Harry swallowed, his mind racing with the ease his new life promised as he read the message.
[Congratulations on obtaining Morgana's Shapeshifting Aspect]
[Morgana's Shifting Aspect: You are gifted with an unrivaled mastery over physical form, a latent ability rumored to trace back directly to the mythical enchantress Morgana le Fay herself. This is not mere Metamorphmagus ability; it is Metamorphmagus Perfectus, allowing for instantaneous, flawless, and seemingly effortless control over every atom of your physical body.
You can not only alter appearance, voice, and gender with unparalleled precision, but also reshape your musculature for enhanced strength, alter bone density for increased resilience, or fine-tune your senses for heightened perception.
Beyond aesthetic changes, you can instantly reform damaged tissue for rapid healing, subtly alter your internal organs to resist poisons, or even mimic the physical attributes of creatures you observe. This ability is a true expression of ancient, foundational magic, making your physical form an utterly fluid extension of your will.]
His body shook with excitement; the possibilities for someone such as Harry Potter were almost limitless.
He could now move in public without others knowing it was him.
The additional bonuses meant Harry was essentially the ultimate Animagus and Metamorphmagus.
'I can turn into any normal animal, or even magical animal I see,' he thought, a thrill running through him. 'Plus... from what the information says, I will have enhanced healing and physical attributes.'
Closing his eyes, Harry leaned back.
The sharp sting of the previous beating still lingered, though the magic inside him was slowly repairing the damage.
'I need to think of my next steps. First, escaping the Dursleys and finding a way to Diagon Alley and the Goblins. I can only gain my freedom if I have some sort of inheritance, like those novels mentioned.'
Piecing everything together, Harry sifted through each instance of the fanfictions he'd read, coming to a single conclusion. He needed to be eligible to become an adult; hopefully, being the last of his line gave him that choice.
'I'll leave the Phoenix Tear for after I speak to the Goblins. This is evidence of Dumbledore's insanity; these bindings are criminal a thousand times over, and I can use it later to crush the man.'
Turning to the bright panel, Harry smiled as he reached a decision.
'System, please integrate Morgana's Shapeshifting.'
A crisp 'ding' confirmed his demand.
A warmth began radiating throughout his entire body. His muscles, bones, nerves, and cells began shifting and shimmering as the changes took hold. Though his body didn't change physically, he knew instinctively how to change form, from animate to inanimate forms.
The warmth swiftly disappeared as Harry released a sigh of contentment.
Closing his eyes once again, he willed the damaged body to begin repairing itself.
Organs, muscles, and everything in between reformed slowly, as the visible bruises, scars, and cuts melted away. In their place was pristine skin, and a sensation of renewed vitality surged within him.
The pain that had crippled his body vanished.
Harry's eyes opened, flashing a bright color, quickly shifting between all hues before settling on an almost neon Avada Kedavra green.
Twisting his body, faint sounds of bones popping echoed, and Harry grinned wickedly.
'Now that I'm healed and healthy, I need to get out of this shithole. Though I shouldn't use magic in case it lets the Ministry know...'
Pausing, Harry thought for a moment, forming a plan.
The family would be waking up soon; he could see through the door's grates that the sun was rising. This day in particular was the beginning of the movies, or as he knew it, Dudley's birthday.
'When they unlock this door, I'll simply leave. It's not like they can start yelling so early in the morning; it would draw in their neighbors' attention. From there, I can use the money Harry had hidden under his 'bed' and catch a bus to Kings Cross. No one will ever know it's me, with this new ability.'
Nodding at his basic and quickly thought-out plan, Harry began playing with his shapeshifting ability. Though he didn't understand the science behind it, he simply willed his mind to make the changes, and they began appearing.
The darkness disappeared as his eyes adjusted, matching an owl's, which in turn heightened his visual range and detail.
Smiling at how user-friendly the power seemed, Harry began working on the rest of his body. He increased the density and strength of his muscles to replicate an adult male. From there, he slowly worked on the flexibility of his muscles and tendons.
After 30 minutes of changing his body with just a thought, Harry stopped, as he heard the loud thuds of his cousin stomping down the stairs.
"Wake up, freak! We're going to the zoo!"
The loud shouting was accompanied by the roof of the cupboard shaking, his cousin's heavy body slamming on the stairs, almost destroying them.
'What a fuckin' whale,' Harry thought as he rolled his eyes.
The distinct click of the cupboard door's lock jolted Harry back to his task.
Flipping the bed over, he found the 30 pounds that had been saved over the years. Pocketing it, Harry quickly pushed the door open as he watched the back of his 'aunt' go past him and enter the kitchen.
Shaking his head, Harry quickly walked to the front door, unbolting it quietly, before he exited the house.
Closing it behind him, he listened for a moment, wondering if the family had even realized he'd left, but the silence simply indicated they had no idea.
Looking around, Harry found a large tree to the side of the house.
Rushing towards it, he hid behind the thick oak and shifted his body. Seconds later, in place of a scrawny child, stood a teen that could be mistaken for 13 to 14 years old. The large hand-me-down clothes fitting comfortably on a healthy body.
Using the memories he had gained, Harry walked through the street slowly, his eyes scanning for anything that seemed out of place.
Fortunately, apart from the squib Mrs. Figg who appeared to be asleep, everything was normal.
----
Two buses and a train later, Harry was standing in front of a dingy-looking pub. His brow furrowed, and he clicked his tongue in disgust.
'This is the Leaky Cauldron? Looks like a cesspool of undisclosed diseases.'
Shaking away his annoyance at the only access to Magical Britain's shopping and banking district, Harry pushed the door open and took a deep breath.
'Let's do this.'