A/N:

This entire work (all 4 chapters) was beta'd by moor. I'm incredibly thankfully of all the things she caught (an embarrassing amount really). She was also kind enough to bounce ideas with. Overall she is seriously an amazing writer - you should check out her work! (Take My Picture — a MadaSaku is one of my favs. Its on Ao3 :3)

Thank you again, moor! (You're awesome!)

This is all Naruto chars - just an abuse of a magical system going on. Nothing to see here HP fans.

Obviously different rules and also more modern AU. NonMass. I'm very loose with what I pick and steal from both worlds. It was a lot of fun to write… Hopefully it's enjoyable to read.


Chapter 1

She flopped down the hallways, shivering and ears twitching at every noise in a castle full of magic, moving staircases, and sleeptalking paintings. What she was doing was incredibly stupid, that fact was not lost on her. Sakura had never done anything so wrong - well - nothing so blatantly wrong before at Hogwarts. She'd done most of this before, going to steal books, but the end goal was different, and the location. Not to mention she was using her animagus form to do it, her illegal animagus form since she'd never registered.

She blamed Professor Yuhi for being a magpie animagus. The idea that Sakura could have flown high above the clouds, dipping her feet as she flew over a lake, had been too promising not to try.

It had made her own animagus form a disappointment to be honest. Silky fur, soft whiskers, and a snuffling little nose had greeted her in the bathroom mirror and that is where all cuteness ended. The blood red eyes were attention grabbers, unnerving even her. Her obnoxious size had her filling up the entire bowl of the sink and then some, like a puddle off-white pinkish water. Her mother had likened her to a full load of white laundry tossed in with one red sock. She weighed in at a little over 9 kilograms. Her long ears had drooped as she continued her inspection. No flying for her. No fast speed of a cheetah or horse or even a cat. Instead she was an albino, giant, fat rabbit. A Flemish Giant Rabbit to be exact.

Her mother adored her, unaware that what she'd done was illegal and way too young for her to accomplish. She'd been honest with them about the important bits, like the transformation and how she'd be unable to speak for a month.

Her father, "Well now you can pull yourself out of a hat, wouldn't that be a great trick."

Her muggle parents still didn't quite understand magic. However, her father's words had helped her remember to be human and she'd transformed back in his arms to his absolute delight. She took advantage of their ease with magic. Diving into things her other friends would not be allowed to even consider because of who their parents were.

But it was all magic. It was part of her. Why deny any part of it? Why not learn all there was to know? (More importantly, why was registration required? That was Nazi-like.)

She'd been placed in Ravenclaw for her quest for knowledge. It had broken her heart a bit; all of the friends she'd met on the train had all been separated.

The hat had looked at Naruto and screamed Hufflepuff. When Naruto had pouted, Headmaster Namakazi, Naruto's father, had laughed so hard he'd knocked over a goblet of pumpkin juice. Sasuke would have gone to Slytherin with little to no fanfare had his older cousin in Gryffindor not whooped and cheered the loudest.

She'd looked on from the Ravenclaw table, envious of both houses her new friends had gone to; hoping she'd be able to make new friends on her own.

But there were barely any sorted to Ravenclaw that year, or to any house. The only friend she made was Shikamaru, the others in her year and house were old purebloods. They sneered at her when she'd offered her hand to shake.

"War," Shikamaru told her once they sat on the plush blue couches. "There was a war between the different magic communities. Many died. Right now we are in a tentative peace." His lips had twisted down, "We'll likely be trained to fight should that peace collapse. The most casualties in the last war were school-age children. They would have had children our age, it's why our class size is so small compared to others."

He hadn't been lying. She'd looked up the numbers and the newspapers. Then looked up the names and faces in past year books. If she were honest, the part inside her that had been so excited about magic died there. The contract she'd signed for registration with a blood quill, signing her life away for the duration of school to receive free magical training, had new meaning. She'd be a child soldier.

Because none of her Ravenclaw peers had actually met her before school, they didn't notice any change or shift in her. Sure she was poring over books, but didn't all Ravenclaws do that?

No, not like she did. Sakura had been an outgoing girl, shy and smart yes, but outgoing; enjoying the outdoors instead of locked in a library.

She read everything from theory, charms, and countercurses that she could get her hands on. That was why she was failing potions; not because she couldn't brew but because she tended to almost fall asleep when doing so.

