<human>:  Would characters in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone be persecuted as pagans?
<bot>: Yes, characters in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone would be persecuted as pagans. Pagans are defined as people that hold beliefs other than those of the major world religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). The characters in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone practice magic. Islam explicitly forbids the practice of magic and has harsh consequences for it.