The setting is Wembley Stadium in London, England. Every single one of the national stadium's 90,000 seats is occupied. And yet, none of the seats are filled, either. Every single Cartoon Quidditch fan is on their feet. Scores of them have come from countries all over the world for this newest, biggest spectacle in this animated whackjob - the Cartoon Quidditch World Cup!
However, there is a much more serious atmosphere present in the parking lot, right in front of the entrance to the tunnel that leads to the field. Congregating here are the 16 Cartoon Quidditch teams representing the nations of Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, England, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Tanzania and the United States. Half the lot, however, is taken up by the teams' mascots, which consist of an assortment of huge, fearsome creatures, ranging from dragons, to giant birds and even a few extinct creatures, amongst others. Luckily, security wizards have used charms on these creatures to make them more docile, so that they don't make too much noise or cause too much damage...
This is essential, as there are many things for the characters to go over before they're introduced to everyone; by far the biggest is between the stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher. Together, the two have played for three full seasons in the World League as Chasers for the Charlotte Hallows; despite them being a mid-tier team at best, the two still had loads of fun together, and they both agreed that it provided another outlet for them to bond as stepsiblings. But with this Cartoon Quidditch World Cup, these two brothers and best friends will become rivals; Phineas is playing as Chaser for his United States, and Ferb is playing as Chaser for his England. And to boot, those two teams, in the group stage, will both be playing in the same group, so a meeting between them will be inevitable, as will a face-off between the two brothers.
"Listen, Ferb," Phineas nervously speaks as he scratches his head, searching for the right words. "As, uh, as long as I've been looking forward to this World Cup thing... I honestly don't know what to make of us playing against each other in it! I mean, this whole game seems to be about hurting your opponents, and I don't wanna pull that crap on you! Even IF Stan or Mr. Burns try and make me!
Normally a man of few words, Ferb speaks up, "Don't worry about it right, bro. That match isn't gonna be for awhile, anyway."
"I know, but when it does come?"
"Then we'll both play our very best and still be brothers in the end."
"Yeah, but... but-"
"But nothing! We're just not gonna let this game split us apart! Case closed!"
Taking a deep breath as he lets his brother's words sink in, Phineas then grins, "Yeah, you're right. I dunno what I was thinking! Oh well, until then, may the best of our nations win, I suppose!" Ferb says nothing; he simply grins back as he Phineas bump fists. Soon afterwards, the teams are called by a stadium hand to mount their broomsticks, as they are all about to be introduced. And so they do, with their mascots - some on broomsticks of their own, others flying under their own power - all raring to storm the field with them;
Meanwhile, in the stadium, none other than The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter himself, has Apparated down onto the field. Aside from calling the matches on TV along with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, he was also selected to host this ceremony, introduce the teams, and the like. Modestly, he waits patiently for the fans in the stands to lower their raucous cheering, which, for him, feels like en eternity...
"Sonorus." When the noise finally dies down some, Harry casts that spell on himself to magically amplify his voice, allowing the whole stadium to hear him without the need for any temperamental Muggle P.A. systems. The first words he speaks under this spell are, "Eat your heart out, FIFA! Right?!"
Huge laughter erupts from the fans over Harry's jab at the Muggle FIFA World Cup taking place in Brazil. "But seriously, folks," Harry continues as the laughter dies down, "this truly is the cream of the crop of this zany sport that is Cartoon Quidditch. As you should all know, we've enjoyed three full seasons of it with the World League of Cartoon Quidditch. It's been wackier and more enjoyable for us than any Muggle or wizard game that's been invented; the things that those cartoons do to each other never cease to amaze us... unless, of course, your name is Hermione Granger, but that's a different story!
Once more, the fans howl with laughter at Harry's wit. "While it may be true," he adds, "that this sport has been largely U.S.-centric, even with the Kyoto Kappa winning Potter Bowl II and the Marseille Sphinxes making it into Potter Bowl III, that changes now! For the first time ever, Cartoon Quidditch clubs from every corner of the globe will square off here, for arguably the one and only prize that will be bigger than the Potter Bowl! I suppose we should meet the teams now, starting with, of course, our very own... ENGLAND!