That was how she spent her first three years. Then at the end of third year, the tournament happened. When the bodies of two dead champions were pulled from the water... Hell broke loose. At least politically. Shikamaru's words bounced in her head.

That summer she'd changed herself into a rabbit. War meant that registration of animagus would be lenient or not observed. Had it been a year earlier, she'd have been happy as a rabbit, not that she'd have tried. Now though, it was only a risk.

She wasn't quiet or thin, indistinguishable, fast, nor had the ability to fly. Instead, she flopped. She was a giant flopping rabbit with white-ish fur and blood red eyes that were incredibly sensitive to light.

But, in the early morning hours, when dusk had not even broken over the land and there was no one else afoot, her form was just quiet enough, just fast enough, just agile enough to move through the halls and get to the library. She had Neji, the Ravenclaw fifth-year prefect, to thank for knowing the rounds schedules. During his potions tutoring she got access to his schedule that helpfully marked everyone else's, too.

Yesterday, a council of Konoha had been called; war loomed on the horizon.

Today, as she promised herself many years ago should this happen, she'd learn the dark arts. At least understand them. Every newspaper clipping had discussed how ill-prepared the others had been, trained only in light magic. Not that Hogwarts didn't train in dark magic eventually, but sixth year was so far away. She'd be expected to fight regardless of that training.

She promised herself she wouldn't be a number.

Naruto was getting special training from his father in ward magic. And Sasuke. Well. The hissing conversations between Naruto and Sasuke when they studied together by the lake suggested Sasuke might already understand the Dark Arts too well. But she hadn't dared to ask Sasuke. For one, he'd brooded for days after. For another, she hadn't wanted his perspective.

If it was one thing Sakura had learned, it was that every teacher at Hogwarts had a very skewed perspective of magic and its limitations. Such as the idea that young students couldn't learn to become animagi. But that was all they ever had, opinions and ideas. The scientific method and principles she'd learned at an early age in grade school were not known to the main society of wizards. Everything was instinct, even potions. You knew or you didn't. You felt or you didn't. You said the words or you didn't.

Stupid.

They weren't using their heads. Not even other Ravenclaws. Even Shikamaru, the half-blood genius, was too lazy.

The other muggle-borns were busy shedding their skin of the modern world and embracing the victorianish era they'd stepped into. Candle light, quills and cloaks. But not her. Most of her summers she kept with her muggle family and learned just the same as she would via online platforms. If only they had such in the wizarding world. Instead everything was in books, close guarded and controlled. Knowledge labeled with age restrictions. Inaccessible due to a good looking, golden haired headmaster warding the restricted section from human students. What? Naruto had a nice looking dad and Sasuke had a hot older brother. Shoot her. She could confess such thoughts in her own mind.

But the key in Namikaze's warding - Human.

She hopped into the library, the brazier not even lighting at her passing in animal form. She paused at the entrance, nose to the air. A sweet minty scent overwhelmed the typical dusty and old leathery library. She sniffed again. Madam Hara must have reapplied a refreshing charm or perfume. Yuck. Hara applying perfume implied impressing someone. Sakura would rather not consider the old library hag wanting to woo anyone. Sakura sprung with a little more pep in her step to the restricted section to escape the thoughts of Madam Hara at Puddifoots.

She paused at the gate. This would be the moment of truth. She took a deep breath then let it out. Her plush body was just squishy enough to slide through the bars of the restricted section gate. No ward stopped her. Success!

Behind the closed gate, she sprung more lively to the row in which her prey rested. Well. Ok. Carrot rested. A left turn, a right. And there, the aisle she needed.

She sniffed the dust as she rested on her haunches, sneezed and then stretched to read the titles and authors.

Uchiha… Uchiha…

Ah! There, Madara.

Her paw landed on the spine.

"An Introduction to Magick Moste Dark," a voice spoke from behind her.

Her heart rammed in her throat. No, almost up it, almost exploding in the cavity that held it. Her entire being was frozen in place, ears completely stiff too, no turning and looking.

"Not the typical literature one would expect a sweet little rabbit to indulge in."

Half her instinct screamed to remain still, blend in. But there was no blending in. Not in a pile of books.

The second instinct kicked in then. Flee!

To be honest, she'd never run faster, even as a human. She wasn't just running but bounding, her body in perfect rhythm with her bunny soul. It would have been enjoyable had she not been having a heart attack in the process.

She ran left around a bookcase, right around another. Towards the gate. She breathed in-out and rammed through the bars. Her pace quickened further in the open area. She beelined to the doorway out of the library.

