AN: Hey everyone! arrancarkuriboh here! This is the story that was chosen to be written first in the poll I had up. This will be Harry/Hermione to start, but I might add others to make it Harry/Harem. Also, I've decided to try a new style of writing for this fic. If you like it, let me know! Some concepts and characters will be borrowed from other series.

Chapter 1: Bringer of the New Age

"Harry Potter!" Albus Dumbledore announces in a clear voice. Harry freezes.

'Why me?' he asks himself.

"Harry, just go up there. See if you can't get out of this," Hermione encourages him. Too shocked to respond, he nods.

As he walks up to the aged Headmaster, he is handed the slip of parchment with his name on it, and instructed to walk into the Trophy Room. Harry nods dumbly as he approaches the unlit Goblet of Fire. As he walks past it, he brushes his right hand against the ancient artifact. Unexpectedly, the Goblet re-lights itself in a fiery blaze of colors. Feeling the heat, Harry looks up at the flame. The students, teachers, and Ministry officials simply observe as the flames of the Goblet engulf Harry in a fiery maelstrom, too mystified to act.

'What the hell is going on?' Harry thinks to himself as the Great Hall disappears.

As Harry regaines his vision, he finds himself looking at a slew of cryptic images. The Goblet of Fire. A strange man lighting the Goblet of Fire. A large group of people in what looked to be the Great Hall. Two men wielding large staffs dueling in great shows of magic. A man with deep red eyes, golden hair and golden armor summoning chains to capture a giant bull. A woman with golden hair and green eyes like his drawing a sword out of a rock. A man wearing an upside down pyramid around his neck surrounded by 5 others battling a giant mass of darkness. These images loop in an infinite circle.

'Do you desire power?' a voice asks.

"Wh-Who are you?" Harry calls out in fear. The voice chuckles.

'I am a being of times long past. I am the one who chooses the bringer of the next age. I am the impartial judge,' the voice replies.

"Are you the Goblet?" Harry asks.

'You are correct, young one. I am the inner spirit of what you call the Goblet of Fire. My name is Fi,' the voice replies.

"Wh-what do you want with me?" Harry asks, still wary of Fi.

'I was created thousands of years ago by an ancient race of peoples lost to history. At the end of each age I have chosen a single person to lead the world into the next era. The first was King Gilgamesh of Uruk. The second was Altria Pendragon. You know her as King Arthur of Camelot. The third was a charming man by the name of Godric Gryffindor,' Fi explains.

"Wait…so you're picking me next? I have to compete with the likes of King Arthur and Godric Gryffindor? Why me? I'm just…well, I'm just Harry!" the boy asks in disbelief. Fi chuckles.

'Of this era, you are the one suited for this task. From all the people in this world, I have chosen you, Harry Potter. You are the one suited to lead this world out of the darkness and into a new era of light. If your name were not entered, I would have chosen you regardless, not for this Triwizard Tournament, but as my Champion. This tournament was originally created by wizardkind as a means to determine my chosen Champion. They were foolish! Forcing young children to compete in such dangerous ordeals! No, they cannot do my job for me. It is my job and my job alone,' Fi continues.

"So…you pretty much want me to kill Voldemort," Harry concludes.

'Destroying the evil that calls itself Voldemort is simply the first step, young one. Your task is to lead the world into a new age, both Magical and non-Magical. Now, let me ask you again. Do you desire power?' Fi asks.

Harry ponders her offer. 'If I take up Fi's offer, I'll be able to protect my friends, and not get myself killed. That sounds like a good idea actually.'

"Fi, I accept your offer," Harry finally decides.

'Good. Now, my chosen Champion, go!' Fi's voice commands, echoing as her form fades out.

The Hall is silent. No one moves. Everyone observes the cocoon of flame surrounding Harry Potter, wondering what will happen next. As they wait for something to happen, the cocoon finally breaks. As the audience watches, the flames of the Goblet enter his eyes, his mouth, his scar, and his heart. Harry screams in pain as the Goblet gives him power. A second scream, ethereal in nature, emerges from Harry's scar as a ghostly form dissipates. As Harry's screaming form convulses, his body stretches and squeezes, changing his body into its ideal form. His legs, arms, and torso elongate, increasing his height. His arms and legs grow and tighten into prominent muscles. His short, messy hair grows down to the middle of his back, spiking every which way. As the last of the flame is absorbed, Harry's screaming stops, and he collapses in a dead faint.

Harry's eyes flutter open. 'Ugh…where am I? The Hospital Wing?' he asks himself as he sits up in the bed. 'And where are my glasses?' he muses. He notices a weight on his right side. Turning, he sees the sleeping form of his female friend, Hermione Granger.

