Disclaimer: The following does not fully belong to me besides the fanfiction.
AN: I have seen a few stories where Harry is actually some sort of magical creature or adopted from another universe (some I even really enjoy), and after watching the MLP episode Them Times They Are A Changeling, I came up with this ambitious/insane idea of a challenge! During the fiasco with the Stone and Quirrellmort and Lily's protection activates, it also brings forth a part of Harry that has long since been hidden. You see, Harry Potter is not James and Lily Potter's biological son. On Harry's birthday, James and Lily were scouting for possible Death Eater activity when they see a large light shine in a nearby forest. Investigating the site, the couple stumble upon a young creature that no one had ever seen before that looked like a cross between an insect and a pony. Upon seeing the couple, the infant Changeling imprints upon the two humans, taking on a new form that combines their looks (James' face and Lily's eyes). That's right: Harry Potter is a Changeling!
The magic that Changelings use transforms not only their physical looks but their DNA as well, which makes Changeling!Harry biologically James and Lily's son, and is shown that way in the Gringott's directory. The two adopt the transformed creature as their own son, with only a few people (Sirius, Remus, and Albus) knowing the truth behind Harry's heritage. Thanks to the amount of love the young couple gives him, Harry is satisfied throughout his first year of life until Voldemort arrives. When living with the Dursleys, Harry practically starves to death thanks to the lack of love around him (though he is able to sustain himself thanks to the small amount of true love Petunia and Vernon show Dudley), but writes it off as the Dursleys never really feeding him properly. When he gets to Hogwarts and makes friends with the other students, the love he feels strengthens him (again though, he just attributes this to being properly fed).
Then, when battling Quirrellmort, the amount of pure love Lily's protection gives him allows Harry to retake his original form. Of course, he's initially terrified of this but calms down a bit after Dumbledore explains to him his origins. After some practice (which is taken as him being in the Hospital Wing), Harry learns how to change forms at will. Then, during the summer up until Dobby visits, Harry then starts learning new aspects of his magic his Changeling side gives him. In this story, I'm having Changelings know most magic ponies know, since Queen Chrysalis was able to use magic against Celestia and the Mane 6.
As to how Harry came to be on Earth, and as to whether or not he'd ever return to Equestria, is up to whoever adopts this. Pairing wise, I'm partial to canon but do enjoy a good Harry/Luna pairing. I think Luna would see right through Harry's 'disguise' when they'd first meet and would probably think he was one of her 'made up' creatures, which turn out to be real in Equestria. And of course, this Harry would have different abilities from canon such as shapeshifting even better than Polyjuice Potion or Metamorphomagus, flight (he has wings), and can use Equestria only spells that work differently from wizard magic (like how House Elves can teleport through wards and such).
I'm really excited about this idea and really hope someone adopts this CHALLENGE! Please consider adopting it yourself or asking one of your friends, otherwise this and my other challenges shall forever remain as one-shots! Now, on with the show.
Harry the Changeling
Harry Potter was always hungry growing up. Granted, while his relatives never necessarily starved him, he didn't get the amount of food most growing boys normally receive. He certainly got less than his pig of a cousin, as his aunt and uncle always wanted to make it abundantly clear that they cared more on spoiling their son then treating their nephew like a decent human being should. However, Harry's hunger always felt deeper than that, like a hole his stomach that never felt full even if he received a decent meal. That feeling started to lessen around his eleventh birthday, the day everything changed for him. When he met Hagrid and found out how much he was loved by the wizarding world, the hole in his stomach started to fill. When he got on the Hogwarts Express and made his first friend in the form of Ron Weasley, the emptiness that plagued him felt smaller and smaller. Later he made another friend in the form of Hermione Granger, and by that point the feeling had all but gone. Not only that, but he felt much stronger than he ever had being raised by the Dursleys.
