Number Four, Privet Drive.
Late at night.
Harry sat propped up in bed, pillows behind his back and the covers pulled up to his waist. The desk lamp on his nightstand was the room's only source of light, casting a warm yellow glow across the wall.
His fingers moved skillfully over the Instant Whisper page. He wrote a line, waited a few seconds, and Ron's crooked reply appeared on the page.
This was far more convenient than writing letters. You only had to wait a few seconds for a reply.
If they relied on owls to deliver letters, it would take a day or two at the shortest, or a whole week at the longest, to receive a response. They would barely get to chat a few times before it was time to take the train back to school.
Since summer vacation began, Harry had been having a great time chatting with Ron and the others through Instant Whisper. It was nothing like his previous holidays, dull and unbearably idle.
Ron and Hermione could share their experiences from traveling abroad with him at any time, along with magical photographs that moved.
After winning the lottery, Ron's family had gone to Egypt. Harry was happy for them. The Weasleys were such kind people, and Mr. Arthur loved Muggle things so much that he was surely staring at the pyramids and statues built by the ancient Egyptians without being able to look away.
Hermione had also gone to France with her parents. The photos she sent included the Palace of Versailles and Notre-Dame...
Harry turned over gloomily.
He did not expect the Dursleys to take him traveling. Dudley had gotten a new game console this year, Uncle Vernon had bought a new car, and Aunt Petunia was busy putting the several-times-fatter Dudley