"Get away from him -- get away -- Scabbers, come here --" 

There was a loud thud. 

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat --" 

Harry and Hermione and Amelia almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump. 

"Ron -- come on back under the cloak --" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore the Minister -- they'll be coming back out in a minute --"

 But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws.... Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow -- an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog. 

"What in the fuck?"

Harry reached for his wand, but too late -- the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest; he keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch- long teeth - 

But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it rolled off him. Dazed, feeling as though his ribs were broken, Harry tried to stand up; he could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack.

A crack rang through the air. Amelia had struck the dog over the head with a large stick forcing it to back. "I'll fucking do it again! Don't touch him! Don't you dare touch him! I'll do it again, you hear me!" she shouted. 

 Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Harry aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged forward, he seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll --

 Then, out of nowhere, something hit Harry so hard across the face he was knocked off his feet again. A body thudded beside him with a groan. Amelia. He heard Hermione shriek with pain and fall too. Harry groped for his wand, blinking blood out of his eyes "Lumos!"he whispered.