Let's skip back to Storybrooke and the present once again.

Present Time

Storybrooke, Maine

"Wingardium Leviosa."

The stone she had pointed her wand at rose at once, floated through the air and then landed on the ground among the others she had moved with a soft thud.

"It feels really cool that it actually works", Chris, standing next to her, mused. Arianne smiled as well. How many times had people like them not picked up a random stick from the ground, flicked it in the correct manner while uttering the incantation and then been sourly disappointed when nothing happened? The only problem now was that, other than moving things from one place to another, it and all other spells, curses and jinxes were useless against the Wicked Witch.

"We should probably get back", Arianne sighed and lowered her wand.

"Nah, let's stay out a bit longer", Chris responded. "If we head back to the hospital all we'll find is Ella, Toby, Miranda and Rachel talking about Ravenclaw stuff and Jade trying to annoy them."

"We could head after Maryse", Arianne suggested. "She was going to see Belle, to help her organize things in the shop, go through things that might belong to people around town."

"Arianne, I might be a Hufflepuff but I'm certainly not someone who likes to organize things", Chris pointed out. He had hardly finished the sentence when they heard heels tapping against stone and turned around, peering out from behind the trees. Their training place lay next to the graveyard and now they could see Regina Mills marching up the stairs to a tomb, followed by Emma Swan.

"What are they doing?" Chris asked as the pair disappeared inside the small house.

"You're going to suggest we follow them, aren't you?" Arianne said. He met her gaze with a grin.

"Are you up for it?"

"Fine", Arianne groaned, "but if they want us to leave we leave right away, alright?"

Chris did not bother to answer her; instead he hurried up to the tomb and peeked in through the door. Arianne reached him just as he sneaked inside.

Inside the small, square room stood a stone chest with an engraved plate on its lid showing the name of the one inside; Henry Mills. It was probably meant to stand at the centre of the tomb, but now it had been pushed aside, revealing a long, steep staircase.

"Don't touch anything", came Regina's voice from below, echoing against the stones.

"How am I supposed to learn magic if I can't touch anything?" Emma's voice answered. Chris carefully walked closer to the stairs and Arianne followed, wand still in her hand. Two voices inside her head were arguing about this course of action; one saying that they should leave now, the other saying that she had to know what was happening. In the end the second one won.

"The same way I did with Rumple", Regina answered Emma's questions while the two others started to, silently, descend into the underground chambers. "We're going to create a solid foundation first and then build your skills from the ground up."

Arianne, now having taken the lead, reached the bottom stairs just as Regina turned towards Emma, who was holding what looked like the foot of a lizard.

"I said don't touch", the Mayor said and grabbed the object, before spinning around at the newcomers, "and what are you two doing here?"

Emma spun around as well.

"Where did you..."

"We were practicing magic close by", Arianne explained. "Curiosity then took us here."

"And curiosity killed the cat", Regina pointed out, her dark eyes threatening.

"We'll leave if you want us to", Arianne continued, stomping on Chris' foot when he tried to argue. Regina studied them in silence for a while, her eyes squinted, before she suddenly straightened up.

"No, you can stay."

"They can what?" Emma asked, eyes widening.

"Stay", Regina responded. "They have more knowledge about magic than you do; maybe they can give you a few tips once we get going."

"They are wielding magic from Harry Potter", Emma protested, "and it was useless against the Witch. How is that supposed to help me?"

"Because they have devoted themselves to learning it", Regina responded, her voice sharp. "Something that you need to do as well."

Emma opened her mouth to answer, before thinking better of it and closing it again.

"So", Regina said and turned towards a large chest, "while we're here, who's looking after Henry? The Un-Charmings?"

"Actually, Hook is", Emma responded while Regina opened the chest, revealing tons of old books. At this, however, Regina turned around, a frown appearing on her forehead.

"Well, those two have been spending a lot of time together lately", she remarked.

"Hook's good with Henry", Emma said, not meeting the other woman's gaze, "and Henry likes him."

"He's prone to violence, impulsive and has a Hook for a hand", Regina said and turned towards the chest again. "What about him would a 12-year old boy not like?"

