At eight-thirty the next morning, Harry found himself standing in
line in the Dining Hall with the other twenty-three Hogwarts students who
had come. "Half of you will be traveling with Professor Delano today, the
other half will travel with myself. She doesn't know it yet but Renata
shall assist me because she knows the areas around here fairly well.
Everyone, I want you in two groups of twelve."
They divided quickly. With him, Harry found Ron, Hermione, and Renata, as well as Seamus and Dean. Also there were the twins, Ginny, Ginny's friend Clare, Hannah, and Susan. The other group was Malfoy, Pansy, Terry, Ernie, Justin, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Lee, Cho, Ashley, and Crabbe. The second group waited with Professor Delano; the others waited for Dumbledore.
"Okay, everyone, out on the lawn." They made their way outside and waited for further instructions. They did not have to wait long. "Onto the bus please. We shall be doing more of a local tour today. We shall go see the Kern River and the town around it, Kernville I believe it is called. So everyone in my group please come to this bus and everyone in the other group please go back inside."
They boarded and sat down.
Harry wanted to talk to Ron and Hermione and so he chose a seat in the back.
"Where are we going?"
"I don't know. Dumbledore said the town that's not too far from here."
"A Muggle town or a wizard one?"
"Maybe. Is there a wizard village around here?"
"I read about it in the library," Hermione said. "It's so well hidden that the Muggles here have never suspected a thing. There have been problems in other parts of the country, of course, but not over here. It's so peaceful looking."
As the ride went on, Harry watched out the window. The trees were, for the most part, old and majestic; there were oaks, redwood cedars here and there, the place was breathtaking. As they came to the town there were little shops here and there, there were a variety of inns, motels, and bed and breakfasts. He saw the river it was swift and the water churned over the rocks with a fast current. The water foamed white.
Harry was startled from the image of it when Renata came and sat down. She spoke quietly looking at the river, "On weekends in May and then through most of summer this place really comes alive. There's rafts going two miles down river, they drive up by bus from one of the rafting company stores; there's I.K.s too, they are inflatable kayaks, really great but a bit tough; people ride in inner tubes in the calmer parts of the river; and people fish here too. There're campsites. It's great here. Good to be back." She began murmuring the names of familiar places. Cheryl's diner, Ewing's, Mountain and River Adventure, Whispering Pines.The others had been listening to Renata but now she had stopped speaking, staring out the window wistfully with a trancelike expression on her face.
They watched the river, and the trees in peace. Softly she spoke again, "I love it here. I've visited the east coast and it's charming but I'm attached to this place. Even the trees are different there."
"You mean different varieties?"
"No, there are different ones, yes, but it's not what I was talking about. Here, California anyway, in the spring things are a little green, by summer they've turned yellow with some green left. In fall they are brown, winter is our greenest season. In southern California it's basically the only rainy season. New Hampshire, Vermont, Jersey, they're different. They get their precipitation all year long; either rain, snow, or hail. In the summer a whole state seems like a greenhouse, humid and warm, and wet. You should see Vermont in autumn! The leaves aren't a dull brown that makes the whole rest of the world dreary; they are vivacious shades of shining gold, a flamboyant orange, a bright red, a yellow that screams out 'sunshine!' Just.in winter things die a bit with the cold but come spring everything is alive and new again. I know that's really just the weather but I don't know, they're still some other difference. Take an oak tree for example: out here the acorns are longer and skinny but back east they are short and fat. I don't know.it's the little things."
Ron said, "It's what's home."
Hermione nodded.
None of them spoke for some time.
Eventually the bus stopped. They were near a bridge that went over the river. The driver parked the bus near a little restaurant called Chilly Willie's, which was next to-
"The rafting place!" cried Renata. Sure enough right next to Chilly Willie's was Mountain and River Adventure. Dumbledore and Renata got out of the bus, Renata was the only one of them, besides the driver, who knew how to handle the U.S. Muggle money and she had a decent chance at being recognized.
When they came back out Renata and Dumbledore were beaming. Renata came and sat back down with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I asked if they remembered me and they asked how they couldn't. I've been coming up every year for a long time. They said they missed me last summer when my mom and I didn't come. At any rate it's all set. Six of students and a guide in one raft, six students, Dumbledore, and a guide in the other raft."
"What's the river like?"
"Fairly violent, swift, and cold; it's all snow melt, you see. Have any of you seen the Delaware? No, you haven't. This is at least ten times wilder and colder than the Delaware. I've only rafted there once or twice. I've heard the Colorado River is great to but I haven't been on it yet. You guys will have a blast!" Her grin went from ear to ear.
