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The 1809 Quidditch World Cup was an international Quidditch sporting event occurring in 1809. Russia held the Cup that year, and matches took place in secluded places such as the edge of a forest in the West Siberian Plain.[1]

Attack of the Killer Forest[]

The ghastly climax of the 1809 final between Romania and New Spain (what is now known as Mexico) has gone down in wizarding history as the worst exhibition of temper ever given by an individual player. Niko Nenad's teammates had become so concerned by his ferocious outbursts during the quarter- and semi-finals that they tried to persuade their manager to substitute him for the final, advice that was sadly ignored by the ambitious old wizard.

Flaming foot of Niko Nenad

Flaming foot of Niko Nenad

After the game, Nenad's teammate Ivan Popa (winner of an International Wizarding Order of Merit for his life-saving actions during the catastrophe) told an international inquiry that "over the preceding weeks we'd seen Niko beat himself over the head with his broom and set fire to his own feet in frustration. I'd personally stopped him strangling two referees. However, I had no suspicion about what he was planning to do if the final didn't go our way. I mean, who'd suspect that? You'd have to be as mental as he was." Precisely when and how Nenad managed to jinx an entire forest on the edge of the West Siberian Plain is open to speculation, although he is thought to have had accomplices among unprincipled fans and was later proven to have paid local Dark wizards substantial sums.

After two hours of play, Romania were behind on points and looking tired. It was then that Nenad deliberately hit a Bludger out of the stadium into the forest beyond the pitch. The effect was instantaneous and murderous. The trees sprang to life, wrenched their roots out of the ground and marched upon the stadium, flattening everything in their path, causing numerous injuries and several fatalities. What had been a Quidditch match turned swiftly into a human versus tree battle, which the wizards won only after seven hours' hard fighting. Nenad was not prosecuted [since] he had been killed early on by a particularly violent spruce.[2]

Behind the scenes[]

  • According to Quidditch Through the Ages, no Latin America country has ever won the World Cup,[3] even though it lists an event that took place in 1994, 185 years after New Spain won the 1809 Quidditch World Cup. This may have been a mistake on Kennilworthy Whisp's part.

Appearances[]

Notes and references[]

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