"Let's go team!" declares England Seeker Robotboy (from the Liverpool Beetles) as he leads his team flying on their brooms through the tunnel and up over the field. Following him around, as the fans erupt loudly for their host team, are Chasers Tommy Turnbull (Liverpool), Lola Mbola (Liverpool) and Ferb Fletcher (from the Charlotte Hallows), Beaters Richard and Nicole Watterson (both from the London Chimeras), and Keeper Nigel Uno (Philadelphia Thestrals). Also flying with them under their own power are their mascots, John, Paul, George and Ringo - a squadron of bombardier beetles magically enlarged to five feet in length, each one with the ability to squirt boiling hot liquid out of its posterior at any opponent, giving the British fans potentially much more to cheer for as the team disappears over the grandstands, making way for the introductions of the other teams;
"Yeah, that's them," Harry shrugs. "And now... AUSTRALIA!"
Despite Australia being considered a lower-tier Cartoon Quidditch nation, their fans are still out in force in Wembley Stadium as their national team flies in; by far the biggest standout is Wally Beatles, who's made his name in America as a Seeker for the Philadelphia Thestrals. But this time, he's trying his hand as a Beater; smirking, he swings his Beater bat around viciously as his teammates flank him, including a penguin named Memphis (Melbourne Minka Birds), who will play as the other Beater. With them also are the Chasers Dex Hamilton (Adelaide Bunyips), the fairy Crysta (Brisbane Dirawongs), and the penguin Mumble (Melbourne), along with the transgendered superhero Guy "SheZow" Hamdon (Sydney Yowies) as Seeker, and his mother Droosha Hamdon (Sydney) as Keeper. And by their side, also on a broom, is Matilda - a vicious swamp predator creature called a bunyip, feared by the Aboriginals for its man-eating ways...
As they make their exit, Harry grins, "La, la, la-la-la-la, sing a happy song... for BELGIUM!"
And in come the Smurfs - the national heroes of Belgium. Black, red and yellow flags fly as Clumsy Smurf, Greedy Smurf, Vanity Smurf, Hefty Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, Handy Smurf, and of course, Smurfette, soar in on their broomsticks. Even the fans of the other nations can't help but applaud - none of them are even put off by Kludde, the fearsome, black forest dog spirit who serves as their mascot; as he flies with them on his own broom, he howls approvingly as all of the fans give them one last cheer before the team takes their leave.
"And now," proclaims Harry, "for the nation who's hosting the Muggle World Cup instead of trying to fix their poverty issues... BRAZIL!"
Led by the kung fu master Raimundo Pedrosa, the Brazilian national team flies into Wembley Stadium. As the green, yellow and blue flags fly, Raimundo is backed by a managerie of exotic birds for teammates, names Nico, Pedro, Blu, Jewel, Nigel and Rafael. Not to mention their mascots, Phorus and Rhacos - a pair of three-meter-tall terror birds with wicked beaks that could easily stab an opposing player to bits, if Raimundo or the other birds ordered them to. Phorus and Rhacos let out menacing shrieks as they fly around on their brooms with their team before taking their leave to make way for...
"CANADA!"
Leading the Canadians is Waheela, the ferocious mountain wolf and Canadian mascot. As he flies in on his broom, howling louder than the Belgian wolf, he is followed by the Canadians Nikki Wong (Montreal Manticores), Jonesy Garcia (Montreal), Aerrow (Ottawa Storm Hawks), Piper (Ottawa), Carver (Ottawa), as well as siblings Lauren and Tyler Ridgemount (both from the Vancouver Grindylows). Even with the wolf, many consider the Canadians to not be much of a factor for this World Cup. Nevertheless, that doesn't stop the Canadian fans from waving their maple leaf flags for their team as they do their flyaround.
"CHINA!"