Dumbledore came back on the bus. He waved his wand and the girls all found themselves with t-shirts and shorts on over swimsuits and the boys had on swim trunks and t-shirts. "Everyone off the bus, now!" called Dumbledore. "Divide into two groups. Everyone grab a life vest and then sit on the benches outside here." The students, Dumbledore, and the other people coming to the area, put on large orange life vests and waited.
After a while a bus came and they all boarded together, along with the other people who had been waiting, the guides, and of course the rafts being towed behind them. On the drive up the mountain they passed Cheryl's Diner; That Dam Corner, near the dam; Jamestown Market; the camping grounds; and almost the whole way up they didn't lose sight of the river. When everyone got off the bus they were broken into several groups, the rafts were unloaded, and the instructions began.
Harry listened attentively to their guide, mostly because he still couldn't swim very well.
The guide was holding a paddle. He showed them the proper way to hold it, using the t-grip. "If you fall out of the raft, try to hold you paddle. It will float. Be sure to keep your life vest tight at all times so that if you do happen to fall out you can be safely pulled out of the water without your vest coming up without you. Everyone's vest tight? Now if you do fall out of the raft, be sure to assume what we call the 'California Lounge Position'. Does anyone here know it? Of course, you do. Here, demonstrate."
They all watched as Renata got down on the ground and lay down on her back with her knees bent, her feet in the air, and her hands behind her head. She then stood up and brushed off the dirt she had accumulated.
"Great. Now also, if anyone falls out, this bag," he took a small bag with a rope coming from the end of it, out of a pocket in his life vest. "This bag will be thrown. Don't grab the bag! If you do, you'll keep traveling with the current until you are sixty some feet away. Grab the rope, not the bag. Got it? Good. Be sure to wedge your feet under the seats in the middle to help secure your place on the raft. Any questions?" he paused. "None? Good. Everyone grab one of the rings on the side of the raft and hoist it on your shoulder. Careful, it's steep here. On three we're going to lift it up, walk down this slope here, and set the raft in the water. Then I want everyone to get in the raft, secure your feet and pick up your paddle like I showed you. I'll launch the boat and jump in the back. Who is the strongest paddler? Never mind, no need to ask. Renata, to the best of my knowledge you are the only one of these kids who has been on one of these rafts before and you know the river; you take lead paddle. Everyone else, situate yourselves as you see fit when we get down there. All the other rafts have taken off. It's our turn. One. Two. Three."
Together, Harry with them, the seven of them (including the guide) lifted the raft onto their shoulders. The raft was a little heavier than he had expected, but together they all made their way down to the water. The raft was set down and they climbed in. Harry was behind Renata. He sat on the outside edge, as they'd been instructed to do, and he secured his feet and picked up one of the paddles inside the raft. Across from him, Ron had done the same. Harry felt the raft being pushed forward a few feet and turned in time to see their guide jump in. He had been pushing the raft at a run.
"Forward, paddle two!"
Trying to keep time with Renata, the rest of the people on the raft paddled forward two strokes. They had entered the main current. The guide began to talk again.
"You weren't all in sync with one another but we'll work on that. Now, I didn't introduce myself before but my name is Dominic Crestfield. You there," he pointed to Hermione, "When I'm not giving instructions to paddle keep your paddle out of the water and on you lap. You," he pointed at Fred. "Keep your hand on the grip. This is for everyone, never let go of the t-grip so long as you are in the raft." He looked at Fred and George. "I don't want either of you horsing around today. Did you see the sign when you came into town? The river has claimed over 200 lives since the 1800s. You've got to be careful out here." He frowned. "Weren't you two supposed to be in separate rafts, to keep you from causing trouble?"
"Maybe."
"Just possibly."
"Likely. Too late now. At any rate, back to what I was saying: it's nice to meet you all; my name is Dominic Crestfield. You can all call me Dominic or Dom or whatever. Now the important thing is to listen to me. We're coming on a rock up here so back-paddle three."
With timing only slightly better than before, the group managed to swerve around the rock.
The group managed on at a good pace along with the current. Then they came to the first set of rapids: Big Daddy. "Alright. I want everyone to listen carefully. Three forward. Two back. Forward, forward, forward!" From the back of the boat Dominic was guiding with his paddle. Soon the water calmed again. "Congratulations. You've made it through your first rapid. Forward, everyone. I want to catch up to the other raft from your school."