"Mr. Potter! You're awake!" he hears the matron, Madam Pomphrey exclaim.

"Ugh….what happened to me? Last thing I remember, I was in the Great Hall…" Harry asks her.

"You don't remember Mr. Potter?" she asks in surprise. He shakes his head. "Well, I don't know the best way to explain this, but uh…just look in this mirror," she explains, handing him a small mirror and walking off. He holds the mirror up to his face, immediately proceeding to drop it in his lap in surprise.

'What…what the hell happened to me! My scar is almost gone! My hair is much longer! And I don't need my glasses to see clearly!' Harry muses in shock. 'All I remember of last night is the name Fi…Fi…now I remember!'

"Hnnn….," Harry hears. Suddenly remembering the sleeping person on his lap, he observes as her head lifts up off his lap. She looks at him, her eyes half-closed. She suddenly snaps her eyes open, fully alert, and jumps him in a hug, sobbing all the while. "Harry…I was…so worried…what….what happened?"

"Calm down Hermione," he says softly.

'I really am no good with crying girls, am I?' he muses, rubbing her head and running his hand through her bushy locks.

"I'm fine, Hermione. I'll tell you and Ron once I get out of here," Harry reassures her.

"That's…that's not going to work, Harry," she tells him, drying her tears. "Ron, well, um…after your name came out, he, um, said that 'bloody half-blood Harry Potter gets everything,' and…and…" she trails off.

"And what, Hermione?" Harry asks her.

"And…he…called me…a…" she trails off again.

"A Mudblood?" Harry snaps darkly. She nods, tearing up again.

"Well then Hermione, why don't we show him what we can really do? Why don't we make him pay?" Harry asks, chuckling darkly.

"Harry, we can't do that!" Hermione exclaims.

"Of course we can. There's just a couple of things I need to do first. We need to head to Gringotts, and then we need to figure out what powers I got from Fi," Harry explains.

"Fi?" she asks in confusion.

"The spirit of the Goblet of Fire. When I touched it, I spoke with her in a mindscape, where she gave me all kinds of powers, because I'm her chosen Champion, or something like that," Harry explains.

"Alright then. I agree, we need to investigate. But how will we get to Diagon Alley without anyone knowing?" Hermione asks him. Harry is suddenly struck with an idea.

"I want to try something Hermione. Grab on," he commands. She gently hugs him.

"Harry, what about your clothes?" she asks. He looks down at himself, blushing.

"I don't have any clothes here, and it'll be harder to get to Gringotts if I get some from my dorm," Harry muses.

"Harry, what about Dobby?" Hermione suggests. Harry perks up. As Harry is about to speak, a loud POP is heard.

"Harry Potter's Grangy calls Dobby?" Dobby asks in his usual vernacular. "Oh, and Harry Potter sir! I did not see you!"

"Hey Dobby," Harry greets. "Can you get me a change of clothes from my trunk?"

"Of course, Harry Potter sir. Just a moment," Dobby replies, snapping his fingers. The two students see a pile of clothes appear.

"Here are your clothes, Harry Potter sir," Dobby informs him. He nods, and then Dobby disappears with an audible POP.

"I-I'll just get changed, Hermione. One sec," Harry tells her, blushing. She nods in acknowledgement. Ducking under the covers, he quickly pulls off his hospital gown and changes into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve semi-casual shirt. As he jumps out of the bed and slips on his shoes, he grabs his wand and bookbag. "Here we go Hermione, to Diagon Alley!" he yells. Acting on a strange, unexplainable instinct, he pictures Ollivanders' in his mind, and the two students are surrounded by a fiery blaze as they disappear with a bright flash.

As the two arrive, a fiery blaze once again blasts out, blinding the others in the alley. "Hey, that actually worked," Harry muses.

"This is no time for that Harry, come on!" Hermione snaps, dragging him along through the doors of Gringotts.

"Wait Hermione," Harry says softly. She stops.

"What?" she asks.

"Dobby," Harry calls again.

"Yes, Harry Potter sir?" the excited elf asks, appearing with a POP.

"Can you get me my vault key?" Harry asks. Dobby nods and disappears. A few moments later, he POPs in again, key in hand.

"Here is your key, Harry Potter sir," he announces.

"Thanks Dobby," Harry tells him as he POPs away. Harry gently leads Hermione up to one of the desks, where a goblin is reading through a small stack of papers.

"Hello. I'd like to speak with the Potter account manager please," Harry announces. The goblin looks up, staring Harry in the eyes.

