Harry had always been different from the others. His calm, composed demeanor did not give off the slightest hint of aggravation, and when the other children would throw a tantrum every time something didn't go their way, Harry would simply sit there, staring at those who did him wrong with those accusing light-green eyes. People often mistook him for being shy, and treated him as such. Harry didn't mind. His compassion did not go beyond that which he held for his two closest friends anyway, the witch Hermione Granger and the wizard Draco Malfoy.

Despite the somewhat uninviting front he put up, Harry actually had a rather warm personality. He had always considered himself to have a good sense of humor, and his compassion, albeit limited, ran deep for those whom he really cared for. And as he had quickly learnt during his short three years at Hogwarts, there wasn't much he wouldn't do to protect his closest friends.

Unlike others, Harry didn't crave human contact. He could be perfectly fine on his own, lost in the stormy seas of his own thoughts. Despite being an avid daydreamer, Harry was a diligent student, constantly surprising his teachers with his ability to remember almost every sentence said during classes. He often came out on top during tests and exams, standing above the others as a prime example of what the perfect student looked like.

But Harry cared little for academic accomplishments. He never bragged about his grades, or his clear supremacy over the other students in terms of intelligence. No, Harry simply wanted to live a quiet life, sticking with his close circle of friends, never really putting himself in harms way.

Therefore, when he learned about what Dumbledore had in store for him, Harry had, in secret, tried his best to find a way out. He didn't want to face down the most ruthless killer in the wizarding world. He didn't want to blindly sacrifice himself for the good of people he really didn't care about. Was that honestly such a hard decision to fathom? He was but 14 years old, and he had his whole life ahead of him. Why must he, a mere child, die and suffer for the sake of others?

However, as Harry was about to find out, his prophecy with Lord Voldemort was just the tip of the iceberg. In the long run, Tom Riddle's schemes would have little impact on the way of the world. No, Harry's destiny and purpose ran deeper than that of any prophecy.

All his life, people had lied to him. Told him what he was, told him what to do. That would happen no more. Soon, the real question would be asked. A glimpse of the real truth would pierce the darkness like a ray of light. And no man, no matter how powerful, could prepare for something like this.

A being, which had been dormant for centuries, was about to awake. An enigma as old as time was about to be revealed. And the young boy Harry Potter from Godric's Hollow, without knowing it himself, would unlock the final gate leading to the answer.


- A Story by Twisted Films -

Harry Potter and the Order of the Serpent

"Alea iacta est" – The Die Has Been Cast


At the start of his first year at Hogwarts, Harry's one and only friend had been the young wizard Draco, who came from the prestigious family of Malfoy. Despite his fame within the wizarding world, Draco was a down-to-earth boy, smart and cunning for the most part. Sadly, he had a rather nasty tendency, which he had undoubtedly picked up from his father, where he would mock those whom he considered to be of "less worth".

So when Harry started encountering and talking to the "mudblood" girl Hermione Granger in the library, Draco did not take it well. He mocked her endlessly, calling her out on her parents, her legacy and the blood that ran through her veins. Harry knew it to be nothing more than Draco going on the defensive, because much like how Draco was Harry's only friend, Harry was Draco's only true friend as well. He was simply afraid of Harry leaving him.

However, when it became clear that Harry had no intention of stopping, Draco slowly started growing more accustomed to having her there. Before long, they were an inseparable bunch, always having each other's backs. They had been through some tough times together, both in their first, second and third year at Hogwarts, because trouble seemed to flock to them like moths to a light. But they had went through all of it together, surviving and thriving due to their impressive camaraderie and teamwork.

And now, they had yet again returned to Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry, to continue their education for the fourth time. Only this time, things were going to be very different…


October 29th, 1994

Seamus Finnigan let out a shriek of frustration as the steps yet again retracted in on themselves, effectively turning the staircase into a slide. Harry, as well as the other male members of Gryffindor that had gathered around, couldn't help but laugh as the boy came crashing down for the millionth time.

"I'm telling ya, this bloody staircase will be the death of me!" Seamus shouted as he got back up on his feet. For the past 30 minutes, Seamus had taken it upon himself to conquer the staircase leading up to the girls' dorm. It was pretty much a daily activity for the male students of Gryffindor at this point, and there was always someone ready to challenge the ultimate opponent.

