Author's Note: Below is the (highly modified) Games Schedule for the 2014 Qidditch World Cup.

  The 2014 Quidditch World Cup will be the 427th edition of the event. It takes place in Argentina, in the remote Patagonian Desert which is the seventh largest desert in the world. Sparsely populated, it was chosen as the venue for reasons of Anti-Muggle/No Mag security.

  The first game of the First Round will be Norway vs Ivory Coast, (C?te d'Ivoire - CIV), on July 7th. The prospective match was summed up succinctly by the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Prophet, Barnabas Gaffe. "Norway versus Ivory Coast. Norway’s Top Chaser Lars Lundekvam against Ivorian Chaser Elodie Dembélé. Seekers Sigrid Kristoffersen, Norway, and Sylvian Boigny, Ivory Coast. Too close to call if they both play to their usual standards."

  The running theme of these games so far seems to be acrimony betwixt and between everyone involved. Coaches slagging each other off and threatening to curse each other's faces is just the tip of the iceberg. One team's committee, who shall remain un-named, has threatened to bring creatures created by Dark Magic as mascots. (Okay, it's Haiti. You knew it was Haiti all along, didn't you?). There have been rumors of Death Threats against a Seeker who announced he was coming out of retirement..., (Yeah, of course it's Krum. Don't know why we bother. Really). There is even friction between two of the commentators covering the event for The Daily Prophet. One of them has promised the other a quick belt in the breadbasket if she doesn't keep her lying mouth off the subject of the first person's family. Or words to that effect.

  There also seems to be angst arising from other teams' mascots, not just those of Haiti. One of the less proud moments came when an International Committee Member told the United States Team that they were absolutely not allowed to bring their mascot into the stadium. The American coach apparently shrugged and said, "Fine by me. You tell her she's not welcome," and stood aside.

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  The official quickly found himself face to muzzle with Khaleesi, Matriarch and Alpha of the United States' highly successful Dire Wolf pack. The giant wolf, standing a full five feet high at the shoulder, nosed the official, and sneezed. Apparently mistaking his cologne and touch of makeup for dirt, she pushed him down, put a paw on his chest, and proceeded to wash his face with her tongue.

  No further complaints came from the International Committee.

  OPENING GAMES (July 2014):

  SIXTEEN COUNTRIES QUALIFIED:

  Brazil, Bulgaria, Chad, Fiji, Germany, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, United States, and Wales.

  FIRST ROUND MATCHES (July 2014):

  July 7: Norway / Ivory Coast.

  July 9: Nigeria / Fiji.

  July 12: Brazil / Haiti

  July 14: USA / Jamaica.

  July 16: Liechtenstein / Chad

  July 19: Bulgaria / New Zealand.

  July 21: Japan / Poland.

  July 23: Wales / Germany.

  QUARTER-FINALS (August 2014):

  August 5: ??? / ???.

  August 8: ??? / ???.

  August 12: ??? / ???.

  August 15: ??? / ???.

  SEMI-FINALS (August 2014):

  August 19: ??? / ???.

  August 22: ??? / ???.

  FINALS (August 2014):

  August 26: ??? / ???. (Decides 3rd & 4th Places)

  August 29 - FINAL: ??? / ???.