The Cross

Rating: PG-13/T

Genre: General/Fantasy

Summary: Yet another Harry Potter/Naruto crossover. A group of young ninja are sent to Hogwarts to discreetly protect the student body the year following Voldemort’s return. Wizards, witches and toads… Oh my... Okay, yeah, that was too cliché.

Author’s Note: BIG NOTE HERE! One, this is Shippudden set. The Rookie nine are fifteen, Team Gai is sixteen, Kankuro, Sakon and Ukon are seventeen, and Temari and Kimimaro are eighteen.

Two, Sasuke is in the Leaf village again. I plan to have that tie in with another story I’m writing, but I am not getting into it in this story. It would take up way too much time.

Also, Kimimaro, Sakon and Ukon are alive. They are allies with the Leaf village (Which, I know, is incredibly OOC for Kimimaro. You’ll live.) This I may or may not explain- pay attention, because the reason for them being alive may only be hinted at. They typically live in the Sand village with Gaara, Kankuro and Temari.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto or Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They belong, respectively, to Masashi Kishimoto and JK Rowling (Being the ridiculously brilliant people that they are…)

-

“Platform 9 and ¾ .”

Sakura scoffed loudly and snatched the ticket from Naruto’s hand. “Christ, Naruto, the English have a different alphabet than ours, but the numbers are the same, so how do you mess this up?” She snapped, shaking her head.

“I read it right!” Naruto snapped back defensively. “It says 9 and ¾ ! Look at yours!” Sakura ripped her ticket out of her pocket and held it up.
”I did look at mine! And it said Platform 9-” She stopped, eyes fixed on the small slip of paper, blinking. Naruto grinned in a truly Cheshire Cat manner, leaning forward and blinking sweetly.

“9 and?” He asked. Sakura deadpanned.

“Shut up.” Sasuke’s head darted back and forth between the two. A fight scene like this between Sakura and Naruto was a scene that had become increasingly rare since they were twelve. They were far more amiable now, but there were always relapses to consider.

They were in a crowded London train station, people hustling this way and that, boarding and leaving trains. It was difficult to move around everyone with the large trunks they wheeled with them, and more often than not had to apologize for running over someone’s foot. The trio continued down the walkway, Sasuke pausing briefly to glance at the clock on the wall. “We have ten minutes until the train leaves,” He remarked.

“A’right, a’right, we can find it before then- But I don’t see any 2 and ¾ or 3 and ¾ platforms here, guys…” Naruto mumbled, examining the platform numbers through squinted eyes. Sakura carefully maneuvered her trunk around a group of people before responding.

“It’s a-” She stopped abruptly, then lowered her voice, “-wizard’s platform, so I imagine they’ve arranged it so normal people wouldn’t stumble onto it by accident. We should be able to get onto it, though… If we find it in time.” The timing for getting onto the platform was crucial- all together, there were eighteen ninja going for the train, so it would be highly suspicious if a group of foreign kids were all grouped around one place, getting onto a platform that normal people couldn’t even see.

Each group arrived to the station at 10 minute intervals that day- Sakon bitching the entire time about having to be there an hour earlier than everyone else, since he, Ukon and Kimimaro would be the first group arriving- Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura being the last ones there. It was currently 10:52; the Hogwarts Express would be leaving in eight minutes. They picked up the pace.

Eighteen ninja, all in their teenage years, were being sent to a Wizarding school. In the past June, an evil wizard had been resurrected by devious means, and was now posing a threat to the Wizarding world. The threat was increased tenfold by the fact that the Wizarding Government was denying that this wizard, named Voldemort, had returned at all. Therefore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had asked that some ninja be sent to Hogwarts to protect the students.

The relations between Wizard and Shinobi had always been rather shaky. Ninja were even more secretive of their society than wizards, and revealed their secrets to only a few outsiders. Many wizards believed that ninja were a load of murderous barbarians that would slit your throat for a nick- er, sickle. It didn’t help matters when they caught wind of what the Kirigakure graduation examination used to be…

But if the Ministry of Magic wasn’t going to help, then the Shinobi would have to do it. If it had been anyone but Albus Dumbledore that had requested it (not that anyone else would have), there was a good chance that Tsunade would have snorted and turned them away. In her fifty years, she had seen enough of wizards to have a low opinion of them. But Dumbledore was a kind soul, and he was one of the few wizards she had met that didn’t treat ninja like dirt.

So, there they were- in London, England, about to catch a train for a magical school. It sounded crazy, but it was true. And now, Team 7 found themselves staring at a Platform 9 sign.

Not Platform 9 and ¾, but 9.

And they had six minutes left.

“So… Kakashi didn’t tell us how to get on, did he?” Sasuke remarked, running a hand through his hair.

“No. He didn’t.”

“He is so getting the Rasengan when we get back,” Naruto grumbled. “Damn, we’re gonna miss this, aren’t-”

“No, you’re not.”

Naruto and Sakura yelped loudly, jumping a mile, while Sasuke remained stoic as ever. “Kimimaro. Shouldn’t you be on the train?” The pale-haired teen was leaning, arms crossed, against the side of the Platform 8 barrier.

“You were cutting it close. I wanted to make sure you got on.”

“You can really tell by your upbeat attitude just how much you care,” Naruto chirped dryly. Kimimaro expression was entirely neutral (as it commonly was), his eyes at half-mast and speaking in a low monotone.

“Just get on the platform.”

“How?” Kimimaro sighed, as though the answer was obvious. “Don’t give us that! Kakashi-sensei always forgets the details!” The older boy didn’t respond. Instead, he walked straight forward towards the Platform 9 barrier… And into it. He simply walked through- into- the bricks. Even Sasuke’s cool demeanor was broken in surprise. Naruto gaped.

“What the-?”

“Four minutes!” Sakura hissed. “Go, GO!” She practically shoved him at the barrier, and he fell through, trunk and all. They waited a moment to give him a chance to regain his bearings, then followed after the blonde. They were met with a blast of steam, and Sasuke choked slightly on it. Naruto was nearby, cursing as he hopped up and down on one foot (his trunk had fallen on it).

“So you made it!” Someone crooned. “And in the nick of time- we were worried you’d get left behind. And by we, I mean everyone other than me.” One of the twins was grinning at them.

“Thanks, Sakon.” The twin made a noise of disgust.

“I’m not Sakon, I’m Ukon! Get it right!”

“Sakon, knock it off.” Kimimaro said flatly as they strode towards the train. “It lost its remote amusement after the twentieth time you tried it.”

“I’m serious! I’m Ukon.” Kimimaro gave the younger ninja a withering look, and he backed down. “All right, all right, you win… Geez, and I thought you had no sense of humor.” Sakon grunted at Sasuke as he climbed aboard. “Ah well, follow us, kiddies, you’re riding with Kimi, Ukon and I.”

Naruto irritated expression turned into a horrified one, and he glanced skyward. “Take me now…”