The staircase itself was infused with a type of magic that would make its steps retract every time a boy tried to get up into the girls' dorm without permission. This had caused the boys a lot of frustration, as the concept of peeping on the girls was apparently something they found incredibly amusing. Luckily enough, whomever had made the staircase had also included a work-around to this whole dilemma. If a girl was holding your hand and leading you up towards the girls' dorm with the intention of bringing you up there, the staircase would not react, and you would be able to enter the oaken wooden door at the top. Harry liked to think of it as Dumbledore's way of saying that he wasn't a complete cockblock.

Sadly, up until this point, the boys had yet to manage to convince a girl to take them up there, so what lied beyond that door at the top still remained a mystery to most of them.

As Seamus finally gave up on his great quest, the other boys started filtering out, and before long, Harry was the only one left in the common room. Class was about to resume, but Harry wasn't planning on attending it today. Grabbing the colossal stack of books he had left on a nearby table, he headed out of the Gryffindor common room, and towards the Library on the first floor of the stone castle that was Hogwarts.

Students were hurrying up and down the massive, ever-changing staircase on their way to class, and to an untrained eye, it might have looked like nothing but total chaos. But to Harry, it was like a grand, but beautiful cacophony of sounds, immersing him in the world of an everyday student. Except, of course, that no one at Hogwarts was a normal student. They studied the ancient art of magic, after all.

As he waited for the revolving staircase to arrive at its destination, he couldn't help but smile as he reminisced about everything he had experienced these past few years. From the dangerous encounter with He Who Must Not Be Named during his first year, to the gargantuan King of Snakes, the Basilisk, which resided in the Chamber of Secrets, to his Godfather's escape from Azkaban, Harry's life had been nothing short of an insane, twisted adventure. And if it hadn't been for the support of his friends, he undoubtedly would've perished a long time ago.

His little trip down memory lane was cut short by the stairwell finally linking up with the corridor leading to the library. During his first year at Hogwarts, the ever-changing network of staircases had seemed rather impossible to comprehend, but after being forced to use it for a couple of months, he had started seeing patterns and other intricacies that led him to an understanding of how the system worked. He had to admit, it was quite the ingenious design.

Hurrying along the corridor, Harry took a quick look at his newly purchased watch, a frown marring his features as he realized that he was running late. Hermione was well known for being a huge fan of punctuality, and being late to a meeting was probably akin to that of using an Unforgivable Curse in front of her and expecting her to praise your skill as a wizard.

Fear of being lectured on responsibility led him to quicken his stride, and before long, he was standing in front of the large, oaken door that led in to the library. He could practically hear Hermione pacing back and forth inside, waiting for him to give her some kind of half-assed excuse as to why he was running late, only for her to see right through it and scold him nonetheless. Grabbing the door handle, Harry let out a sigh as he mentally prepared himself for the coming storm, and opened the door in one swift motion.

"Where have you been? Why are you late? Are those even the right books? Why is your hair slightly different from yesterday? Why is there a smudge on your glasses? WHY AREN'T YOU PAYING ATTENTION TO ME?" The endless barrage of questions continued as Harry helplessly tried to defend himself with weak arguments that he knew were shallow and easily dismissible.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I got stuck up watching Seamus trying to scale the staircase to the girls' dorm again, and…" He realized a moment too late that he had just opened up yet another "can of worms", so to speak.

"Again?! You guys need to stop doing that, it is a despicable act that is degrading against women and shows a clear lack of respect for the female gender…" Hermione was a through-and-through feminist, and saying anything even slightly degrading against women would set off a verbal bomb the size of Fat Man. "And with females being oppressed nearly every day it is becoming increasingly harder to… hey are you even listening to me?!"

Harry sent her a pleading look as he gestured towards the other students currently present in the library, whom had all turned around to watch their little dispute. Hermione's cheeks turned beet-red as she realized she had interrupted the otherwise peaceful silence of the library, and let out a huff of indignation as she lowered her voice to a whisper.

"W… whatever, the point is that women rule the world and you should be ashamed. Oh, and did you remember to bring "Hogwarts, A History" this time?"

"Yes, I did, Mom, anything else you'd like me to do? Make you a cup of tea perhaps?" he answered mockingly whilst rolling his eyes.

"Haha, very funny mister. Now pull out your books, and let us get to studying! We have a test coming up, and your knowledge of Hogwarts history is, quite frankly, lacking".


