by Cody Lewis
What happened next, however, was not.
Krum beat Lynch to the Snitch and Bulgaria lost the 1994 Quidditch World Cup to Ireland, 170-160. Many defend Krum's actions as an act of pride and honor. He ended the game on his own terms. He limited Ireland – a team that had defeated its previous three opponents by an average of almost five-hundred points – to a ten point margin of victory. To many, Krum was a hero.
“I disagree,” says Krum's former teammate, Natalia Ivanova. “We could have won that game. Viktor didn't even give us a chance.”
Ivanova is not alone. Many experts agree that Bulgaria still had a shot at winning. They note that, while Bulgaria's Chasers were completely outmatched by Ireland's Troy, Mullett, and Moran and their infamous Hawkshead Attack Formation, next to Krum, Ivanova was the next fastest flier on the pitch. Ivanova had already broken free to score Bulgaria's first and only goal. Who is to say she couldn't do it again?
Krumming – catching the Snitch while losing by more than one-hundred fifty points – has become more and more popular over the years. Since the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, krumming has occurred in the British and Irish Quidditch League fifty-three times – about once in every eight