Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.
-This deals with religious themes spanning different faiths. I will not tolerate any flame mail because I choose to portray a particular religion.
Faith
Religion in the Wizarding World was a strange thing to describe. In some religions it made hard to be even associated with the Wizarding World and be supremely devout at the same time. Somehow, many had managed. Sure, there weren't preachers and priests at the corners of Diagon Alley preaching the gospels with the use of the sonorous charm, but what people believed in was a private matter. After Voldemort's fall, witches and wizards went about their days with a renewed sense of faith. Faith in their stability, sometimes a faith in a deity, or faith in the Golden Trio, especially Harry Potter.
Harry was fully aware that he was not their god, just like Voldemort, no matter how hard he tried, was not their devil. If Harry learned anything of value from Voldemort it was the fact that good and evil rarely existed. Something so polarizing could not define people's minds and motives. Society, both wizarding and Muggle was not so black and white.
The survivors' faith was something of interest to Harry. It astounded him to see how many people had renewed old religious ideals, some pagan, some with Judeo-Christian views as was with the norms of Western society, but mostly they combined the two ideas, holding onto their ancient roots and reintroducing themselves to the Abrahamic religions.
Harry, walking among the streets of wizarding Manchester, couldn't help but have a belief in some supernatural force. Severus Snape had been "sighted" after his death. From reports the formerly dour Headmaster of Hogwarts devoted his life to selflessness. He wasn't a priest, or a rabbi, or an imam. Snape jointly owned an apothecary with a Chinese man. The apothecary mainly sold medicinal herbs and ancient Chinese ingredients, no pesticides, no frilly useless prank potions. Leave that nonsense to the Weasley boy. But Snape wasn't a man who submitted himself to Chinese culture, according to Zhuge Liang, the proprietor of the shop. No, Severus Snape, submitted himself to something else. He, how did he put it? Supplicated.
Unfortunately, Harry was not in the business of seeing Snape, thanking him for his aid during the war, or proclaiming him a hero. Harry still had a job and his job was quite clear. Snape had sinned, committed crimes, despite his significant aid in the war, and he would have to pay for them. Harry did not want to have to do it, but it was his job.
He walked up the steps to the building. It was quiet, being in the middle of the day, but he was greeted by a dark skinned man wearing a white cap over his head.
"Alsalaam Aleykum, my friend," the man reached out and took Harry's hand in a friendly handshake. Sure, the man was being friendly, but Harry could see the confusion on the man's face. "Are you Muslim?"
Harry shook his head, "No, I'm looking for a man. He is in there, I believe."
"We do welcome others to pray for the one God, but may I ask what is your business with this man?"
"I must speak with Severus Snape, please. Ministry business."
The man's jaw visibly tightened but sighed and stood aside, gesturing towards the door, "The congregation is almost over, friend. Would you please wait until it is done? Severus usually stays after to pray on his own."
Harry was more than willing to allow Snape to finish his prayers. They entered the mosque (it wasn't really a beautiful mosque you would see in Egypt or Turkey, it was just a small brick building). The greeter led Harry to the central prayer room.
Tens of Muslims were packed into the space, kneeling on rugs and continuing with the motions of the Salahs. The hypnotizing motions of the Salahs. Harry was hearing a most pleasing sound, in a language he couldn't understand, but that didn't mean it didn't strike his heart. The man at the head of the room, who was wearing a cap and glasses, and had a long graying beard, spoke-no-sang to the praying people. The Imam's fluid beautiful recitation very nearly wracked Harry's body, especially at seeing these people so lost in the words.
"Please, remove your shoes before going into the room," the man beside him asked, snapping Harry's trance. Harry may not have been familiar with the practices of the Muslim faith and he had more faith that those who practiced Islam were more than the extremist terrorists media advertise everyday, so Harry did as he was told.
"Salaam," the Imam finished and the Muslims quietly shook hands with their neighbors, bestowing blessings upon each other.