Harry would rather die than admit to it, but studying with Hermione was, in its own way, a rather calming part of his day. The two were very much on the same wavelength, and would often finish each other's sentences amongst other things. Watching her bend over the books with that slightly intense expression, her bushy, chestnut hair caressing the side of her face, was one of Harry's "guilty pleasures", so to speak. Not that there were any other intentions behind it. He simply found it calming. She looked so… at peace, in her own way.

What was not nearly as exciting, however, was the book in front of him. "Hogwarts, A History" could only be described by one word: brick. With its numerous pages filled with nothing but endless exposition, it was any students' worst nightmare, and even to Harry, a top dog in the academic field, reading it could be compared to an hour-long session of pain and suffering.

Hermione, however, seemed to be properly enjoying herself, jumping from page to page at the speed of light. It was quite a miracle that her brain managed to register and keep track of all of that information she consistently fed it. Harry's brain would automatically try to turn itself off whenever he overworked it, but Hermione's brain didn't seem to have that failsafe. He envied her for that.

The two continued their studying in silence for the next hour or so, before Harry finally let out a long sigh of fatigue.

"I'm completely busted. How about we call it a day?"

Hermione peered over at him from over her book, a meek smile plastered on her face.

"You tired already? Thy art weak, Mister Harry".

"Oh, I'm sorry for not being able to keep up with your superhuman ability of intense concentration. I am merely human, after all," Harry mocked, closing the book in front of him.

"Well, I suppose if you're leaving already, I might as well leave myself. No point in sitting here all alone when I already know everything there is to know about the subject".

"Wait, you knew this stuff all along? Why would you sit here for hours if you had already practiced this part of the curriculum?" he asked, cocking his head slightly to the side in an inquiring gesture.

"Erhm… I felt like I had to… go over the… finer details of the subject! Yes, that's it!" she answered, a generous smile flaring up across her face. Harry eyed her with clear suspicion, but decided that simply rolling with it would probably be a wiser course of action.

"Whatever you say," he finally mulled with a sigh of resignation. Hermione, clearly satisfied with his answer, sent him a warm smile, before suddenly tensing up. Harry, having not expected that particular reaction, furrowed his brows in concern, posing an unspoken question to Hermione.

"Harry… are you truly… alright? You know, after what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, and with that nightmare of yours… I guess I'm just unable stop worrying about it. We've been through so much together, and I feel like we never really get the chance to talk about it". The somber tone in which she spoke immediately put Harry on edge. He knew that both Draco and Hermione had been worrying about him, but he hadn't really known how to talk about it before. He couldn't explain exactly what it was, but he had this… feeling… that if he talked about it, something bad could happen.

"I… I'm okay, Hermione, I really am. It just… I have this unsettling feeling that it all means more than I think it does. Like I'm missing the bigger picture, somehow…" he let the sentence trail off, leaving the two of them in complete silence. The expression on Hermione's face told him his answer hadn't quite helped her already solemn mood, but that was understandable.

"Just… if you ever feel like you need someone, remember that we are always going to be there for you, okay? We'll never leave you," she said, her eyes filled with concern.

"Thanks, Hermione. I promise I'll come straight to you guys if something happens". Smiling now, Hermione nodded her head, before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Whoa, that got deep for a second there… Heh, sorry 'bout that!"

"Don't sweat it, I appreciate your concern, I really do," Harry answered in a comforting voice, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. She instantly draped her own hand over his, giving it a small squeeze. They remained like that for a while, comforting each other.

"Get a room!" someone in the library suddenly shouted, immediately deflating the atmosphere. The two of them quickly pulled their hands away from each other, coughing in an awkward attempt to restore their dignity.

"Ehrm, a… anyway… you should probably get going," Hermione coughed, a deep tint of red slowly spreading across her face.

"Y… yeah totally, I was just about to do… that," Harry responded, hastily grabbing his books before brushing past her.

Why do I always end up in such embarrassing situations? he secretly wondered to himself as he hurried down the corridor leading back to the common room.


October 30th, 1994

"SILENCE". The magically enhanced voice of Albus Dumbledore tore through the Great Hall, stifling any discussion currently going on between the students seated at any of the four gargantuan tables. An eerie, incessant silence shrouded the hall, with all eyes fixed on the Headmaster.

