Oh sweet Merlin, just the sight of watching her lean over the edge made his stomach tumble. He was tempted to reach over and tug on her robes, but propriety prevented him from doing that. Hopefully she was experienced with boats as she made it sound.

"Definitely hot. Hot and dry," he said nervously, placing his palms on either side of him to steady himself. Was the boat tilting over? He thought it was tilting over. "Not a lot of lakes around. We had the Nile, though, but it's said to be dangerous for anyone, wizard and muggle alike."

(Sort of like the Black Lake, he thought, with its tales of squids and merpeople and eternal darkness. Not his cup of tea.)

"No, not yet," he replied. "Still darkness." Around him, above him, and under him.

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