The Trio Jumps from the Dragon into a Lake

PAGES: 546-547

As the dragon flies lower, searching for water, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to jump off into a lake below. They fall into the freezing water, swim to the shore, and collapse, exhausted but alive. The dragon, unaware of its passengers, flies away after drinking from the lake. The trio crawls through reeds and mud to the shore, where they finally catch their breath and begin to recover from their ordeal.