Although he had been surrounded by all things magical for his entire life, everything about Hogwarts felt new and exciting. Without his parents around, he was experiencing life in a different way. He could eat more dessert than vegetables if he wanted to, and he could stay up late if he wasn't tired. Eddie was even learning to fly on a broomstick like his older cousins.

Of course, there were some things that he couldn't do if it weren't for Venom, like his Transfiguration homework.

"Ad stylus," Eddie said, tapping the small wooden block in front of him. When it failed to turn into a quill for what felt like the hundredth time, Eddie groaned. He threw his wand down on his desk, pushed his chair back, and got up to flop onto his bed. It was late, and he was tired and frustrated. Knowing that the room was currently empty, he stared at the ceiling and asked aloud, "Why isn't this working? What's wrong?"

You're not saying it correctly. It's 'Ad stylum'.

"What!" Eddie exclaimed in disbelief and annoyance. "I've been doing this for, like, an hour! Do you even need me to say it right? You know what I want it to do!"

You need to learn it. You don't want others to be skeptical of you when your spells work even when the spell is wrong, do you?

Eddie scowled and rolled onto his side. "Whatever, I'm taking a break."

That's fine. Eddie, how about we talk about our contract now?

"Our contract?"

Yes. As you can see from our time before school and this past week of classes, I've upheld my end of our deal.

Eddie nodded as if Venom was sitting in his desk chair and not inside his head. Truthfully, he had forgotten that this was a two-way agreement, but what could he possibly give to a powerful, dark demon? He was just a kid, one that didn't even have magic.

You have legs and a means for movement.

"Where do you want to go?" Eddie thought, unsure about where this was going.

The Forbidden Forest.

"What, why?!"

Similar to how your body needs food, I need a source of energy.

Eddie frowned. After a few beats of silence, he asked, "What if I don't do this?"

Eddie Brock, we have a contract. Without my magic, you're just a possessed boy who performed illegal magic to lie to a community only for them to see right through your deceit.

Heat flared up across Eddie's shoulders, so he knew Venom was angry. Eddie didn't want to think about living without magic back with his parents. He didn't even know what sort of consequences would follow. "Okay, okay, I'll go. What are we looking for?"

Get to the forest, and I'll lead you.


Sneaking through the castle at night was heart-pounding, but Eddie managed to remain unseen. Following Venom's directions, Eddie slipped outside via a hidden door by the kitchen. Then he pulled the hood of his cloak up and began sprinting towards the forest.

The forest was too dark for Eddie to see clearly. He slowed to a walk. Twigs snapped and strange noises echoed against the thick trees as he traveled further into the darkness.

"Whe-where do I go?" Eddie whispered, his voice shaking in fear. Students weren't supposed to be here, especially not first years. "I-I can't really see."

Your wand, Eddie.

The boy hurried to pull his wand out of his back pocket. He gripped it tightly.

Lumos.

"Lumos," Eddie repeated. Quickly, warmth spread through his arm and down his fingertips. Eddie squinted against the bright light that immediately shone from the tip of the wand. Once his eyes adjusted, he mumbled a short "thanks" and continued walking.

Turn right.

Eddie stopped. He turned and continued walking.

Left.

Again without question, Eddie turned on his heels and kept walking.

He followed Venom's directions until they were on the edge of a small clearing.

Lower your wand and approach one slowly.

Approach one of what slowly, a tree? Eddie thought.

You don't see them? Of course you wouldn't.

Eddie swore that Venom groaned, as frustrated with Eddie's misunderstanding as Eddie had been with his homework. "What am I supposed to see? Why can't I see them?"

Thestrals, Eddie. They're a tricky thing with humans. Only those who know and understand death are allowed to see them.

The name jogged the boy's memory: his wand had a thestral hair core. Eddie asked, "What should I do?"

Don't bother moving closer. Point your wand straight ahead. A little to the left. Good. Hold it steady.