After the next set of rapids (Little Mama), George noticed something and pointed it out to the guide.
Dominic chuckled and shouted to the other raft, "Sandy! How you doing?"
The woman directing the Hogwarts students and Dumbledore stuck with her on the stranded raft brushed the hair out of her eye and looked up. "So, it's you, Dom."
"Need help?"
"No thanks. I'll wait for the next raft."
"There isn't another one. Not from our group. Who knows when the next company will be down?"
"Fine, come on."
Dominic directed them over toward the other raft. "We're going to try to hit their raft, and knock it off the rock."
As their raft approached the stuck one, Harry suddenly found himself soaked.
Dominic howled with laughter, as did most people on the two rafts. Harry looked around to see whom else the five-galleon, but now empty, bucket of water Sandy had been holding had hit. Renata was thoroughly soaked as well and was wringing out her hair calmly. She whispered to the back of the boat, "Dom, you've got the Super Soaker?"
"Of course." He tilted their own five-galleon bucket to reveal a large water gun inside.
Renata explained to Harry, "The buckets are supposed to be to bail out the boat when we get too much water in it but the guides usually use them for water fights. Personally, I prefer the water guns." Calmly, Renata reached for the gun and pointed it at Sandy.
The rest of them worked on pushing the raft toward trapped raft, at the same time as the raft bumped off the trapped raft back into the current Dominic threw the bucket of water and Renata began blasting with the gun. There were a few minutes of vicious water thrown back and forward using the gun, the buckets, and splashing with the paddles.
At last, laughing, Sandy cried, "Retreat! Retreat! Forward paddle, everybody!"
Looking at Dumbledore, Harry wondered if it was coincidence that the other raft seemed to go a bit faster than it should have. After a while they came to a place where there were no rocks sticking up and the water seemed hardly to move.
"This is known as the Beaver Pond. The water is calm here and deep so there shouldn't be a problem with rocks. Everyone makes sure your life preservers are tight enough."
"Why? It's calm. We shouldn't fall out here," Hermione commented.
"No, but someone might push you out." Dominic put down his paddle and ran across the middle parts in raft to the front. He pushed Renata off the raft and then ran back to the back of the raft and did a back flip off of it.
Renata soon resurfaced and clambered back onto the raft, grinning. She looked around and saw where Dominic was treading water beside the raft and holding on to the side of it. She offered a hand to help pull him back up inside.
"Anyone else want to go for a swim?" Renata started squeezing the water out of her hair. "No one? Come on. Somebody has to go in."
Fred and George consented to go. Renata took off her life-vest and after she pulled off her shirt and shorts, revealing a modest red swimsuit, she put her life-vest back on and jumped back in the water. The twins followed. Harry watched, amused, as Fred and George followed Renata around in the water and then with some help from Renata climbed onto the raft. They took paddles and began splashing those on the raft with them. From their own raft Dominic, took up the water gun. None of them noticed the two rafts coming up on either side.
Suddenly Harry found himself drenched again, although he hadn't quite dried from the first soaking. The rafts had begun splashing them. Harry picked up his paddle to start splashing the other rafts; he heard a whistle and stopped.
Renata was calling, "Back to your own rafts everybody! Retreat!"
Gradually the rafts spread out again. Renata climbed back on the raft, but the twins did not. Harry had supposed Renata would reprimand or maybe taunt them until they came back, but instead, she jumped off again. "Anyone coming in?"
It was getting hotter. This California weather was bad. He took off his life-vest, took off his shirt, and put the life vest back on. He didn't want to drown, after all. He saw Hermione sitting on the side of the raft with her feet dangling in the water.
At last, with much cajoling, Renata persuaded Hermione and Ron into the water. After a few minutes Renata looked up and grinned at Harry.
"Aren't you coming? There isn't that much time left before we've all got to go back in the raft."
Harry muttered, "I don't swim."
"What's this? Harry Potter can't swim!" Renata laughed.
The twins chuckled and Harry felt himself turn beet red. "I didn't say I couldn't swim, I said I don't swim."
"Uh-huh. Yeah. I'm sure, Harry." Renata disappeared under the water and Harry didn't see her for a long minute. Harry heard a noise behind him but before he could turn to see what it was Harry felt himself lurch headlong into the chilly water. Harry floundered in the water a few seconds before bobbing back to the surface. "What was that?" he cried indignantly, spitting river water out of his mouth. It tasted slightly of sulfur.
