quickly and pointed it at the girl's mother.

"Get away, I say!" Sirius said, trembling.

"You won't do anything, you nosy, little bastard!" the mother snarled, lunging for Sirius.

Sirius said the first thing that came to mind, hearing the spell from his father before.

"S-stupefy!"

Sirius stared in wonder and fear at the unconscious woman in front of him.

"I'm sorry," Sirius sniffed, looking at the girl. Then, Sirius ran out of the room, ignoring his parents' calls.

[I know that they don't mean to hit with wild and angry hands]

Sirius sniffed as he tried to find the entrance. Now the girl will be mad at him for hurting her mommy.

Sirius looked around. He couldn't quite identify where he was.

"Eh?" Sirius looked around and placed his hands on his hips, angrily. "What happened to the big tree near the big door?"

"The entrance, little man?" a kind voice asked.

Sirius turned, surprised.

"Mommy!"

Sirius hugged his mother around the legs since he was still a short little boy.

"What happened to the n-t-rance?" Sirius asked. "Gee Mommy, you think the little girl's mad at me?"

Mrs. Black knelt down on one knee and brought her son close.

"Why would she be mad, dear?" Mrs. Black asked.

"I killed her mommy!" Sirius wailed. "I didn't mean to! I didn't know stupefy was going to kill her! Daddy used it all the time!"

"It doesn't kill, Sirius," Mrs. Black smiled, amused. "It just makes the person… well, sleep for a little while."

"Oh," Sirius thought. Then, "Hey! I just did magic! I'm gonna be going to Hogwarts!"

Mrs. Black laughed.

"Not yet, dear. You're only three years old," Mrs. Black said. "You have to be eleven to start there?"

"Oh?" Sirius's face scrunched up a bit. "Then what will I do for the…"

Sirius started counting his fingers.

"… ten years before going in?" Sirius asked.

Mrs. Black laughed again.

"Plenty, Sirius. Your numbers may improve. Hopefully, during one of those EIGHT remaining years."

[Tell them just how big they are I pray]

Sirius went with his mother as they returned to the room where the girl was.

"Are you sure she isn't mad?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius, she's not. Besides," Mrs. Black said, a twinkle in her eyes, "she said that you're cute."

Sirius turned red at that.

"I am?" he squeaked.

"Of course!" Mrs. Black laughed. "You took after your father, didn't you? Just don't tell him I told you that though."

Mrs. Black winked. Sirius blushed more.

"Eh? I also took after you," Sirius protested.

"Then I hope it's more on the good side then," Mrs. Black grinned.

"Um…. The man from the Ministry said that I got your charms. Does that kwalify for good?" Sirius asked.

Mrs. Black laughed. "Perhaps, Sirius."

Sirius grinned and as he and his mother turned a corner, Sirius stopped. Mrs. Black stopped, too. Walking towards them, were a couple of wizards from the Ministry. And with these wizards, were the parents of the little girl.

Sirius followed their movements with his eyes. Just then, as the wizards were passing Sirius and his mother, the parents of the little girl caught Sirius' gaze. Sirius shrank back in fear a little but also tried to look defiant.

When the wizards disappeared from view, Sirius turned to his mother.

"Mommy, why are they taking the girl's parents away? Didn't they make her parents good? They're supposed to be with the little girl after they become good, right? So what happened? Why are they taking the parents away?"

TBC