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Hagrid's Question

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Hagrid pondered this, chewing carefully on a strip of meat. His pa had always told him to chew carefully so he wouldn't choke.
Smart man that.

Hagrid pondered it as he waved goodbye to the troublesome trio and headed back to his cabin for a pot of tea. Dumbledore said tea cleansed the soul, so he always made sure to drink plenty.
That and it tasted good.

Hagrid pondered it as he lifted the firewood he'd need for that nights' fire; to keep his abnormally large feet warm. Normally he had abnormally large socks for that but Fang had decided to put abnormally large holes in them this morning. The point was he didn't want cold feet. Cold feet made cold men, or something. He hadn't really paid that much attention to Filch.
Strange man that one.

So Hagrid pondered the question he'd pondered all as day he carried the load of firewood back to his cabin, the corner of his eye watching the forest carefully to see if a tree would fall without him hearing it. Hagrid thought that'd be a neat trick for one to manage that considering how much time he spent there. He'd spent more time in the Forbidden Forest than anyone; had been sneaking in there since he'd been small - well young might be a better term for him - back even before it hadn't been forbidden to him - did that make it the Un-Forbidden Forest? - but the point was he spent more time in there than anyone and he'd know if a tree didn't make any noise when it fell and they always did which meant, of course, that trees most certainly did make noise when they fell.

Satisfied he threw a few logs into the fire, already thinking about which tea would be best, when the thought occurred to him that he was never in the forest when he slept, which meant he wasn't around to know if they made noise in the night or not. Pondering this new thought he rose, selecting a herbal tea that Snape had insisted could help his mental situation - such a nice man that Snape - and sipped it quietly, watching the Un-Forbidden Forest for any silently falling trees.

Thoroughly disgusted for wasting time with such ludicrous thoughts, Hagrid stormed through his house, Fang watching him wearily as he threw a few bags of tea, dried meat and holey socks into a bag. Looking completely satisfied he proudly turned to the dog, addressing him as if he were the Pope.
"Well Fang, I'm off!"
Fang whined once before plopping down on the old porch, watching as his friend crashed through the dark forest, and lamenting over the problem that his said friend had forgotten to feed him.

~*~

"He what?!" Hermione all but shrieked, ripping the parchment from Harry's hands. In the background Ron eyed the gorging Fang nervously as Hermione began to read out loud.
"Harry, Ron and Hermione. Went to forest to hear if trees fall at night. Be back soon. Hagrid."