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Chapter 3: Big Little Sister

Her name was Regina. She looked like she had to be at least thirty, but according to her she was his little sister.

This was way too much.

But as much as he tried to tell himself it wasn't true, Harry was beginning to think what Mr. Gold—no, his father—told him was the truth.

He wasn't Harry Potter.

God, he didn't even really have a real name since his real parents didn't get to name him. Well, his father. His mother didn't want him.

At least that's what his father had concluded.

And Regina, that was his older/younger (okay just sister), didn't seem to contradict his dad's story when he asked her about their mother.

"Cora's not the warmest woman," she admitted. "I wouldn't take it personally. It's just who she is."

"But she kept you," Harry pointed out.

Regina looked at him with pity. "It was probably better for you not grow up with Cora. She…she did some pretty awful things to me."

Harry didn't even have to or for that matter wanted to ask. He could just tell by the expression on Regina's face—whatever Cora, did it wasn't good.

He decided to tactfully change the subject. "So, I'm from a different land?"

"The Enchanted Forest," Regina said. "Yes, yes, you are. I don't know how Mother managed to get you to a different realm. I'm sure Gold will find out though."

"You don't like him very much, do you?" Harry couldn't help but ask. When his father introduced Regina to him, he could tell that there was some sort of tension there. Something had happened between them in the past, but at the same time they were oddly civil.

"Your father was my teacher." Regina admitted as tactfully as possible. "There's a lot of history there."

"Teacher? I thought he was a sorcerer.

"He taught me magic, and I imagine he'll probably teach you."

His sister could do magic, as could his father, and, he guessed, probably his mother too. In a way it felt great. He could finally have someone to talk to about magic besides his teachers and Ron and Hermione.

"So, you didn't go to a school then like Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts?" Regina asked, caught off guard.

"Yes, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's where I was going to school this year. You know, to learn charms and potions and stuff."

"Interesting." Regina muttered. "So, what have you learned?"

The next half hour or so was spent with Regina talking about his school. Harry told her about his courses, the school, being sorted into Gryffindor, and he even told her about his adventure with the Philosopher's Stone.

He surprised to see that Regina had a grim look on her face after she told him all of this. "So, let me get this straight. Your headmaster thought it was a smart idea to put a priceless highly sought out artifact underneath a school full of children?"

"Well, it was a trap—"

"A trap! Seriously?"

"It's okay though, Regina. Voldemort didn't get the stone."

"Oh, I'm sure it's fine. Did I tell you that I have a son about your age, Harry?"

He shook his head no. He really didn't know much about Regina. Only that she was his sister and that she would be watching him while his father had business to take care of. Honestly, he was surprised Gold left; the man had been in his room ever since he woke up. But apparently, he trusted Regina enough to leave Harry alone with her.

Regina sighed. "Parents don't like their children being used as bait, Harry. I'm sure that there are going to be words said with your headmaster."

"You can't tell Gold."

"Who says Gold's going to have words with this Professor Dumbledore? Seriously, what sort of name is that?"

"Regina, I'm okay. Please, it's no big deal."

She shook her head but didn't say anything as she looked at her brother. "Harry, it's not okay. I get what you did was good, but you shouldn't have done that; you're only eleven. Surely, your guardians told you this."

Harry shrugged. "I don't think they cared."

"Don't be ridiculous." Regina said in shock.

"Have you talked to the Dursleys?"

She sighed. "Well, not that much. I know they've been in the hospital for observation. Gold was planning on talking to them soon about some sort of custody arrangement."

"He wants me?" He was honestly shocked. He barely knew Gold. Sure, the man might've said that he was never going to leave him again, but Harry didn't actually believe it.

"Of course he wants you!" Regina exclaimed. "You are his son, and you're my brother. But he is willing to work with your relatives since you've lived with them all your life."

"No." Harry said quickly.

Regina gave him a weird look, "What?"

"There's no need to work out a custody arrangement." Harry said. "The Dursleys don't care. They would sell me if they thought they'd get any money."

Regina gave him an odd look, "They're your guardians. Of course they care."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, enough to make my bedroom the cupboard before I got my Hogwarts letter."

Regina froze. "Excuse me, are you saying you slept in a cupboard?"

Harry shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Besides, I'm in Dudley's second bedroom now."

Something came over his sister's face that was familiar to Harry—anger. She sighed for a second before she turned back to him and said, "Don't worry, you won't be going back there."

Harry shrugged. "Does it really matter?"

"Of course it matters. No one should have to grow up in a broom closet."

"Cupboard," Harry corrected.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Same thing."

After that Regina tried to make the mood considerably lighter by turning the subject matter completely away from the Dursleys and started about all the fun things to do in Storybrooke. Not that there was really much to do. He was rather curious about how, if they were from another land, were they even from Earth?

She kept mentioning her son, Henry, who Harry guess would be his nephew even though technically Henry was only about three or four months younger than him.

"Where is Henry?" Harry found himself asking out of the blue.

Regina seemed taken aback. "He's at his mom's. His birth mom's."

"He's adopted?" Harry asked. "Like me?"

"His adoption was legal." Regina seemed to want to emphasize this. "But yes, he was adopted like you."