In fly the cats, Sagwa, Dongwa and Sheegwa Miao, who play as Chasers for the Chinese national Cartoon Quidditch team. With them are the kung-fu fighting animals Po, Monkey, Tigress and Viper; also key players for the team. But they all pale in comparison to their mascot, Xing; a Tarbosaurus - the Asian cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex. As the team flies overhead, he stamps his way around the field, roaring at the fans and inciting both cheers and fright...
"And don't you dare think we left Africa out of this one!" Harry smirks. "It's the Democratic Republic of the Congo!"
A chorus of roars erupt, not just from the Congolese fans, but also from the team of lions flying in on broomsticks - Kimba, Lyre, Leone, Rune and Rukkio - that play for the Congo. Also playing for them is a parrot named Coco, and a gazelle named Tomy. And their mascot; Dingonek, a fearsome jungle cryptid with saber teeth and a scorpion tail, roars in perfect chorus with the lions as they do their flyaround.
"FINLAND!"
Next up are none other than the Finnish national heroes, the Angry Birds, Red, Chuck, Jay, Jake, Jim, Bomb and Matilda - all known far and wide for the video games in which they've been featured as characters. Now, they've stood up to represent all of Finland in this Cartoon Quidditch World Cup, and there to cheer them on is their mascot Ajatar - a malevolent female forest spirit who appears in the form of a giant winged snake, tormenting clumsy wanderers, or, in this case, opposing teams and their fans...
"Now you should know these guys," proclaims Harry. "You saw many of them in the last Potter Bowl, and now, after the Sphinxes' loss, they're back for another round, playing for... FRANCE!"
And so Aelita Stones, Ulrich Stern, Yumi Ishiyama and Sissi Delmas, coming off of their Potter Bowl appearance with the Marseille Sphinxes, fly in along with Sam, Clover and Alex, who play for their in-nation rivals, the Paris Veela. But now, these rivals have united for France, to win for them their supremacy over all other Cartoon Quidditch nations. And stomping through the stadium with them is their mascot, a beast-like dragon known as the Tarasque, growling loudly and proudly with the French fans in the stadium. Once they've done their flyaround, they disappear over the other side of the stadium while the Tarasque stomps through the entrance tunnel and out to regroup with his team;
"And you should also be familiar with these gals," says Harry. "You've seen them playing for the Rome Fairies and Milan Witchhunters, and now, they've teamed up to represent their country of ITALY!"
It's the only all-female team in the Cup. Bloom, Musa and Tecna of the Rome Fairies have united with Will Vandom, Irma Lair, Hay Lin and Cornelia Hale of the Milan Witchhunters to bring Italy to victory in this Cartoon Quidditch World Cup. Even with them being in a "group of death" with both England and the United States to contend with, that doesn't put any sort of damper on their enthusiasm as they fly around above the fans, accompanied by their mascot Luigi the Lariosaurus - a nothosaur (that's a type of marine reptile from the Triassic period) flying on a broomstick, hissing at opposing fans as much as he can before the team takes their leave;
"The rest should be self-explanatory... JAPAN!"
And lo and behold, it's Japan, one of the favorties to win the Cup. All of them have been stars in the World League, and now, they - Goku (Osaka Oni), Gaara (Nagoya Nue), Ash Ketchum (Tokyo Tengu), Seto Kaiba (Kyoto Kappa), Shadow The Hedgehog (Yokohama Yokai), Heero Yuy (Hiroshima Hibagon) and Sonic The Hedgehog (Yokohama) - go soaring into the stadium with authority. The rising sun flags fly for them, and opposing fans quiver with fear at the sight of Akihiro, the Japanese demon, or Oni, that serves as their mascot. He could set anyone on fire on a whim, but instead he plays it cool, saving his powers and energy for the Cup, for combined with those of the team, they just might be unstoppable...
"Yep, they just might be the favorites to win out," affirms Harry. "And now, put your sombreros together for... MEXICO!"