His only answer was laughter. They were all laughing at him: Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Dominic, and Renata was roaring even louder than the rest. She stood on the inflatable raft still laughing so hard she was doubled over. When she couldn't take it anymore she stood up and did a flip into the water.
They divided quickly. With him, Harry found Ron, Hermione, and Renata, as well as Seamus and Dean. Also there were the twins, Ginny, Ginny's friend Clare, Hannah, and Susan. The other group was Malfoy, Pansy, Terry, Ernie, Justin, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Lee, Cho, Ashley, and Crabbe. The second group waited with Professor Delano; the others waited for Dumbledore.
"Okay, everyone, out on the lawn." They made their way outside and waited for further instructions. They did not have to wait long. "Onto the bus please. We shall be doing more of a local tour today. We shall go see the Kern River and the town around it, Kernville I believe it is called. So everyone in my group please come to this bus and everyone in the other group please go back inside."
They boarded and sat down.
Harry wanted to talk to Ron and Hermione and so he chose a seat in the back.
"Where are we going?"
"I don't know. Dumbledore said the town that's not too far from here."
"A Muggle town or a wizard one?"
"Maybe. Is there a wizard village around here?"
"I read about it in the library," Hermione said. "It's so well hidden that the Muggles here have never suspected a thing. There have been problems in other parts of the country, of course, but not over here. It's so peaceful looking."
As the ride went on, Harry watched out the window. The trees were, for the most part, old and majestic; there were oaks, redwood cedars here and there, the place was breathtaking. As they came to the town there were little shops here and there, there were a variety of inns, motels, and bed and breakfasts. He saw the river it was swift and the water churned over the rocks with a fast current. The water foamed white.
Harry was startled from the image of it when Renata came and sat down. She spoke quietly looking at the river, "On weekends in May and then through most of summer this place really comes alive. There's rafts going two miles down river, they drive up by bus from one of the rafting company stores; there's I.K.s too, they are inflatable kayaks, really great but a bit tough; people ride in inner tubes in the calmer parts of the river; and people fish here too. There're campsites. It's great here. Good to be back." She began murmuring the names of familiar places. Cheryl's diner, Ewing's, Mountain and River Adventure, Whispering Pines.The others had been listening to Renata but now she had stopped speaking, staring out the window wistfully with a trancelike expression on her face.
They watched the river, and the trees in peace. Softly she spoke again, "I love it here. I've visited the east coast and it's charming but I'm attached to this place. Even the trees are different there."
"You mean different varieties?"
"No, there are different ones, yes, but it's not what I was talking about. Here, California anyway, in the spring things are a little green, by summer they've turned yellow with some green left. In fall they are brown, winter is our greenest season. In southern California it's basically the only rainy season. New Hampshire, Vermont, Jersey, they're different. They get their precipitation all year long; either rain, snow, or hail. In the summer a whole state seems like a greenhouse, humid and warm, and wet. You should see Vermont in autumn! The leaves aren't a dull brown that makes the whole rest of the world dreary; they are vivacious shades of shining gold, a flamboyant orange, a bright red, a yellow that screams out 'sunshine!' Just.in winter things die a bit with the cold but come spring everything is alive and new again. I know that's really just the weather but I don't know, they're still some other difference. Take an oak tree for example: out here the acorns are longer and skinny but back east they are short and fat. I don't know.it's the little things."
Ron said, "It's what's home."
Hermione nodded.
None of them spoke for some time.
Eventually the bus stopped. They were near a bridge that went over the river. The driver parked the bus near a little restaurant called Chilly Willie's, which was next to-
"The rafting place!" cried Renata. Sure enough right next to Chilly Willie's was Mountain and River Adventure. Dumbledore and Renata got out of the bus, Renata was the only one of them, besides the driver, who knew how to handle the U.S. Muggle money and she had a decent chance at being recognized.
When they came back out Renata and Dumbledore were beaming. Renata came and sat back down with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I asked if they remembered me and they asked how they couldn't. I've been coming up every year for a long time. They said they missed me last summer when my mom and I didn't come. At any rate it's all set. Six of students and a guide in one raft, six students, Dumbledore, and a guide in the other raft."
"What's the river like?"
"Fairly violent, swift, and cold; it's all snow melt, you see. Have any of you seen the Delaware? No, you haven't. This is at least ten times wilder and colder than the Delaware. I've only rafted there once or twice. I've heard the Colorado River is great to but I haven't been on it yet. You guys will have a blast!" Her grin went from ear to ear.
