Sam tucked a piece of parchment away in her robes as she headed towards the Ravenclaw table. Her heart was lifted just enough by its contents to believe that maybe the feast and the train journey tomorrow wouldn't be so terrible, and that possibly she could stomach some food. It had been a long term, that was for sure, and yet despite that, she wasn't entirely convinced she was ready to go home. Thinking of what Al had said to her on her birthday made her feel queasy, and this owl had been the only communication she'd had from him since. Still, she'd see him, and that was something.

"Good evening, Professor Stewart," Sam greeted the Muggle Studies Professor as she headed along the table, taking the first available free spot. Her fellow students got friendly smiles and nods, though perhaps more tired and less enthusiastic than would be expected from the sixth year. "Ev'ning Jessa...Kitty...Cassie."

As for Jessa's question? "I didn't know normal existed at Hogwarts." It hadn't seemed to in her six years here so far...to the point her boyfriend and Dad had been strongly encouraging her to go elsewhere for her final year, despite it throwing off her NEWTs studies. "But one can always hope."