Chapter 4 - I am Venom
It took Harry several minutes before he was able to muster up the strength to stand up, once he had gotten to both feet he staggered towards the mirror and quickly leaned on the sink underneath it so he could stay standing. He coughed violently before reaching for his toothbrush and toothpaste while mentally planning what he would do next. Firstly he would do whatever it took to get this horrible smell and taste out of his mouth, he was going to flush that toilet as many times as necessary to get rid of that head, then he would apologize to Hedwig and find a way to get rid of the pigeon body.
Then he was going to brush his teeth again before trying to forget this whole experience. After pouring a larger than normal helping of toothpaste on his brush, he placed the brush in his mouth and began cleaning vigorously.
'Harry.' A deep voice spoke, Harry looked up and saw his reflection in the mirror.
"What the f...'
." Harry jumped back, toothbrush dropping out of his mouth and into the sink just
before he ended up tripping and hitting the back of his head on the wall behind him. "Ow." Harry groaned after sliding down to the floor, one hand reaching up to massage his head while the other wiped the toothpaste off his mouth. "I didn't...I didn't actually see that, did I?" Harry wondered out loud, wondering if what he had seen in the mirror was real. Because if it was then he was going to have to find a great way to explain why he ended up having two large teardrop-shaped eyes and massive razor-sharp teeth.
Harry slowly got to a crouching position before rising up and staring at the mirror in front of him, he breathed out a sigh of relief upon seeing that his teeth were normal and that his eyes were the usual emerald green eyes he had had for all of his life.
"What is happening to me?" Harry wondered, not for the first time today.
Ten minutes later, after continuing to brush his teeth while constantly staring at the mirror, Harry exited the bathroom and immediately felt Hedwig's gaze on him. Harry gulped as he looked between Hedwig, who was still sitting on her perch, and the headless body of the pigeon on the floor. Harry ended up having to quickly look away from the bird or else he would risk vomiting again, which meant he was now staring at Hedwig who was still staring back at him.
"Sorry girl," Harry apologized awkwardly. "I..
..I don't really have an explanation for what just
happened, I just sort of blanked out and the next thing I knew was that I had just eaten that bird's head. I'm really sorry, I wouldn't do that to you, I promise. You know I wouldn't, right Hedwig?" Harry asked, pleading for her forgiveness. Hedwig stared at him for several painfully long seconds, looking like she was staring into his very soul and deciding if he was worthy. A moment later, Harry got his answer.
"Hoot." Hedwig leapt off her perch and flapped her wings to push herself high enough to glide onto Harry's shoulder. After landing, she faced him and affectionately nibbled on his ear until he reached up and petted her, Hedwig showed no hesitation or even worry in letting him do so.
"Thak you, Hedwig," Harry smiled brightly at her, pleased by the trust that she had shown in him. He had just eaten another bird yet she trusted him enough to not harm her. "you're the best." Hedwig chirped in a way that Harry understood to mean 'I know that, silly'. "Now, what to do about that?" Harry wondered out loud as he stared at the bird's body.
"Hoot."
"You're right," Harry absently agreed with a nod of his head. "I wish I had someone to clean it."
"You's need cleanings?" A voice spoke, Harry jumped in shock and turned around to find a small house elf dressed in similar clothes to Tom.
"What? Who are you?" Harry blinked.
"I's be Tank," The elf answered. "Tank works here. Would sir need Tank to clean something?"
"Um.. yeah, if it's not a bother." Harry stepped to the side and gestured to the bird' body.
"Oh my..." Tank trailed off and stared at the bird with wide eyes.
"…what happened to birdie?"
"Um...not sure," Harry fibbed. "Hedwig just found the bird there, didn't you girl?" Hedwig quickly nodded her head.
"Oh my, maybe a cat," Tank thought out loud before shaking his head and redirecting his focus to Harry. "Tank will clean it, does sir need anything else?"
"No, thank you," Harry began but was interrupted when his stomach rumbled.
"Does sir want to eat something?"
"No!" Harry said quickly before realising that he had maybe answered just a bit too quickly. "No, sorry, I...um...I ate already." He finished with a weak smile.
"Oh...okay." Tank stared at the weird human before he vanished the pigeon with a click of his fingers, he nodded to Harry before popping away.
"Oh fucking hell," Harry groaned before he walked over to the bed, Hedwig flew back to her perch before Harry hopped onto the bed and lied down on his back. "Hedwig," Harry spoke up several minutes later. "do you think I should see a healer or something?" Hedwig nodded and hooted to say
'yes, I do think you should see a healer, you ate a damn pigeon'. "Fair enough." Harry sat up and covered his mouth when he yawned.
86
'No,' A deep voice echoed in Harry's head, causing him to stop moving. 'no healers.' Harry looked around the room but didn't see anybody but Hedwig.