At first he thought it might be because he was getting decently sized meals three times a day, but a part of the Boy Who Lived felt that wasn't it entirely. Especially since the empty feeling started to return slightly after his misadventures with his friends and the baby dragon Norbert cost Gryffindor House 150 points and his other classmates started to treat him coolly. It was then he realized that his hunger was linked to the affection that others showed him. This made sense, since the young boy had very little tender loving care as a child being raised by magic hating relatives. It's fortunate then, that he still had steadfast friendships in Ron and Hermione, as well as others he considered his friends like Hagrid and Neville Longbottom. However, nearing the end of the school year, Harry learned that his hunger for love was linked to a large secret concerning himself, one that was previously known by only a handful of people and was so great that it would shake him, and the world, for years to come.
Currently, Harry was located deep within the school of Hogwarts battling against his unknown adversary through the entire school year; his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Quirrell, who was being possessed by the wraith of the man who left him an orphan and tried to kill him at age one, the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. It was shocking to discover that the seemingly timid man had been orchestrating the strange events that had been happening the entire year, all in order to receive the powerful Sorcerer's Stone (1) to revive his master. Even after getting the Stone from the Mirror of Erised (which, Harry reflected, might have been a poor decision on his part since now the Stone was in grabbing distance of the possessed professor), he was soon set upon by the two faced man.
Something strange happened when Quirrell attempted to grab him, however. The minute the man touched his skin, Quirrell's flesh began to burn as if he had pressed it against hot iron. Something else happened to Harry the second this occurred. Harry felt a familiar feeling welling up within him, the same feeling he had whenever a large group of people would show him affection. The feeling kept building until it was almost overflowing the boy, and the power he felt from this was positively intoxicating (2)! Empowered by his newfound strength, Harry leapt at Quirrell and grabbed the man's face, causing him to shriek in agony as the skin was seared. Even through Harry's enhanced power, he still felt a stabbing pain from the scar on his forehead the longer he kept ahold of the older man, who himself was shrieking in pain while Voldemort screamed at him to kill the boy. The pain built, and just before Harry lost consciousness, he swore he saw a blue, flame like aura beginning to engulf his body.
Skip
When Harry awoke, he noticed that his vision was blurry. More so then it normally was without his glasses at any rate. However, even with his poor eyesight he still saw a hovering bit of gold above him. At first he thought it was the Golden Snitch, but after his vision cleared up some it was revealed to be the half-moon spectacles of Albus Dumbledore. The man was looking down on the boy with his familiar twinkling blue eyes and kind smile, though Harry couldn't help but notice that the man's look was more solemn then when he last met the man during the Christmas holidays. The headmaster reached to the table beside Harry's bed and carefully placed Harry's glasses on the boy's face.
With his eyesight cleared up some, though Harry noticed his vision was still somewhat blurry like he was trying to take in everything at once, Harry noticed that he was in what appeared to be a private room in the Hospital Wing, normally used for patients with potentially contagious diseases. Harry figured that the man had placed him here so that no one would come barging in and asking questions about Quirrell and the Stone – THE STONE!
"Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick-!"
"Calm yourself, dear boy, you're a bit behind the times," Dumbledore stated calmly, "Quirrell does not have the Stone."
"Then who does?" Harry questioned.
"Harry, please relax least Madame Pomfrey will have me kicked out," Dumbledore said reassuringly.
Harry, with great difficulty, calmed himself down. The headmaster then began to explain the events that transpired since they went through the trapdoor three days ago. Apparently, Dumbledore had realized that his emergency summons to the Ministry were most likely fraudulent and immediately came back to the school just in time to pull Quirrell off the boy. He then assured Harry that his friends were alright and were worried about him, and apparently rumors of what happened had already circulated throughout the school resulting in a large pile of gifts and cards from admirers (including a joke gift of a toilet seat from the Weasley twins). Dumbledore told the first year that, after having a chat with Nicolas Flamel, they decided it was safer to destroy the Stone so it wouldn't fall into Voldemort's hands ever again. When Harry asked about if the Flamels were okay with dying, Dumbledore comforted the boy saying that 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'
Harry then asked Dumbledore if Voldemort was still out there, to which the professor solemnly stated he was but would most likely not be able to return to power for a good long while. When asked why Voldemort came after him and his family in the first place, however, Dumbledore said that he couldn't tell Harry that at the moment, but promised that he would in the future when Harry was ready (3). He did say though, that the reason Voldemort couldn't touch him was thanks to powerful protections his mother placed on him with her undying love through her selfless sacrifice. Harry was then told that it was Dumbledore who gave him the Invisibility Cloak for Christmas, and had been told Professor Snape, while hating his father, protected Harry that year to repay a life debt he owed to James Potter. Finally, Harry found out that the reason he was able to take the Stone from the mirror when Quirrell couldn't was because the mirror was enchanted to only give it to those who wanted to find the Stone but not use it.