He was going to hate doing this in such a sanctuary.
Harry waited quietly as the people stood up from their even organized rows began to file out. The people didn't rush out of the prayer room and took their leisurely time to quietly and respectfully leave their prayers. A few stayed and continued to pray or to speak with the Imam. Harry waited still, eyes on a kneeling man clad in black slacks and dark button-up shirt. He wanted to wait until everyone, except perhaps the Imam, was gone. The last person, a woman with a shear shawl wrapped around her gorgeous dark hair, stood from her spot and left the room, issuing blessings to the Imam, Harry, and the man beside him as she walked out.
"That's him," the man beside him said quietly, pointing to the dark clad man, sitting on his knees, silent.
Harry hesitated, not sure if there was proper protocol for these situations, and with the Imam right there, in the chair in the corner, reading, it made him feel uneasy. He was intruding on a very private matter.
His eyes flickered as he took a step forward. Harry was quiet about it, not wanting to break Snape's concentration. After sparing the Imam a furtive glance, he mimicked Snape's position, sitting on his knees right next to him. Harry watched him. Snape looked almost the same, a little older, a little healthier, and he had grown a short black beard. His eyes were closed in concentration, lips moving subtly, reciting silent prayers. Snape then leaned forward, pressing his forehead to the floor, before leaning back on his knees. He was apparently finished doing full Salahs.
Harry licked his lips afraid to say anything. He spoke softly, "Professor?"
Snape didn't respond, but Harry was sure he was listening.
"There are so many things I want to say, Professor. So many questions I would like to ask."
Silence. The Imam peered over his spectacles, turning his gaze from his book.
"I know you don't like me and I don't want to interrupt your prayers, sir, but this is important."
There was a twitch in Snape's jaw and Harry did his best not to stare at the long silver scar that crawled from his neck upward to under his jaw. Probably the worst battle scar he had seen on any of the survivors of the war.
"This isn't something I want to do, but I have to do this," Harry said as he ran his sweaty palms on his thighs. "I have no doubt that once they see your devotion to your faith that the Wizengamot will take it into consideration, but they want you to pay for your crimes."
Harry sighed when he received no sign from Snape that he was even listening. It sounded so insensitive to talk about crimes in a house of worship. Harry turned his gaze from the praying professor, staring at the closed archway made of beautiful turquoise tiles. It was facing southeast, as was Snape and himself.
"I'm not going to lie, Professor. It is odd seeing you as a man of faith."
Indeed it was true. No doubt Ginny, Ron, and Hermione would think he drank too much firewhiskey if he told them. The man who killed Dumbledore, who terrorized them as students, who was more of a hardcore spy than anyone living or dead, fictional or real, was now praying with silent words.
"I wish I was as faithful as you are. Ginny has always wanted us to start going to church. To pray for the souls that has been lost. Though I tell her I'm not sure I can convert to Irish Catholicism."
Harry chuckled at the thought. He wasn't really religious before so jumping into a heavy-handed belief system like Irish Catholicism would be a hard adjustment. Hermione suggested the Church of England to ease himself into something as big as finding a source of faith to follow. Hermione, always the practical and skeptical one, said that she didn't need an organization to have faith.
"If you feel rejuvenated I understand, after what you have been through, but why Islam, sir? Not that I am against it, but Christianity preaches forgiveness."
"It is not forgiveness I am after," Snape said finally. His voice usually had a snarky edged, but now, it was calm, smooth as if his body, after a lifetime of suffering, was light and purged.
"I do not seek forgiveness, Mr. Potter. I know the damage of my sins and I do not wish for God to forgive when I cannot forgive myself. I do, however, seek mercy. Islam allows me to plead to one merciful God."
"You mean Allah."
"No, I mean God."
Harry's brow furrowed, his gaze on Severus Snape. Snape had not looked Harry in the eye, his gaze was still on the closed archway.
"Allah and God are one in the same, it is only by different names perpetrated by difference in language."
