Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything in this story except for Orlando Baragon, Anna Ominous, the Spiritus Apographon, and of course the plot.

The Filth in Purity

Chapter 13: Shouting

"MALFOY!"

Draco turned his head and saw Harry potter storming down the hillside, dragging big black dog by the collar.

"I KNOW HOW HORRID YOU ARE, BUT THIS BRINGS YOU TO THE LOWEST LEVEL POSSIBLE!" Harry reached into his robes, pulled out his wand and pointed it at Draco.

"Whoa, whoa. Okay let's just calm down and try to sort this out." Orlando stepped between the two rivals. "What's going on?"

"Potter's completely snapped, that's what's going on." Draco spat.

"Maybe I have!" Harry shouted. "You have your father, and Voldemort, and that horrid Bellatrix woman to thank for that!"

Orlando twitched and tensed up visibly at actually hearing Voldemort's name spoken. Draco however remained unchanged

"Put the wand down." It took all of Orlando's strength to keep his voice calm.

"Yeah? With two Slytherins standing right in front of me, I don't think so." Harry growled.

"All right, you want to a duel?" Draco reached for his wand. "Then bring it!"

"No! You two are out of control!" It was Orlando's turn to shout. "Malfoy put the wand away! Potter you too!"

Neither of the two boys backed down.

"Okay can you at least tell each other why you are going to hex each other to the land beyond?" Orlando looked exasperated.

" He knows I'm mourning my godfather's death!" Harry hissed, " And he dared send me a dog that looks just like my godfather's animagus! He did because he knew it would tear me up."

Orlando's eyes widened in shock. He looked over at Draco.

Surprisingly Draco snorted and lowered his wand, looking straight at Harry. "Don't be so vain. I tell you Potter, your fame has really gone to your head. You think it's all about you, all the time. Everybody is out to get you! You're the only one who has problems. Believe me Potter I have a lot more on my mind right now than you. So don't flatter yourself by thinking you are the center of my attentions."

"Oh! And what problems does spoiled Prince Draco Malfoy have?" Harry snarled.

"You really want to know?" Draco's face formed into a snarl. "Try this. My mother maybe dying for one thing!"

Harry's eyes widen and slowly began to lower his wand.

Draco held up his bandaged left arm, the one that had been cursed when Draco was attacked. "You think your scar hurts you? Try having an arm full of them, with strikes of pain like a thousand knives stabbing you every few hours."

Harry's expression was unreadable, but remained silent, waiting for Draco to continue.

"Not to mention I'm under constant threat of being kicked off the Quidditch team."

Orlando instantly looked a little guilt ridden.

" And on top of all that I'm---" Draco caught himself, horrified at what he had done. He had lost all control. He had let Potter get the better of him again.

Draco slacked his face from being contorted with rage to to a cold frown. He turned away from Harry and picked up his broomstick.

"Come on Baragon. Let's practice somewhere else, it doesn't matter where, anywhere is better than here, around him."

"Sure, we can see if the Ravenclaws are done using the pitch." Orlando said quietly.

Draco nodded at Orlando and the two Slytherins walked in the direction of the pitch leaving a very bewildered Harry Potter and a big black shaggy dog.

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"Malfoy? Draco are you going to be all right?" Orlando asked when they were some distance a away from Potter.

"If you mean will I be well enough to play in the upcoming game, you needn't worry." Draco said bitterly.

"That's not what I meant." Orlando frowned.

"Oh, and you mean to tell me that you are concerned for my welfare with no strings attached?" Draco drawled, not feeling in any mood to be nice to anyone.

"Yes."

Draco frowned. "Then you have to be the soppiest Slytherin I have ever met."

"Only because I know what it's like to lose a loved one. It's the worst feeling in the world and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I wouldn't even wish it on my enemies much much less my friends..."

Draco raised his eyebrow.

"...Or my teammates." Orlando sighed and looked away. "I never did tell you what happened to my sister did I?"

"No." Draco answered, his face expressionless.

"Veda died two years ago. A freak accident at an excavation site in egypt." Orlando said bitterly, facing Draco again. He continued when he saw the blonde Slytherin furrow his brow.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning. I'm sure heard the scandal that the Pureblood daughter of a Pureblood family ran off and married a muggle archeologist, and her parents didn't disown her."Orlando said flatly.

"She...She married a muggle?" Draco tried to hide the shock and slight disgust from his face and voice, but didn't do very well.

"Yes. My parents may not have disowned her, but we didn't see her again for a long time. Not until she brought Olivia to meet her grandparents and me." Orlando sighed.

"Olivia? The little girl I've seen?" Draco asked.

Orlando nodded, sighed and looked down at the ground. " Veda and I were pretty close before she left, she said when I went to Hogwarts she would give me advice on who were the best teachers, how to get them to like you, how to get popular. Then she left. I thought she had abandoned me. My parents welcomed her and her husband and her daughter with open arms. I did not, in fact I was just the opposite."

"I remember you yelled at your niece when she wanted to watch us practice third year, your third year I mean. But now you almost insist that she watch us practice." Draco said carefully.

"Yes, I sort of blamed her for my sister running off, that and I was going through puberty which left me with a short temper at the point where I would snap at anyone. Merlin, I was such a horrid creature back then." Orlando put a hand to his face.