"Who are you?" Harry spoke up, ignoring the way Hedwig was looking at him. "I can hear you, but I can't see you, who are you? Where are you?"
'I am inside your head,' The voice replied.
"My head?" Harry blinked, one hand instinctively going to his scar.
'No, not in your head's scar, though that scar is fairly interesting by itself.' The voice replied.
"Who are you?" Harry demanded, looking around with the hope that eventually he'd see or spot something.
'I am Venom,' The voice answered. 'and I am bonded to you.'
"What?" Harry blurted out.
'This relationship is quite beneficial to both of us,' Venom hummed. 'trust me.'
"I don't even know you!" Harry hissed. "How is this beneficial? I don't even know what or where you are!"
I am inside of you, what I am is a 'Klyntar'.!
"A what?"
'Klyntar,' Venom repeated slowly as if talking to a small child. 'we're commonly known as a symbiote, an advanced alien species...
"Aliens?!" Harry blinked. "Are you telling me that you're an alien?!" Harry blurted out, struggling to believe it. Magic was one thing, but aliens was a whole other ball game. Though, to be fair, he would have laughed at the idea of magic existing if asked about it a few years ago.
'Yes, now listen to me,' Venom ordered. 'despite what you may believe, this relationship benefits both of us. I need a host to survive.'
"What? You'd die without one?"
'Yes,' Venom reluctantly admitted, knowing that Harry was against needlessly causing harm to others, even those that weren't human. 'having a host keeps me alive. And I, in return, bring plenty of benefits to the table. As long as I am by your side you'll be stronger, faster and far more dangerous. Perhaps I might even have a positive effect on your magic, I've never bonded to a wizard before.
"C...can't you just bond to someone else?" Harry asked hopefully.
'I could try,' Venom answered. 'however, doing so would risk their lives. If the host is not compatible then it's possible that they would die if I stay too long.'
"Oh..." Harry paused, not sure how to respond.
"…..wait, you've killed people?"
One person, though that was accidental,' Venom replied, he quickly continued speaking when he saw that Harry looked more than ready to begin a lengthy rant. 'he was dying anyway. He was an astronaut and their ship had been in a massive crash, he barely survived and his leg was broken. If I didn't attempt to bond with him then there was every chance that he would have just died in the field by himself.'
"I...but you...
'If I had successfully bonded to him then I would have been able to heal him,' Venom explained. 'if the bond was successful then he would have survived.'
"I...I'm sorry, but no..." Harry shook his head before standing up. "...if...if you need a host then I'll find you someone or...something...I don't know! I just want you gone!" Harry quickly walked to the door, intent on going down and asking Tom to contact someone that could help him with the fact that he apparently had an alien in his body. Harry reached for the door handle but that was about as far as he got as his entire body froze just before his fingers could wrap around the handle. "W...what's going on?!"
'You are not going to contact anyone, not yet.' Venom whispered from inside Harry's head, Harry was about to respond when suddenly his body turned around against his will and he found himself walking back to the bed despite his best efforts to do otherwise.
"Stop that! Let go of me!" Harry yelled before he threw himself on the bed, landing on his back before his body snapped into a straight position with his hands falling to his side and his legs sticking together as if he had been hit with a body bind spell. "Get off me, you stupid parasite!"
'PARASITE?!' Venom's boomed in Harry's head, causing the young wizard to wince. Harry's right arm suddenly stretched out, a second later Harry ended up slapping himself on the face, hard.
"Ow!" Harry hissed.
'Don't call me that again,' Venom growled, forcing Harry's arm back to his side. 'now listen to me, Harry. If anyone finds out about me, then I could be killed if I'm lucky, or thrown into a lab and tested on until I wish for death. And I will not allow that to happen.
"What do you want?" Harry growled out through gritted teeth.
"You, just you,' Venom answered, not hesitating for a moment. 'that is what I want. But enough about me, because you need me a lot more than I need you.
"What?!" Harry wasn't sure if Venom could see the look of disbelief on his face, but if he couldn't then the disbelief in his voice should get the job done. "I don't need you!"
'Don't you?' Venom asked in a slightly amused voice. 'Think about it, Harry, if I leave you then I go and find another host. I might end up accidentally killing a few potential hosts until I find the right one, perhaps I could find a truly powerful one like Albus Dumbledore, but then you would be alone Think about it, Harry, you need help.'
"I don't need anything from you!" Harry hissed, still trying in vain to move his body.
'Then you've not been paying attention, Harry,' Venom responded. 'think about it, you spent ten years suffering at the hands of the Dursleys. All because you weren't strong enough to stop them.'
"I couldn't do anything because I was a child!" Harry argued.
'You still are by human standards,' Venom calmly replied. 'but if I was there then they wouldn't have dared raise a hand against you. Then you arrived at Hogwarts and nearly died a few times, only surviving because of stubbornness and luck. If it wasn't for your mother's sacrifice then you would be a small body in a grave and Quirrell would have gotten the stone.'