"Professor," Harry then asked hesitantly as he shifted his body under the sheets covering him, "did Quirrell do something weird to me? My body feels a bit strange, but I've only now realized the feeling's not going away." Now that his initial panic about the Stone was gone and his major questions were answered, Harry became more and more aware of how his body just didn't feel…right…for lack of a better word. For starters, he couldn't feel or move his fingers or toes. Then there was the fact that his joints felt strange, as if they had been shifted around so his lying position felt awkward. Harry also felt an added weight on his forehead, back, and spine. And…was it just him, or did his teeth feel bigger? As time went on and Harry became more focused on things other than the Stone, the more off he felt. At first he associated it with being asleep for three days but, something about Dumbledore's solemn look said that wasn't it.
The headmaster sighed, "I was wondering when you would have noticed. I had thought of saying something about it at the very beginning, but felt you deserved to ask your own questions first. I daresay you'll have plenty more after what I'm about to tell you."
"What is it?" Harry asked, a nervous knot forming in his stomach.
Dumbledore looked older than Harry had ever seen him as he said in a calming tone, "Harry, I want you to keep an open mind to what I'm about to show you and ask that you not panic. Promise me, Harry."
Seeing the boy nod, Dumbledore resigned himself and pulled the sheets off him. Looking down, Harry chocked back a scream. Gone was his normally peachy (if somewhat pale) skin, instead he was completely covered in what looked to be a shiny black exoskeleton like you would find on an ant. Harry now knew why he could no longer feel his fingers and toes…because they were replaced by hooves! Not only that, but they were filled with holes making the appendages look like Swiss cheese. His body's shape had changed as well, looking more equine then bipedal which explained why his lying position felt wrong. Finally, he noticed an almost finlike tail extending from his spine, laying between his hooved legs.
Breathing quickly in an effort to keep calm, Harry frantically looked around. Knowing what the transformed boy was looking for, Dumbledore summoned a mirror with a flic of his wand, knowing that dragging this out would not be good for the boy in the long run. Looking into the reflective surface, Harry could only stare at the unfamiliar face staring back at him with blue compound eyes. The face was also fairly equine, complete with a muzzle, but it had insect like characteristics as well. On the top of the forehead rested a long curved horn, similar to the unicorn Harry had seen in the Forbidden Forest weeks ago. The ears were long, slightly frayed at the ends, and pointed straight up. Along the back of the neck was a mane made of the same finlike material as the tail. Opening his mouth, the reflection mimicked him showing a maw full of sharp fangs and a long, serpentine tongue. The only features that indicated that the face in the mirror was in fact his face was the glasses placed on top of the buggy eyes and the white line on the face's forehead in the familiar shape of a lightning bolt. Finally, looking behind him, Harry saw a pair of insect like wings resting on top of a blue colored piece of exoskeleton.
There were no words for what Harry was feeling right now. Shock, disgust, anger, all seemed too mild of words. His mind was oddly numb, as if all functions ceased. Seeing the former human's state of shock, Dumbledore pulled the boy into a gentle hug.
"It will be alright, Harry," he said reassuringly.
"W-what happened to me?! Did Quirrell-?" Harry stammered as tears began to leak from his now blue eyes.
"No Harry, neither Quirrell nor Voldemort had anything to do with your current appearance." Dumbledore sighed as he said, "What I'm about to tell you Harry, is a secret that only a handful of people know, myself included. I ask that you not interrupt, as there are details that even I don't know."