Dumbledore came back on the bus. He waved his wand and the girls all found themselves with t-shirts and shorts on over swimsuits and the boys had on swim trunks and t-shirts. "Everyone off the bus, now!" called Dumbledore. "Divide into two groups. Everyone grab a life vest and then sit on the benches outside here." The students, Dumbledore, and the other people coming to the area, put on large orange life vests and waited.
After a while a bus came and they all boarded together, along with the other people who had been waiting, the guides, and of course the rafts being towed behind them. On the drive up the mountain they passed Cheryl's Diner; That Dam Corner, near the dam; Jamestown Market; the camping grounds; and almost the whole way up they didn't lose sight of the river. When everyone got off the bus they were broken into several groups, the rafts were unloaded, and the instructions began.
Harry listened attentively to their guide, mostly because he still couldn't swim very well.
The guide was holding a paddle. He showed them the proper way to hold it, using the t-grip. "If you fall out of the raft, try to hold you paddle. It will float. Be sure to keep your life vest tight at all times so that if you do happen to fall out you can be safely pulled out of the water without your vest coming up without you. Everyone's vest tight? Now if you do fall out of the raft, be sure to assume what we call the 'California Lounge Position'. Does anyone here know it? Of course, you do. Here, demonstrate."
They all watched as Renata got down on the ground and lay down on her back with her knees bent, her feet in the air, and her hands behind her head. She then stood up and brushed off the dirt she had accumulated.
"Great. Now also, if anyone falls out, this bag," he took a small bag with a rope coming from the end of it, out of a pocket in his life vest. "This bag will be thrown. Don't grab the bag! If you do, you'll keep traveling with the current until you are sixty some feet away. Grab the rope, not the bag. Got it? Good. Be sure to wedge your feet under the seats in the middle to help secure your place on the raft. Any questions?" he paused. "None? Good. Everyone grab one of the rings on the side of the raft and hoist it on your shoulder. Careful, it's steep here. On three we're going to lift it up, walk down this slope here, and set the raft in the water. Then I want everyone to get in the raft, secure your feet and pick up your paddle like I showed you. I'll launch the boat and jump in the back. Who is the strongest paddler? Never mind, no need to ask. Renata, to the best of my knowledge you are the only one of these kids who has been on one of these rafts before and you know the river; you take lead paddle. Everyone else, situate yourselves as you see fit when we get down there. All the other rafts have taken off. It's our turn. One. Two. Three."
Together, Harry with them, the seven of them (including the guide) lifted the raft onto their shoulders. The raft was a little heavier than he had expected, but together they all made their way down to the water. The raft was set down and they climbed in. Harry was behind Renata. He sat on the outside edge, as they'd been instructed to do, and he secured his feet and picked up one of the paddles inside the raft. Across from him, Ron had done the same. Harry felt the raft being pushed forward a few feet and turned in time to see their guide jump in. He had been pushing the raft at a run.
"Forward, paddle two!"
Trying to keep time with Renata, the rest of the people on the raft paddled forward two strokes. They had entered the main current. The guide began to talk again.
"You weren't all in sync with one another but we'll work on that. Now, I didn't introduce myself before but my name is Dominic Crestfield. You there," he pointed to Hermione, "When I'm not giving instructions to paddle keep your paddle out of the water and on you lap. You," he pointed at Fred. "Keep your hand on the grip. This is for everyone, never let go of the t-grip so long as you are in the raft." He looked at Fred and George. "I don't want either of you horsing around today. Did you see the sign when you came into town? The river has claimed over 200 lives since the 1800s. You've got to be careful out here." He frowned. "Weren't you two supposed to be in separate rafts, to keep you from causing trouble?"
"Maybe."
"Just possibly."
"Likely. Too late now. At any rate, back to what I was saying: it's nice to meet you all; my name is Dominic Crestfield. You can all call me Dominic or Dom or whatever. Now the important thing is to listen to me. We're coming on a rock up here so back-paddle three."
With timing only slightly better than before, the group managed to swerve around the rock.
The group managed on at a good pace along with the current. Then they came to the first set of rapids: Big Daddy. "Alright. I want everyone to listen carefully. Three forward. Two back. Forward, forward, forward!" From the back of the boat Dominic was guiding with his paddle. Soon the water calmed again. "Congratulations. You've made it through your first rapid. Forward, everyone. I want to catch up to the other raft from your school."
After the next set of rapids (Little Mama), George noticed something and pointed it out to the guide.
Dominic chuckled and shouted to the other raft, "Sandy! How you doing?"