"How do you know all this?" Harry asked, his face pale.
'I am inside your head,' Venom reminded him. 'remember? All of your memories, all available to me.'
"Get out!" Harry roared, alarmed by the thought of anyone, especially an alien, accessing his mind.
'Not until you've listened to me,' Venom said with a hint of impatience, not appreciating Harry's constant interruptions. 'After your first year, you went back to the Dursley's, only to get locked up.
You let poor Hedwig get forced into a cage,' Venom's voice sounded so disappointed that Harry couldn't help but wince, his gaze flitted across the room to spot Hedwig who was staring at him with concern. 'poor Hedwig. Poor, loyal and sweet Hedwig, locked up in a cage barely big enough for her to stretch her wings because you couldn't stand up to the Dursley's. She just saw you eat a bird and is still loyal enough to stick by you, but you weren't loyal enough to help her.'
"I'd die for her!" Harry snarled, desperately wishing he could move.
'Really? Yet you wouldn't help her out of the cage.'
"I couldn't do anything, I..
'You're a wizard,' Venom cut him off. 'one that at the time had only had a year's training and couldn't use a wand, but if you had tried hard enough then you could have got her out. But you didn't. You were scared, you wouldn't have been if I was there. You had to be rescued from them by the Weasley's, then you went to school where you were nearly killed by a basilisk. After killing a fifty-foot long snake, what did you do? Let yourself get sent here again. If I hadn't found you then you'd probably go to school this year and end up back at the Dursley's again.'
"I…..wait…. what do you mean? That last part, about the Dursley's?" Harry asked, his voice noticeably softer than before.
'You think I'm going to let you go back there?' Disbelief covered Venom's voice. 'No, unless you're up for some revenge, we are not going there,' Venom said in a firm voice. 'no longer will you be forced to be their slave, no longer will they lock up Hedwig or you. It doesn't matter what Fudge or Dumbledore wants, you're not going back there. Do you want to know what I think?'
"What?" Harry couldn't help but ask. Venom didn't immediately reply, but Harry felt Venom release his hold on Harry's body because a second later he was able to sit up.
'The way I see it, we can do whatever we want,' Venom spoke up. 'I don't care what you want to do.
All I need is a host and to eat, that's enough for me. What do you want?'
"I... I don't know." Harry breathed out, slightly surprised by the question.
'Nobody ever asks you what you want,' Venom said knowingly. 'your friends want things, the Dursleys want things, the teacher's want things, even the ministry. But what do you want?'
"I don't know," Harry repeated with a bit of frustration.
'We have plenty of time to find out,' Venom's voice sounded somewhat soothing to Harry. 'I don't care for other's, Harry, you are my host. You're all I will ever need.' Harry stayed silent for several minutes, staring at the wall opposite him as he gathered his thoughts.
"How did you find me?" Harry asked suddenly.
'You should thank your aunt, it's probably the first useful thing the stupid bint has ever done for you,'
venom answered
"Aunt Petunia?!"
'No, the fat one, Marge,' Venom corrected. 'I ended up in a spider's body until I managed to find her dog, Ripper.'
"You were in Ripper?" Harry gaped. "Were...were you why he wasn't growling and trying to rip my legs off?"
'You're welcome,' Venom replied, sounding as if he just brought the whole of England under Harry's control and was expecting Harry to drop to his knees to thank him. 'when I observed you through the dog's eyes, I realised that you would be a perfect host. Ripper had many memories of attacking you, and I could see the delicious emotions pouring off you. The fact that you're magical is just a great bonus.
"I.. emotions?" Harry asked. "You feed on emotions?"
'Yes,' Venom answered, Harry, got the impression that if he had a physical form then Venom would be nodding right now. 'that's one of the things I feed on. I feed on intense emotional energy like anger, passion, or excitement."
"Yeah, well I can't make myself experience them all the time because you're hungry." Harry pointed out.
'I also feed on brains,' Venom mentioned.
"Brains?!" Harry yelped. "You can't eat people's brains!"
'Oh, I'm strong enough to do so.' Venom chuckled.
"I'm not letting you eat people's brains!"
'Are you sure I can't convince you to...'
"No!" Harry cut him off in a firm voice.
'Spoilsport,' Venom replied, Harry couldn't help but imagine a mouth full of sharp teeth making a pouting expression. 'fine, then you'll need to find me something else to eat. I'm sure that eventually, we'll find something that can satisfy me.' Despite his words, Venom didn't think that his host would stick to his 'no eating brains' policy for long, his life was far too messed up for him to not be tempted to just deal with a few problems permanently. 'So, what's it going to be, Harry? Let me stay, let me help you and Hedwig, or make me leave, and risk me finding a host that is not as nice as you. What's it going to be?'