"Tonight, a very special happening will take place at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, his authoritative voice rippling across the stone walls. "As you are all aware, this school has been selected to host an extraordinary event known as the Triwizard Tournament! As Headmaster, I am deeply honored, and on behalf of all the staff at Hogwarts, allow me to offer our utmost thanks to the Department of Magical Games and Sports from the Ministry of Magic for bestowing this honor upon us".

From behind the teachers table, a man clad in a black robe arose from his seat, eliciting an applause from the other staff members present. The students in the Great Hall quickly caught on, and started clapping as well. Tipping his head in a symbolic bow towards the Headmaster, the man put on a warm, genuine-looking smile that was undoubtedly the result of many years of practice.

That's the smile of a man who has several years of experience in the field of politics under his belt, Harry noted to himself as he absentmindedly clapped along with the other students. Warm on the outside, cold and withering on the inside.

As the man found his seat, Dumbledore raised his voice yet again, promptly silencing the applause as if it had never been there in the first place.

"Now, the Triwizard Tournament is no easy undertaking. It is designed to test the limits of your intelligence, your magical ability and… your courage". His stare seemed to linger on Harry for a moment as he uttered the last few words, before continuing its sweep of the Great Hall.

"3 Champions will enter, but only one will emerge as the victor. Each champion will represent their respective schools, and compete against each other in strenuous tasks that will require them to put forth their utmost effort in order to escape unscathed".

The entirety of the Great Hall held their collective breaths as they waited for Dumbledore to continue his speech. The tension hung thick in the air as he adjusted his glasses, purposefully dragging out the pause for dramatic effect.

Drama queen, Harry thought.

"The winner of the Triwizard Tournament will be rewarded with eternal glory, recognition by his peers, a monetary price and the prestigious Triwizard Cup!" As he finished his sentence, a magical current of wind flew through the Great Hall, ruffling hair and eliciting gasps from several students. The gusts stopped at the front of the hall, before beginning to meld together into a small tornado-like wind, increasing in both power and ferocity. And there, in the middle of the tornado, Harry spotted a goblet-like object made of the finest metal beginning to materialize.

As sudden as it had started, the wind disappeared, leaving a truly magnificent cup behind that took the breath of most of the students gathered in the Great Hall. The sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes seemed to intensify just a little as he gazed out over the baffled students, the Triwizard Cup illuminating the words "WIZ" and "ARD" ingrained on its side.

"The process of selecting champions will be taken care of by the Goblet of Fire. Each student that wishes to enter the Triwizard Tournament will have to place a piece of parchment with their name on it into the Goblet, and it will select the champions it feels are the most worthy to participate".

In front of him, a bearskin cover came floating down from the magical ceiling, landing on an invisible object that had been there all along, highlighting its features. With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore removed the cover, exposing a huge bronze Goblet with a crackling blue flame shining brightly from its center. The Great Hall was nothing short of entranced by its magical beauty, especially by the blue flame at the top. It seemed to have a will of its own, bending and twisting with such precise movements it seemed unnatural for a flame.

"Now, due to the harsh nature of these tasks, the Ministry of Magic has put an age restriction in place for participation in the Tournament. Only wizards from the age of 17 and up will be allowed to enter their names into the Goblet of Fire".

The response was instant. The undisturbed silence was replaced by deafening shouts of frustration from all the students that were under the age of 17, all screaming out in opposition of this new, unfair rule. Even Harry had to admit, he was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be able to enter his name into the roster.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore yet again shouted, this time putting even more power behind his words. The Great Hall immediately fell silent, a stark contrast to the shouts that had just filled the room.

"This new regulation is solely for your own safety. I am sure many of you are highly disappointed that you won't be able to participate, but rules are rules, and I will have it no other way". Nobody answered. No one was willing to face Dumbledore head-to-head.

"Now, with that out of the way, allow me to introduce you to some of the guests that will be staying here at Hogwarts for the Tournament! First up are the lovely ladies from the French school of wizardry, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

As he shouted out the name of the school, the enormous wooden doors leading in to the Great Hall flew open, taking the students by surprise. An array of girls, all dressed in stark blue colors, came gliding into the hall, an army of doves emerging from underneath their clothes, making the other students gathered in the Great Hall gasp in surprise. Following them was what could only be described as a massive woman the size of Hagrid, dressed in superfluous clothing. The ladies stopped twice on their way up towards the podium, extending their arms out towards either side of the room in a welcoming gesture. As they reached the Headmaster, they split up into two groups, with one particular girl splitting off to the middle to perform what looked like French ballet. Her moves were graceful, calm and collected like that of a winter morning. She was beautiful, too.