Leading the way for Mexico is the luchadore wrestlers Rikochet, Buena Girl and The Flea. They've spent the last two seasons playing in the World League for the Monterrey Cadejos, and have frequently clashed, on and off the pitch, with their in-country rivals, the Mexico City Chupacabras. But this time, several of the Chupacabras - Maria, Rodolfo and Manny Rivera, along with Frida Suarez, have teamed up with them for Mexico. And speaking of chupacabras, stamping into the stadium with them are two actual chupacabras named Sergio and Esteban; while their appetite is normally for goats, they do have the will and capacity to turn on an opposing player at any second...
"NEW ZEALAND!"
Next up is the Auckland Moa - I mean, New Zealand. Actually, it is the same line-up - Vale and Valea Pepelo, Sione Tapili, Mila Jizovich, Jeff da Maori, Mack McCorkenstein and Bobby Bababiba. The only difference is that their accompanied by Pelekai and Makani, a pair of moa; giant flightless birds thought to be extinct. But these two birds are very much alive, and while New Zealand is not expected to even make it past the group stage, they still squawk proudly for their country.
"PERU!"
So then, the arrogant Emperor Kuzco leads his Peruvian national team - Kronk, Pacha, Chicha, Chaca, Tipo and Bucky the Squirrel into the stadium, along with one of the most terrifying mascots yet; a magically enlarged, 100-foot long giant anaconda named Aak. He slithers around the stadium as the team flies overhead, eyeballing fans as he goes, and even affectionately licking fans who are waving the red-and-white Peruvian flag. Of course, given the word or provocation, his demeanor could change in an instant...
"Alright, and now," announces Harry, "for the team from Africa who some say has a chance to end the circle of life, in a manner of speaking, for the other teams; "TANZANIA!"
A chorus of lion's roars erupt from the tunnel entrance, even louder and more vicious than those from the Congolese team. And flying in on those broomsticks are the Tanzanian lions; Simba, Nala, Kiara and Kovu, accompanied by the meerkat Timon, the warthog Pumbaa, and the hornbill Zazu. And bounding in on the ground is their mascot, Mobongo, a giant leopard called a Nundu, with an extremely toxic poisonous breath that could single-handedly bring an entire village into a deathly pestilence, and, if provoked, could do the same for every fan in Wembley Stadium...
"Well, just one more team!" Harry announces. "This World Cup would not be complete without them. The rest of the world hates them, but we love them, and there'd be no Cartoon Quidditch without them. Give it up for... the UNITED STATES!"
The red, white and blue flies high and proud throughout the seats of Wembley Stadium as the cream of the crop, the United States national Cartoon Quidditch team, led by the overly patriotic Stan Smith, best known from his time with the Washington Ministry. And he's leading one of most superpowered teams in the Cup, including the likes of the half-ghost Danny Phantom (Louisville Phantoms), the half-alien Gwen Tennyson (Kansas City Inferi), the demonic Raven (New Orleans Nightwings) and the overly aggressive, super-strong Buttercup (Jacksonville Jinx). Also in their ranks is the incredibly inventive Phineas Flynn (Charlotte Hallows), and Rainbow Dash, the Pegasus with the speed capabilites to rival Sonic the Hedgehog and give the Japanese a run for their money, and to boot, coming off from her Potter Bowl victory with her Detroit Alicorns. Okay, so she was grievously injured early on in the match and had to be subbed out, but now she's back, and better than ever. And flying in with them from the sky is their mascot, aptly named Fire-In-His-Loins; a 40-foot, legless, feathered, winged dragon called an amphithere, feared and respected for centuries by the Native Americans, now playing his part to help support his country, as they are considered THE most likely to take this inaugural Cartoon Quidditch World Cup...
"Well, that's them," Harry says. "Some of them have already shown great prowess in the World League, and others haven't yet made their talents known. But they have the chance to do so now! This will most certainly be a thrill ride unlike any before. These teams, I know, will amaze us, shock us, and maybe frighten us... but it'll all be worth it when we are finally revealed the surprise of who will be called a winner. So then, without further ado, as they say at the Muggle Olympics... LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
And they shall! Our first match-ups;
GROUP A
China vs England
GROUP B
Brazil vs Finland
GROUP C
Australia vs Peru
GROUP D
Mexico vs DR Congo
Featured match; Brazil vs Finland...