'Well, that's just not fair.' Harry couldn't help but think to himself.
'Perhaps not, but that's your choice.' Venom's voice cut into Harry's thoughts.
"I...fine," Harry eventually nodded, he couldn't help but feel like he was making a deal with the devil in some ways. But overall, he couldn't help but agree with what Venom was offering. He could tell that if the alien truly wanted to hurt him right now then he could just force Harry to jump out of a window or something. He wished that he could ignore some of the other stuff that Venom had said, but he couldn't. Every school year so far he had nearly died multiple times, and then at the end of the year, he ends up being sent to the Dursley's. If anyone could use extra help, it'd be him. Besides, there wasn't a great alternative, keep Venom with him and possibly get some valuable help or risk letting him loose and into the hands of somebody like Malfoy, or worse, Voldemort. "I'm willing to have a trial period," Harry briefly wondered if he could get away with telling people about Venom but quickly dismissed that thought upon remembering that Venom would probably stop him before he could even get a word out. "under a few conditions," Harry added.
'I'm listening,' Venom's calm voice successfully hid the excitement he felt, having a willing host was so much better than those unwilling ones. He could tell that the boy wasn't fully committed to the idea, but Venom believed that with enough time he could bring the boy on board.
"Firstly, no taking control of my body, ever again." Harry began.
'But Harry, what if you're unconscious and somebody is about to kill you?' Venom asked. 'I could take control of your body and get you to safety.' Harry paused, and considered what Venom had said.
"Fine, no taking my body unless there's an emergency or if I give permission." Harry amended.
'Fair enough, what's the next condition?'
"No harming anyone I care about," Harry said with a surprising amount of firmness. "that's not negotiable."
'Your friends and family are my friends and family,' Venom spoke in a soft voice. 'they have nothing to fear from me.' Venom told him in an honest voice, he was fine with not harming friends and family, though if Harry suddenly decided they weren't his friends or family any more then that just meant more food for him.
"Good," Harry didn't fully believe Venom but that was better than nothing. "and no eating brains."
Find me something I can feed on and then I won't.' Venom's voice held a hint of annoyance.
'Anything else?'
"Yeah," Harry nodded. "I don't know you, and right now, I don't trust you. But I'm willing to give you a chance, but if you make me regret it, then I will.
'What?' Venom asked curiously. 'What will you do?'
"I'll find a way to stop you, no matter how long it takes," Harry said with plenty of conviction in his voice.
'You think that you can stop me?' Venom laughed. 'You think you stand a chance against me?'
"No," Harry answered honestly. "but then again, I didn't think I stood a chance when fighting Quirrell with Voldemort on his head, or when I fought the basilisk. Yet Quirrell became nothing but ashes and
the basilisk is the one that's currently lying dead in the chamber."
'There's that inner fire,' Venom laughed again, though it wasn't the same laugh as before, that laugh had been filled with humour and mocking. This one held approval, the kind of laugh Harry would imagine his father would have given him the first time he saw him ride a broom, though obviously a bit deeper. 'you'll make a great host. Now, we need to find something to eat.'
"Now?" Harry frowned. "I just ate a pigeon." Harry reminded him.
'Not good enough,' Venom replied. 'I need something better, and quickly. I haven't eaten anything tasty in a while.'
"O...kay, I'll find something then." Harry huffed, apparently he was now an intergalactic babysitter.
"Sorry Hedwig," Harry looked at his faithful companion who was still staring at him. "I...um...well, there's apparently an alien inside of me," Harry explained, opting to go with blunt honesty. Hedwig stared at him as if he had just burst into dance. "yeah, hard to believe, it's somewhere on the level of finding out that there's an entire race of wizards and witches hiding in front of her eyes. Still, this
allen bara..
'Call me a parasite again and you'll regret it!' Venom warned.
"This alien is apparently here to stay," Harry coughed. "so...yeah. I'm going to go to the shops and try to find him something to eat, I'll get something for you as well, promise." Harry said before he stood up and reached into his trunk and began pulling out clothes. "Wait a sec, you can see me right? So you'd see me if I started changing my clothes?" Harry frowned.
'Why would I care?' Venom asked dismissively. 'I have access to every single memory you have and you are an entirely different species, for you, it would be like watching Hedwig take off a jumper.'
"Oh...fair enough." Harry sighed, living with an alien in his head was going to take some getting used to. "I like to think that I'm taking this surprisingly well." He commented.
'Do you want a medal?' Venom asked sarcastically.
"How about a little less attitude?" Harry asked, glaring at an opposite wall since he didn't really have a face that he could glare at.
'In that case, get me something to eat,' Venom said impatiently. 'do so, and I'll start proving to you how useful I am.
"What do you mean?" Harry frowned.
'An underfed body and weak vision, I can fix that for you.'
"What? Really?!"
'Yep, better hurry with the food.'