While his mind was still in turmoil over his changed appearance, Harry nodded his head to the professor encouraging him to continue. "On the day you were born," Dumbledore began, "your parents had been tracking the movements of a group of witches and wizards suspected of following Voldemort. They had been on the trail for months with nothing to show for it, but on that day they had a major break. The group had suddenly entered a building not far from Hogwarts, and had begun conducting what was some sort of dark ritual. Later examination showed that they were attempting a summoning ritual to bring forth several dark creatures in order to attack both Hogwarts and the village of Hogsmeade. Fortunately, your parents were able to interrupt the group before the ritual could be completed and drove them off. However, during the fight a stray spell entered the ritual they had been performing and it caused a unique reaction.
By the time the group had fled, the ritual had ended but instead of a horde of dark creatures bent on wreaking havoc, there was a small egg in its place. Your parents, not knowing what to do with the strange egg, were about to take it to me when it suddenly hatched and an unknown magical creature that looked to be a mixture of a bug larvae and a small foal came out of it. After laying eyes upon the young couple, the newborn seemed to be engulfed by azure flames. When the flames died down, however, a human baby lay in its place, one that had James Potter's hair and face with Lily Potter's eyes. The two, not knowing what else to do, took the newborn to me to see if I had heard of anything like this before. After running a few tests, I was able to determine that the being that hatched from the egg somehow managed to turn itself into a biological child of James and Lily. It was also revealed through my tests that the baby was magical in nature, containing both human and nonhuman magic
Seeing as they had been wanting a child themselves, the couple agreed to raise the newborn Potter like he was their own, and for all intents and purposes he was. They only told a small group of friends close to them, myself included, on the baby's true origins. It was decided that the baby would be told of his origins only if he either reached the age where it was thought he'd be able to handle the information, or if ever the event was to occur that the boy should revert to his original form."
"D-does that mean, that mum and dad weren't really-?" Harry stuttered out, barely wanting to ask the dreaded question as he felt his entire world crumbling beneath him.
"Harry, James and Lily Potter were your parents in all the ways that mattered. They loved you so much that they died protecting you, even though you weren't conceived by them. Despite what some wizarding families will tell you, family is more about the heart than the blood," Dumbledore told the changed boy. The older man smiled and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You were loved, Harry. Don't you ever doubt that."
Harry managed a watery smile as tears leaked down his muzzle. Wiping them off with a fore hoof, Harry took a moment to try and collect his thoughts. While he still felt lost and confused, the horror and grief he had been feeling diminished somewhat at the knowledge that the Potters loved him that much despite not being his birth parents. The feeling gave him strength, and as soon as he was able to he asked the elderly professor, "Do you know…where I came from? What I am?"
At this though, Dumbledore shook his head. "Alas, those are two mysteries even I haven't been able to solve, even after over a decade of looking into it. The ritual used to bring you here was an incomplete one, activated purely on accident during the fighting against Voldemort's followers, and did not have a clear point of origin when it was investigated later. I searched high and low for whatever species you actually are, but no known magical creatures match your appearance Harry. I can only conclude that the magic of the ritual either took you from a different plane of existence, or that your species is so well hidden thanks to its shapeshifting abilities that it has yet to be documented."
Harry lowered his head at the knowledge that his place of origin and species would most likely remain a mystery for a good long while. He then raised his head and tilted it in confusion. "Shapeshifting abilities?" he asked.
Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought. "Ah yes, one of the only sure things I have been able to determine about your species during my initial tests was that the magic that changed you to your human appearance was like that found in different shapeshifting species. Similar to the boggart or those of a Metamorphomagus, except your change is so convincing that it was able to fool even yourself into believing that you were a human child for over a decade. It must be an inherent trait, one that you are capable of even subconsciously. The only reason you reverted to your original form, I assume, is that the fight against Quirrell and Voldemort gave you so much stimulation that you released your hold on your form."
Harry looked at his hole filled hooves and thought, 'So how do I change back?'
No sooner had he thought this then a familiar azure flame engulfed his body, causing the former human to yelp. When the flame cleared, however, he found himself looking down upon human hands! Quickly looking into the mirror he still had beside him, Harry gave a surprised yet relieved sigh when he saw the face he was used to staring back at him. Looking up he saw Dumbledore had an eyebrow slightly quirked, the only sign that he was surprised at what happened. Feeling the need to explain what happened and hopefully get some insight, Harry said slowly, "I…just thought of how I could change back when I…did?"