Emma placed her hands on her hips, much like her father used to do, and glared at Regina's back.

"I trust him", she said. "He brought me back to Storybrooke and he didn't have to."

"Of course he brought you back", Regina said, still with her back towards them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asked.

"Seriously?" Chris asked. "You don't know what she's talking about?"

The blonde frowned.

"See, even he knows and you're going to pretend everyone doesn't see the yearning looks and doe-y eyes?" Regina said and turned towards them again.

"I don't yearn", Emma sharply responded.

"Well, maybe", Regina said with a shrug, "but he does."

Emma's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but before she could say anything else Regina picked up an ornate book with a ruby heart on its cover, flipping the pages.

"Let's start with roots for incantations", she said. Arianne stepped closer, frowning at the neatly drawn symbols on the page Regina was showing them. Emma looked equally confused.

"Are you kidding me right now?" she asked. "What language is this; Spanish?"

"We're not making tapas; we're making magic", Regina remarked. "It's Elvish. Well, half-Elvish."

Emma looked, if possible, even more confused.

"I'm never going to get this", she admitted and looked up at the darker woman. "Is this how Rumple taught you? Just think about your training; what other methods did he use?"

"Rumple was a bully", Regina responded. "He didn't suffer fools and he certainly did not coddle his students, and if he tried to teach you how to swim and you couldn't learn..."

She turned and dropped the book unceremoniously back into the chest.

"You drowned."

"Drowned?" Arianne asked. Regina froze momentarily before a big grin appeared on her face as she looked at them again.

"That's it", she said.

"That's what?" Chris questioned. Regina continued to smile before flicking her hands. Instantly all four of them were surrounded by purple smoke. It took Arianne half a second to realize that Regina had used some sort of transportation spell, which certainly was more comfortable than apparating had sounded like in the Harry Potter books. However, their destination, was far from pleasant; as the smoke cleared they found themselves standing high above the ground on a narrow rope bridge spanning over a canyon. Somewhere close by a bird screeched and when they looked down into the chasm they saw the thin line of a river, which in reality probably was quite wide. Arianne and Chris were placed on one end of the bridge, on stable ground, while Emma was standing in the middle of the bridge, her back towards them. She was holding tight to the ropes on either side of her. Regina, standing on the opposite side, smiled slightly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma shouted.

"Teaching you to swim", Regina responded.

"Are you out of your mind?" Emma exclaimed, fear evident in her voice.

"Every time you've exhibited your power it's been spurred on by your instincts", Regina said. "So today we're going to push those instincts until you master them."

"A little reading doesn't sound so bad now", Chris called from the opposite end, causing Emma to glance back at them.

"She has to do this on her own", Regina remarked, noticing their wands.

"Regina, are you sure about this?" Arianne called back. "What if something goes wrong?"

"I'm sure", Regina said and turned to look at Emma again. "She can stop me."

"Stop you from what?" Emma asked.

"This."

She flicked her hand and suddenly board after board on the bridge loosened and fell down into the chasm, starting with those closest to Chris and Arianne, then the ones by Regina's end, leaving Emma on an island in the middle.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma screamed again.

"Making the bridge collapse", Regina responded, as if it was the most normal thing in the entire universe. By now all of the boards had loosened and Emma was balancing her feet on the ropes.

"You can either stop it or die", Regina continued. Emma screamed in terror as the ropes by her feet broke, causing her to hang by her hands over the chasm.

"Regina!" Arianne shouted. "Stop it! There has to be another way!"

"No more hand-holding", Regina responded, her voice sharp. "You have to do this, Emma. Reach into your gut; you know you can do this."

"It's inside you, Emma!" Chris suddenly shouted, causing Arianne to look at him.

"What are you..."

"She has to devote herself", Chris responded. "Believe that she can do it. That's the only way to save her."

Arianne looked from him to Regina's smug face to Emma, then to the ropes she was holding on to. They were starting to unwind.

"Save the bridge, Emma!" she called. "Save yourself!"

At that the ropes snapped and Emma screamed as she fell into the chasm.