The woman directing the Hogwarts students and Dumbledore stuck with her on the stranded raft brushed the hair out of her eye and looked up. "So, it's you, Dom."
"Need help?"
"No thanks. I'll wait for the next raft."
"There isn't another one. Not from our group. Who knows when the next company will be down?"
"Fine, come on."
Dominic directed them over toward the other raft. "We're going to try to hit their raft, and knock it off the rock."
As their raft approached the stuck one, Harry suddenly found himself soaked.
Dominic howled with laughter, as did most people on the two rafts. Harry looked around to see whom else the five-galleon, but now empty, bucket of water Sandy had been holding had hit. Renata was thoroughly soaked as well and was wringing out her hair calmly. She whispered to the back of the boat, "Dom, you've got the Super Soaker?"
"Of course." He tilted their own five-galleon bucket to reveal a large water gun inside.
Renata explained to Harry, "The buckets are supposed to be to bail out the boat when we get too much water in it but the guides usually use them for water fights. Personally, I prefer the water guns." Calmly, Renata reached for the gun and pointed it at Sandy.
The rest of them worked on pushing the raft toward trapped raft, at the same time as the raft bumped off the trapped raft back into the current Dominic threw the bucket of water and Renata began blasting with the gun. There were a few minutes of vicious water thrown back and forward using the gun, the buckets, and splashing with the paddles.
At last, laughing, Sandy cried, "Retreat! Retreat! Forward paddle, everybody!"
Looking at Dumbledore, Harry wondered if it was coincidence that the other raft seemed to go a bit faster than it should have. After a while they came to a place where there were no rocks sticking up and the water seemed hardly to move.
"This is known as the Beaver Pond. The water is calm here and deep so there shouldn't be a problem with rocks. Everyone makes sure your life preservers are tight enough."
"Why? It's calm. We shouldn't fall out here," Hermione commented.
"No, but someone might push you out." Dominic put down his paddle and ran across the middle parts in raft to the front. He pushed Renata off the raft and then ran back to the back of the raft and did a back flip off of it.
Renata soon resurfaced and clambered back onto the raft, grinning. She looked around and saw where Dominic was treading water beside the raft and holding on to the side of it. She offered a hand to help pull him back up inside.
"Anyone else want to go for a swim?" Renata started squeezing the water out of her hair. "No one? Come on. Somebody has to go in."
Fred and George consented to go. Renata took off her life-vest and after she pulled off her shirt and shorts, revealing a modest red swimsuit, she put her life-vest back on and jumped back in the water. The twins followed. Harry watched, amused, as Fred and George followed Renata around in the water and then with some help from Renata climbed onto the raft. They took paddles and began splashing those on the raft with them. From their own raft Dominic, took up the water gun. None of them noticed the two rafts coming up on either side.
Suddenly Harry found himself drenched again, although he hadn't quite dried from the first soaking. The rafts had begun splashing them. Harry picked up his paddle to start splashing the other rafts; he heard a whistle and stopped.
Renata was calling, "Back to your own rafts everybody! Retreat!"
Gradually the rafts spread out again. Renata climbed back on the raft, but the twins did not. Harry had supposed Renata would reprimand or maybe taunt them until they came back, but instead, she jumped off again. "Anyone coming in?"
It was getting hotter. This California weather was bad. He took off his life-vest, took off his shirt, and put the life vest back on. He didn't want to drown, after all. He saw Hermione sitting on the side of the raft with her feet dangling in the water.
At last, with much cajoling, Renata persuaded Hermione and Ron into the water. After a few minutes Renata looked up and grinned at Harry.
"Aren't you coming? There isn't that much time left before we've all got to go back in the raft."
Harry muttered, "I don't swim."
"What's this? Harry Potter can't swim!" Renata laughed.
The twins chuckled and Harry felt himself turn beet red. "I didn't say I couldn't swim, I said I don't swim."
"Uh-huh. Yeah. I'm sure, Harry." Renata disappeared under the water and Harry didn't see her for a long minute. Harry heard a noise behind him but before he could turn to see what it was Harry felt himself lurch headlong into the chilly water. Harry floundered in the water a few seconds before bobbing back to the surface. "What was that?" he cried indignantly, spitting river water out of his mouth. It tasted slightly of sulfur.
His only answer was laughter. They were all laughing at him: Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Dominic, and Renata was roaring even louder than the rest. She stood on the inflatable raft still laughing so hard she was doubled over. When she couldn't take it anymore she stood up and did a flip into the water.