"I will need a sample of blood to prove that you are in fact Harry James Potter," the goblin commands, handing Harry a knife. Harry makes a small slit on his finger, watching as blood drips into the bowl and disappears. The cut heals by itself as Harry returns the knife to the teller.

"Now that we have established that you are in fact Harry Potter, I will fetch the Potter Account Manager. Who is the girl with you?" the goblin asks.

"She is Hermione Jean Granger, my close friend and one of the few people I trust implicitly," he replies. The goblin turns behind him and shouts in Gobbledygook, the language of Goblins.

'He trusts me implicitly? I didn't think I was worth that much to Harry,' Hermione muses.

Harry and Hermione follow the Potter Account Manager, a goblin named Goldclaw, into an ornate office. "Sit," Goldclaw commands, gesturing to two chairs. Once the three are seated, Golclaw speaks again. "It is good to finally meet you, Mr. Potter. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Is there a way I can take control of my life, considering I am the last of the Potters?" Harry asks. Goldclaw grins.

"It is a good thing you ask, Mr. Potter. As a matter of fact, there are special privileges given to the last member of any house to allow for the house to be restored, like the ability to be emancipated early, and the ability to take multiple wives," Goldclaw explains. Harry pauses.

"Are there any rules I have to follow if I'm emancipated early?" Harry finally asks.

"If you're emancipated early, you get all the rights of a full adult. The only thing you cannot do is adopt children, unless you get married early. Only married couples can adopt. Other than that, you will become Lord Potter, with all the rights of a Lord, including a Wizengamot seat, full access to all Potter accounts here at Gringotts, the ability to declare blood feuds, alliances, and fealty, and the ability to bring in members of your house or cast people out of your house," Goldclaw explains.

"What do you mean, bring people into your house?" Harry asks.

"Excellent question Mr. Potter. You can adopt people, giving them the name of Potter and adding them to the House as full members. You can also make people protectorates of House Potter. This allows them to keep their names, but with all the perks and rights of a full member. The only thing is that protectorates cannot be named Heir or Head of House, unless a full member marries them," Goldclaw explains.

"Alright Goldclaw, I'll go ahead with the early emancipation," Harry informs him. Goldclaw nods, pulling out a small box.

"This is the Potter Family Ring," he explains. Reaching for the ring, Harry takes the ring out of the box and places it on his left ring finger. It resizes to fit his finger.

"Now then Lord Potter, I can see that you have been chosen as the bringer of the next era," Goldclaw begins. Harry nods. "We have been waiting a long time for the Goblet to choose. We will do everything in our power to assist the chosen Champion."

Harry nods in shock. "What powers do I even have?" he asks Goldclaw.

"Different powers are given to each of the Champions, so we cannot tell you exactly. We can, however, assist you in discovering your powers. Thousands of years ago, the creators of the Impartial Judge gave us a potion that will accurately determine the abilities given to a new Champion. Place your blood within this vial of potion. Drink it. It will help you determine the extent of your new abilities," Goldclaw explains, pulling a vial of potion, and a knife out of his desk, and placing it in front of Harry. As he drinks the potion, Harry's mind is filled with a torrent of new information about his various powers, and how to use them on a basic level.

'Alright. So this potion told me what my powers are, and how to use them. To master them, I have to train myself in using them. Sounds like a plan,' Harry concludes.

"Thanks for the help Goldclaw," Harry says finally.

"The Goblin Nation is happy to help the Bringer of the Next Age, Lord Potter. Now, before you leave, you have one more task," Goldclaw explains.

"Which is?" Harry asks in confusion.

"You must dedicate yourself to your goal through three Trials. These Trials will test you to your limits, and you must prove that you are worthy of your new powers. Travel to Stonehenge, Lord Potter. There your ordeal begins. I say an ordeal because it will be unlike anything you have every faced before. Regardless, you must face the Trials and clear them, in order to show your dedication; your Dedication through Light and Darkness."

AN: So that's the chapter! I wanted to try third person narration for this fic, so I just decided to go with it. No flames please. I know the whole 'emancipated minor and multiple wives' thing is clichéd, as is the whole 'abilities revealed at Gringotts' thing, but unlike other fics, Harry still has to learn to really use his abilities. He knows how to use them on a basic level, but not enough for full combat like he will need for the journey ahead.

On another note, I am working on Chapter 1 of High School DxD: The Saiyan of the Cell Games, and Chapter 5 of Black Moon, Silver Ice. Those will be updated next. I promise.

Well then, until next time!