Light shot far above her head, arching, stretching until its glow engulfed the entrance. The doors began to close.

She increased her speed, heart long gone. Her throat ached, fear bubbling under her skin wanting to explode.

Sakura was fast, but not fast enough.

The doors shut completely, a moment before she reached them. She attempted to stop, switch direction, but the flooring against her footpads made her slide instead. Her feet then went under her and she toppled into the closed doorway. Her twenty pound body slammed into the door frame with a loud thump.

She straightened quickly. She'd assess damage later.

The clicking of shoes sounded against the tiles of the library behind her. She glanced. No one. Good, then he wouldn't see where she hid.

She bolted to the closest shelf and ducked under, sucking in her gut to get into the crawl space. Except, well. Not all of her went under.

Oh no. She squirmed and wiggled. Her fat bunny butt was stuck!

She spun and twisted perpendicular to the opening, but even with forepaws straggling to be free, her behind was not.

The footsteps sounded louder. Well, hopefully it wasn't too much of her ass. She shuffled her forepaws back under, her ears tucked under them. Goodness, she had less draping parts as a human. At least in this position, she'd know when he walked past or stopped.

A brazier lit, casting the shadow of a human figure upon the tile.

She gulped.

The moment of truth was here.

The steps paused at the entrance to the aisle.

She had been only kidding herself, of course. More than likely, most of her off-white bunny butt was stuck out there for him to see. Her legs were long and stuck out there, too.

She made another effort to scamper and propel herself forward. Nope. Nothing. She was firmly in place.

It felt like forever; moments were hours.

Finally the shadow moved, becoming bigger then smaller.

Long black hair touched the floor first, and then a face appeared. Eyes peered upon her with curiosity. Itachi. Itachi Uchiha. The Itachi Uchiha. Ravenclaw Seeker, top student, sixth year prefect, perfect — Sakura would be flushing if she weren't an animal. Of all the people to catch her, it had to be him.

Itachi was amazing, cool, calm, collected and well - maybe, just maybe, if Sasuke were one hundred miles away with his ears stuffed with cotton she might confess that she was just like all the other girls in Ravenclaw tower, absolutely smitten with him.

She was going to get caught out of bed, in the restricted section, looking up a book from the most well known dark wizard of several centuries, whom Itachi likely spoke with on a cadence during summers. Not to mention, she was also going to get caught as an illegal animagus. War hadn't been declared yet!

The young man then lowered his hands to the floor and laid upon them and continued his stare at her.

And she. Well she continued her staring as well.

His hair was loose, something she'd never seen. Untied, sprawling, almost alive.

"Hello little rabbit."

Little. Little?

Honestly, if she'd been little this hiding thing would have gone a lot better.

"Are you going to come out and play?"

Uh. That would have to be a no. For many reasons. One, she was very much stuck. Two, she still did not want to get caught.

His wand appeared from his sleeve. "Lumos," he uttered with the wand not pointed at her or himself, but straight ahead.

She blinked away at the brightness anyway. These eyes were the worst.

"What demonic red eyes you have."

Well, no, they weren't 'demonic.' She turned her head to meet his gaze as he'd moved his wand light away only to see he was inspecting her bottom. AH!

"And your fur is semi-pink, dyed in the blood of your victims perhaps?"

Well, someone's imagination got a hold of them at night.

His hand moved away from his wand then, and his fingers grazed the bottom pad of her left foot.

She twitched and kicked, but she was still very stuck.

Itachi chuckled. "You're a very cute little rabbit."

He turned his face to her again. A smile upon his lips.

She'd never seen him smile.

Not even when he caught a snitch.

Not when he'd review the grade scores on the notice board and saw his name at the top.

Not when he read and finished the many thick tomes in his chair beside the fireplace in the tower.

But, his smile was amazing.

It was like him. Soft, gentle, calm and his eye crinkles - adorable. He even had a single dimple on the left corner of his lips.

No one would believe her should she even speak of this. Well, actually - if she got expelled and locked in prison she wouldn't be able to speak with anyone.

"You," Itachi said slowly. "Are adorably stuck."

He tugged at her foot again.

She wiggled and thumped her leg back at him.

His smile grew larger, two dimples now. So in awe, it took her two seconds to register his next words."So adorably stuck."

He chuckled again, much lower than he had before. No longer was the smile gentle. Now it was wicked. Very wicked.