A Gift Fic for Beckintime, Ravenclaw Year 2 for her awesome work in Round Five!

0-0-0-0

"Ginny, duck now!" Harry shouts, turning to throw the spear at the oncoming monster. His girlfriend, the battle-worn and radiantly strong Ginny Weasley, moves out of the way just in time, hair flying in every direction. The beast is bigger this time, and they instantly know that there will be more of them. "Hermione, how many points are we on?" Translation: How many more of these bastard creatures do we have to kill?

"Seventy-five," Hermione calls back, finishing with a war cry and slash of her blade.

"Bloody hell!"

"Ron, now is not the time to waste energy swearing," Ginny scolds.

Around them, the air is thick with the stench of the beasts, bred for this game and this game only. The fourth round of the Centurion Games of the decade, in which nominees fight their way out of the cage. Each round, a new being of hell is released into the cage, and a strategy must be devised to score one thousand points. Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione know they are far from their target and losing strength fast, but none of them are the type to give in.

"This one is disgusting," Ron remarks breathlessly, choking on the putrid scent coming from the beast's mouth. It stands at least ten feet fall, covered in pustules that look just about ready to burst. Ron attempt a jabbing stab, which only causes a blister to rupture onto his face. He gags.

Hermione scowls in his direction, arcing her sword to decapitate a monkey-like rat.

Twelve more of them seem to manifest from the air itself.

"I don't know how much longer I can go," bellows Harry from his place on the dewy grass – a stupid place for a battle scene, he thought savagely.

"Don't you dare say that Harry Potter!" Ginny roars back. "As always, whether clever or completely idiotic, we are in this together! No giving up!"

He glances in her direction. She's crazed with bravery and determination. And she's right. He could not let them down; giving up was an impossibility.

"Let's kill these bastards!"

0-0-0-0

Ta!