Allah means God in Arabic, was what Harry understood by Snape's explanation and it made sense in every way.
One merciful God.
He wasn't praying to be forgiven by Jesus Christ. He was ready to accept his punishment but sought mercy. It takes a strong man to take responsibility for his past actions, but what about redemption?
"Professor, you redeemed yourself. Your actions saved thousands of lives. You realize that."
"Redemption does not stop the nightmares, does not bring lives back, does not wash away the past. So unless there is a God that can grant me the power of extensive time travel, I am content with living with my sins."
Harry nodded subtly, "I apologize, then, sir."
"You are to take me to my fate?"
The younger man clenched his jaw and he replied softly, "Yes."
"Then…" Snape leaned over pressed his forehead once again to the floor. He leaned back and slapped his hands on his thighs, before rocking back and rising to his feet in one fluid, methodical motion. Harry, clumsily in comparison, got to his own feet. He stood close to Snape's side in case the older man did something drastic. However, after years of doubt as a child, Harry trusted that he would do the right thing and come quietly. He found that Snape was still taller than him by about a few centimeters. The difference in height and stature made him feel like a child again, under the scrutiny of his potions professor. Snape turned and for the first time in seventeen years stared directly into Harry's eyes.
"May I have a word with the Imam before you take me away?"
Harry nodded, "Sure."
The Imam had been listening to their conversation all along and he remained in his chair staring at them as they approached.
"Imam Hosseini," Snape's voice wavered as the tan older man stood from his chair.
"Severus…"
"I thank you for allowing me the opportunity of following the teachings of the Prophet—peace be upon him. You of all people gave me…solace," Snape lowered his gaze, pausing from his speech. "But I have committed crimes in my past. Some I am not sure you are aware of."
"I know," the Imam replied softly, the corners of his lips upturning. "But is facing your crimes something you are prepared to face? Are you absolutely sure you will be able to face your punishment without spite or prejudice?"
"Yes."
Imam Hosseini placed his hands on Snape's shoulders, "Then I shall pray for you. And maintain faith in Allah, for he is merciful."
"Thank you," Snape's voice was almost a whisper.
"Peace be upon you. Both of you."
The Imam glanced at Harry with a smile and bowed his head.
Harry and Snape left the mosque and descended the steps. The longhaired man glanced back at the doors and murmured, "The Imam's intentions are pure, but even he cannot predict God's own intentions."
"True, but I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to make sure you get leniency at the Wizengamot."
Something happened that Harry could not predict. Severus Snape's lip lifted in the barest of optimistic smiles, "Perhaps I have already been given mercy…"
Something heavy to think about. I am not particularly religious in any sort but I did take several civ/religion courses recently. I do not lay claim to know all there is to know about every religion especially the ones mentioned here, so I apologize for any discrepancies between my writing and your personal experience. Not every one practices religion the same way.
I wrote this after spending some time at the local Islamic Center. I am being deployed to Pakistan in two days and I thought to visit the Islamic Center to speak with them in hopes to understand Islam better. The Imam there was very nice and was more than happy to answer all of my questions.
I do want reviews but nothing flame like that would deal with anything about the religions portrayed.
Anyway, what do you think?
Note: I received a review and I firmly believe that this person is not getting the point of this story. However the his/her private messaging system is disabled (conveniently). This person rightfully made the claim that Snape wasn't religious. However have we not heard of born again christians? Several inmates in prison convert to some sort of religion to seek retribution. Snape, surviving the attack, turned to religion since he is given a second chance once again.
He/she made the claim that Harry was devoutly religious. I will not go into how I think that is wrong since religion is rarely mentioned specifically in the books. How do we know who is religious and who is not? Just because someone is baptized does not mean a person is devoutly Christian. Heck, I was baptized and I don't associate myself to Christianity or any of its forms.
Again, this reviewer is entitled to his/her opinions but I don't think they read this story carefully.