As her dancing came to a halt, the students were ripped from their trance-like state, and a massive applause filled the hall. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed that Hermione and Ginny didn't appear to be as enthusiastic about the Beauxbatons' students arrival as the others.

Probably don't like the competition, Harry smiled, returning his attention to the Headmaster.

"As charming as they are, these are not the only students that will be joining us at Hogwarts this year. Allow me to introduce the proud students of the Durmstrang Institute!"

Another flock of students came marching into the Great Hall, except these ones were far more intimidating than the beautiful girls of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Holding what looked like bronze rods in their hands, they slammed them into the ground in tune with each other, each crack of the rods eliciting a shower of sparks. Walking behind them was two terrifying-looking men, one considerably older than the other one.

Harry pegged the eldest one as the Headmaster, but the younger one… It took him a moment to recognize him, but when he did, the realization hit him like a speeding train. It was Victor Krum, the famous Bulgarian seeker that had participated in the Quidditch World Cup just months earlier. He walked with all the confidence one would normally associate with a world famous individual, the Russian ushanka on his head hammering home the image of a robust northerner.

As they reached the front of the hall, the two groups with the rods split off, leaving a sole man in the middle who got down on one knee, summoning a phoenix made of crackling fire from his mouth.

The applause was many times that of which the Beauxbatons students received, with some students even leaving their seats to give a standing ovation. Their Headmaster, whom Dumbledore had introduced as Igor Karkaroff, was clearly proud of his students, and gave no effort to hide it.

A few minutes later, when the spectacle had dwindled, Dumbledore yet again rose his voice to speak.

"I hope that you will all welcome these students as if they were your own brothers and sisters. I want no boorish behavior taking place, is that understood? These are your fellow wizards, worthy of your respect. Treat them as such".

The solemn silence that filled the hall seemed to be answer enough for Dumbledore.

"Now, let us all take part in this grand feast to celebrate the arrival of our honored guests!"


Beads of sweat trickled down his spine as he tossed and turned in bed, his head filled with visions and dreams he did not comprehend. Harry's night traumas had always been an issue, but lately, they seemed to have increased in their intensity. In his dreams, he was standing atop a nameless cliff, looking out over a black ocean shrouded in mist. All around him was darkness, and with every second, it crept closer and closer. However, as he tried to turn away and run, he found his body frozen to the core, every cell in his body paralyzed. This was a darkness that could not be ignored; a darkness filled with such malice it made his heart flutter with fear. It wanted to consume him, rip him apart, ravage him until nothing remained.

As the darkness closed in around him, all light vanished. All hope disappeared. There was no longer any question of whether or not he would be able to escape with his life. This was where he met his end, he could see that now. And then, as if to mock him, a pair of colossal eyes lit up in the darkness, staring down at him like he was nothing but a speck of dust. They shone with a blood-red color, and made Harry want to tear his own eyes out just so he wouldn't have to look at them.

A rolling voice cut through the darkness, a voice filled with such power it made his bones rattle.

"I. AM".

And that's when he woke up.


A/N: Alright then, allow me to congratulate you on getting through the first chapter of this new story, Harry Potter and the Order of the Serpent! This is, in fact, the first time I have ever planned a story before writing it. Every chapter, every character, every plot-twist has been mapped out ahead of time, so I am hoping that will result in higher quality when it comes to the overall plot and pacing.

By the way, I apologize for the cringeworthy teen-romance during the library scene. I promise I won't force romantic interactions down your throat, if it creates awkward situations. I want to create a realistic picture of an adolescent relationship, and I figured casual romance like that was part of it. I apologize if you found it off-putting, it WILL get better as the story goes on, I promise.

Nonetheless, I honestly hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Spent a helluva long time on it, that's for sure. If you did, would you please be so kind as to leave a review? They help me out immensely when it comes to improving as a writer, and they give me valuable feedback on whether or not you guys enjoyed a particular chapter.

Also, I'm hoping you will enjoy my more sarcastic, humorous take on Harry. I always found his personality rather dull in both the books and the movies. I guess we will have to see. That's all from me though. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen.

-Twisted