Eddie still wasn't sure what the Thestral was for. It was some magical creature, but did Venom want him to carry it somewhere? How big were these things anyway? Did they have some connection to the demon world? Was there such thing as a 'demon world'?

Quiet.

"I wasn't talking!" Eddie whispered

Your thoughts are too noisy.

When he focused his mind enough on his wand, Venom pushed their power through, and a brilliant green beam shot forward from the tip of the wand. Eddie winced and turned his head away as the flash of green cast shadows all around him. From the darkness animals stormed away as one cried out in pain. And then, just as quickly as it started, it was over.

Eddie raised his wand when it returned to the yellow-ish glow. "What did you do?"

Walk forward.

Eddie did as he was told. He stopped when his foot hit something. One of the animals?

Yes. Now kneel.

Eddie knelt down and sat on his heels, holding his wand at his side. Venom hadn't demanded like this before, so Eddie didn't dare question the demon.

This might feel uncomfortable.

The young boy didn't have a chance to respond before the temperature around him dropped suddenly, causing him to shake in the cold. He felt his chest being pulled apart. Eddie looked down at his chest to find the source of the pain: a black fluid was phasing out of his chest, moving to cover his body. The fluid was warm like Venom's magic, and it crept across his human skin. His vision grew blurry as the blackness enveloped his head.

When clarity returned, Eddie could no longer feel his arms or legs. Unable to speak, Eddie started to panic.

Venom, what happened? Eddie thought.

You're safe with me, Eddie.

Venom didn't elaborate, and soon Eddie felt himself being carried around. When he felt himself looking down at the ground at a winged horse-like thing, it clicked in Eddie's brain. Before, he wasn't able to see the thestral. Now he could, and it was because he was seeing it through Venom's eyes. They had switched places.

Eddie didn't know that could happen.

Eddie watched from a first-person point of view as Venom bent over the dead creature. The demon slurped its black blood, draining the body. Thankfully for Eddie, he couldn't taste the liquid that Venom was consuming; however, he couldn't prevent himself from watching as they moved around the thestral, splitting the flesh with their claw-like hands. He felt the warmth that surrounded his body become warmer as the minutes ticked by.

Soon, the creature was fully drained and Venom was satisfied.

Are we done? Eddie thought.

He didn't want to hear the sound of Venom licking anymore. The memory of the innocent, dead thestral was enough. Sure, the creature didn't belong to the prettiest species in the world, but Eddie felt guilty. Because he brought Venom into the physical world, it was his fault that the poor thing was dead.

Yes, Eddie, thank you. Let me get us back to the castle.

When Venom stood, Eddie realized how large the demon was. Eddie felt like he was standing on stilts, but their movements weren't clunky at all. With Venom now fully renewed, they were pounding through the forest, leaping over fallen logs with ease and swinging around massive trees without slowing down. At the edge of the forest, at first Eddie thought their massive form would be noticed but then he saw how well they blended into the shadows. To make them even less visible, Venom moved with such speed across the ground that it almost felt like flying to Eddie.

At the back door to the kitchen once again, Eddie felt himself becoming colder. Venom was receding.

Fully in control, Eddie shook his arms and legs just so he could feel them again. He took a few deep breaths to settle his mind in order to creep silently through the dark halls.

Back in his bed, Eddie's mind was reeling. While his roommates slept, he was on his side, curled into a ball and wide awake.

You used a killing curse, Eddie analyzed.

It's a useful one to know. Avada Kedavra.

You didn't even ask me first. That one is unforgivable, Eddie thought.

It's my magic. I'll do what I want.

Eddie was horrified. He felt so out-of-control. He wanted to be powerful, but he didn't want to kill things.

I won't kill humans if you uphold your end of our contract.

So this was their contract: Venom would serve Eddie as long as the demon could use the boy to gain power. It was a terrible experience for Eddie, but he would do it for magic.

As long as no one noticed, it would be fine.