Hermione had no idea how long she had been holding them at bay when she finally realised there was no further space to yield, that her back was pressed into the boulder and sharp teeth were centimetres from her face.  At least I’ve pissed them off enough to kill me quickly,  she thought, closing her eyes to summon the memory of her parents’ faces. She could feel the wolf's hot breath, ruffling the curls around her face, and braced herself for pain.