Dumbledore hummed in thought. "It seems your shapeshifting skills are still intact and can be brought out subconsciously. Let's see if it works consciously as well Harry. Try transforming into me."
While surprised at the request, Harry was curious himself if he could take on other appearances and, after concentrating on Dumbledore's form in his mind, from his crooked nose to half-moon spectacles, the azure flames coated him once more. Reaching for the mirror with a much older looking hand, Harry looked at himself and was surprised to see Albus Dumbledore staring at him both in the mirror and in real life. Running a hand through the long, silvery beard, Harry/Dumbledore confirmed that he could indeed physically change into other people.
"Most fascinating," the headmaster remarked and a large part of Harry couldn't help but agree.
He then tried some other forms and in order he became Ron, Hermione, Neville, and even Firenze the centaur. Apparently, he could not only transform into other humans but other magical creatures as well. After the small run of his shapeshifting abilities, Harry went back to his 'normal' form, that is to say his human appearance. Looking at the professor with a small smile, Harry said, "Okay, I'll admit that was pretty cool. What else do you think I can do?"
"Only time will tell, Harry," Dumbledore said cryptically. "Though I would recommend holding off on truly testing any new abilities you may have until next year where you can be safely monitored while I and the other professors can keep watch."
Harry sighed but nodded in understanding. He then perked up, "Wait, can't I just stay here over the summer to train?" The added bonus of not having to go back and live with the Dursleys (who would surely try to kick him out if not kill him when they found out what he truly was) was an added bonus.
Dumbledore once again shook his head though. "I'm sorry Harry, but there is a reason you'll have to go back to your family for at least the begging of the summer. A reason I will share with you when you are older (4). In the meantime, I suggest keeping your new abilities a secret for now, least those who would abuse that knowledge use it against you."
"Can I still tell Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked desperately, hoping that his two closest friends could at least be made aware of his new burden. Though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid of how they'd react when they discover his true nature.
Dumbledore seemed to pause at that before nodding. "Yes, you may tell your friends. But I do ask that you stress on how important it is that your origins and abilities remain a secret. And do not worry, Harry," he added as if he was reading the changeling boy's mind, "your friendship with Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger are strong, and true friends stick by you no matter what, even if they stray from their path at times." He then looked at his pocket watch, which held the different cycles of the moon instead of numbers on its face. "I believe lunch should be finishing up right about now, and Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger are most likely on their way for a visit as we speak. If you want, I shall ask Poppy if she'd be willing to allow a few more guests," he offered.
Harry thought about it for a minute and, despite wanting a bit more time to collect his thoughts on the revelations he had today, his desire to see Ron and Hermione greatly outweighed it (5). Nodding to the headmaster, Harry leaned back in his bed while thinking, 'Everything's changing.'
Who knows what adventures a Changeling will have at Hogwarts? Especially if that Changeling's name is Harry Potter!
1. I'm American, so I've only heard it being called the Sorcerer's Stone before reading fanfiction and discovering it was originally intended to be the Philosopher's Stone. It seems like a really small point to me, but whoever adopts this can decide what to call it officially.
2. It was shown in MLP canon that Changelings become stronger magical wise the more love they feed off of when Queen Chrysalis defeated Princess Celestia. So in this story, the more love Harry is feeling, the stronger he'll become with the love powered protection left by his mother strengthening him beyond belief.
3. I know this is one of the reasons not a ton of people like Dumbledore, but think about it; what 11 year old wants to know that they've been marked for death by a madman because of a prophecy, said prophecy foretelling that he'd eventually have to battle Voldemort to the death? If he had told Harry then, I get the feeling Harry would have become more paranoid than Mad-Eye Moody.
4. Even though Harry isn't the 'birth' son of Lily and James, he still shares DNA with Lily when he's in his human form and as such still has protection by living at Private Drive.
5. I know I'm making Harry calm down a bit fast for this, but I really don't have the patience to write a whole angst fest for an 11 year old human turned Changeling. Let's just say that with everything else going on with the Stone and all other events, he's able to hide his shock for now but it will hit him later.