"Well you had a right, I mean she did just run off, and she married a muggle for Merlin's sake!" Draco spat.

"Still I shouldn't have taken it out on Olivia. It wasn't her fault, she didn't choose her parentage." Orlando lowered his hand, and looked up.

Draco felt his breath catch in his throat. That was the very point Draco had brought up with his mother, the point that Dumbledore had raised to him.

I don't think they should be blamed for what their parents did.

"I used to believe in the superiority of blood." Orlando spoke again, his jaw beginning to grow tight. "Until I realized how insignificant it was. Veda, my pureblood sister died in a freak accident, her blood couldn't protect her from that falling block of stone any more than her muggle husband's could."

It was Draco's turn to look at the ground.

"It was a week before the Quidditch World Cup when we got the message of what happened. That's why we weren't there, at the World Cup I mean. We went to egypt to pick up Olivia, and identify the bodies." Orlando swallowed and looked down. "Funny thing wasOlivia ran straight to me crying. I think it was then I felt my heart go out to her, I had lost my sister, but she had lost her mother and her father. We kind of connected then, I made a vow to myself that I would protect her. I've sort of become her big bother instead of her uncle."

"So that's why you were so kind to Granger. Your sister married a muggle and your niece is a halfblood." Draco said coldly.

"You are entitled to your opinion Draco, butnow blood makes no more difference to me, than to the stone that fell on my sister and her husband. It did not discriminate, and now neither will I. I have since learned it's only what people do that make any difference now." Orlando said plainly, his face expressionless. "But I doask that you refrain from speaking any of your pureblood-minded insults when she is around. I don't want to see her cry."

"Is that a threat?" Draco asked coolly.

"No, just a request with consequences for refusing."

Draco snickered. "Very well, I shall say nothing about Mudbloods when your niece is present."

"Thank you. Your generosity is overwhelming." Orlando smirked.

"That's just the kind of person I am." Draco smirked back and started heading toward the castle.

As he was walking. Draco couldn't help being a little disturbed about some of the points Orlando made. Pureblood Veda Baragon had died the same death as her muggle husband? Maybe, blood didn't matter. Draco shook his head, trying to get all of the blasphemous thoughts out of his mind.

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Harry walked quickly toward Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Harry couldn't help smiling as he gazed at the big black dog trotting happily alongside. He was going to ask Dumbledore if he could keep the dog, at least until they found the person responsible for the dog, if this was a prank then it would be until they found the prankster. However, despite constant suppression, in the back of Harry's mind was a tiny glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe...

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when he came to the stone Griffin that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Bourty Blot's Beans!" Harry said the password firmly.

In response, the stone Griffin came alive and moved out of Harry's way, revealing a staircase which he quickly climbed.

"Ah. Harry." the headmaster greeted the the Gryffindor

"Hello Professor." Harry said shortly, since the end of his fifth year Harry's admiration and compassion for the headmaster had dwindled some, for on one level he felt Dumbledore was responsible for his godfather's death. However. he found it impossible to stay completely angry at the headmaster. The old man had his own way charming people.

"I see you have a new friend." Dumbledore looked over his half moon spectacles at the black dog standing at Harry's side.

"Yes I found him on the hillside near the lake. I think he's just someone's idea of a cruel joke. See?" Harry took off the collar and and handed it to Dumbledore.

"I wasn't sure what to do with him," Harry continued, "I thought I could keep him until we find the person responsible for the dog."

"Well unfortunately as you know there are no animals allowed in the school except for owls, toads and cats." Dumbledore said slightly apologetic. "But perhaps you could ask Hagrid if he could look after him, then you could visit him whenever you like."

Harry nodded, it was a good idea, though he had to admit he was a little disappointed he couldn't keep the dog in Gryffindor tower with him.

"But he must not growl, barkor bite at any students or teachers." Harry found it a little funny that Dumbledore seemed to say that more to the dog than to him.

"Yes, thank you Professor." Harry motioned for the dog to follow him. "Come on."

Dumbledore could not help but smile as Harry left the office with the big black dog trotting after him, wagging its tail.

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"I'd be glad to look after 'im for ya' Harry." Hagrid said cheerfully, pa tting the black dog. "Friendly isn't he."

"Yeah," Harry chuckled.

"Good for ya' too. I haven't seen you this happy since..." Hagrid trailed off as soon as he realised he was about to hit the touchiest subject one could bring up in front of Harry. His godfather.

Harry's smiled faded slightly and Hagrid inwardly cursed himself for bringing up Sirius Black just when Harry was starting to feel happy again.

"I've got to get back, got a lot of potions homework. Thanks Hagrid." Harry started to jog toward the castle.

On seeing Harry leave the black strained and pulled at the leash Hagrid now had him on, whimpering and barking for Harry to come back.

Later that evening Harry could not help, but feel a little guilty about leaving the dog at Hagrid's. Not that Hagrid wouldn't take good care of him, it was just the dog seemed so distressed when he left that he could not help but feel his heart wrench a little as the memory of the dog's whimpers kept resurfacing.

Harry rolled over and shut his eyes.

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The next morning Harry awoke to find Padfoot sitting on the end of the bed, wagging his big black tail.

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Sorry about the long wait, I've had a lot of things going on in my life lately.