Harry had a feeling, based on Regina's response, that she was not a fan of Henry's birthparents. "I'm sorry." He finally said.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for." Regina stated primly. "My son is just interested in his birth family, and his birth mother finally decided to give him some attention. It's a phase."

Somehow Harry didn't believe that, but he didn't say anything. Instead he just asked Regina if they could watch the telly, to which she agreed.

There wasn't much on. Harry really didn't know much about television, especially American television, but Regina found a movie that she thought he might like and it was enjoyable enough.

"Do you like apples?" She asked suddenly during one of the commercials.

"What?" Harry questioned, caught off guard.

"Apples." Regina said again. "I make a great apple pie and I was thinking when you got out of the hospital…"

"Oh, yeah, apple pie sounds great. I've never had it before."

"Then you're in for a treat."

"Did she teach you?"

Regina frowned. "Cora, teach me to bake? God no."

Based on everything he heard, he knew he probably shouldn't ask about her. However, he was curious about the woman who abandoned him, just like he was curious about Mr. Gold. But least he knew things about Gold.

Not much, but enough.

The man was obviously loaded. The size of the room and Gold's suits were testament to that. He also knew that his father was involved with someone named Belle. Though, he had tried to keep that from Harry since every time she called he wouldn't pick up the phone if Harry was awake. Or if he thought Harry was sleeping he'd talk to her in hushed whispers.

Honestly, Harry didn't see what the big deal was. He knew his parents weren't and probably were never going to be together, and you couldn't exactly expect Gold to remain a hermit, but apparently Gold thought it was big enough to hide.

"Harry," Regina said breaking up his thoughts. "I know you want to know our mother, but there's really nothing worth knowing."

"What did she do?" He asked, "Besides abandoning me. You said she hurt you?"

Regina sighed. "It's a very long story. One you're not ready to hear yet."

"Try me."

"Your father would kill me."

"Mr. Gold? I doubt it."

Regina shook her head. It was obvious that she thought Harry was naïve, but he didn't see why. He had been around his father the past few days and, while he might've claimed he was a powerful sorcerer, the only magic Harry had seen him do was bark orders at the hospital staff. That didn't make him murderous.

"Really, Regina. I want to know how bad Cora is. She is my mother; don't I have the right to know?"

"No." Regina said. "I mean, yes, but you're only eleven, Harry. And I know you've seen a lot, but please you don't want to know all the horrible things Cora has done."

"Have you seen her lately?"

From what he knew, everyone from the old world was now in his. So, it would only make sense that Cora came to this world too.

Regina sighed, "Yes, I saw her recently, but she's gone now. And I don't know where. Believe me; I want to ask her questions."

"About me," He clarified.

"Yes. About you and there's some other stuff I need to talk about with Cora too."

"Where do you think she went?"

Regina shrugged. "Harry, she's probably not going to show her face again. Especially if she knows how mad your father is at her."

"Mad at who?" Gold hobbled in at that moment of time.

"Cora," said Regina. "You're back earlier than you said."

"The Dursleys were surprisingly more agreeable than I thought they'd be."

Harry shrugged. "Figures."

Regina just shook her head as Gold studied him. "Why aren't you surprised?"

"No reason," Harry said quickly, looking down.

"Oh, there's a reason. Based on everything you told me earlier about being locked up in a broom closet it really isn't that big of a surprise."

"It wasn't a broom closet," Harry cried, throwing up his arms. "It was a cupboard. And it was my room."

Yeah, that sounded a lot worse than he wanted it to, and he suddenly wished that he had just stayed silent, especially with the way Gold reacted. His body went rigid and he had a look that actually made him think that Regina wasn't full of it when she called him murderous. "You slept in a cupboard." He finally said, his voice ice-cold.

"Well, technically I sleep in Dudley's second bedroom now." Harry said quickly. "It's not—"

"Don't say it's not a big deal." Gold hissed, his eyes seemed to flash. "Oh, they're going to pay."

There was something about the way his father said that that sent chills down Harry's spine. Not that he particularly cared what happened to the Dursleys; you really lost any feeling of nicety for someone who thought a tissue was an impressive Christmas gift. But he still didn't think his father could be, well, scary.

Oh, he had heard that Gold was a big to-do sorcerer. Both he and Regina had alluded to it, but he didn't really believe it until now. Gold didn't look anything like any of the sorcerers Harry knew and he didn't act like any of the ones that were known to scare wizard kind.

The man read Fabric Today Magazine, for Merlin's sake. When Harry asked him about it he said he used to be a spinner in another life.

A spinner.

That was not dark sorcerer material. But as he looked at his father now, Harry had to wonder…

"What exactly did the Durselys do to you?" Gold demanded, looking at him.

"They didn't do anything. It was just the cupboard."

Regina shook her head at him.

"What?" asked Harry.

"You better just tell him." Said his sister.

"There's nothing to tell." Harry defended.

"Oh, really." Regina gave him a look that really made him wonder how, just how, was this woman supposed to be his little sister. "That's not what I thought earlier."

"You two talked?" Gold said, surprised. "You talked to Regina."

Harry looked back and forth between them in confusion. "Well, she is my sister, and she did ask about my life."