The rain was lashing down as the train pulled into the station, umbrellas being put up as people exited the train. Michelle reached up on the shelf and picked off the two bags she had brought, and queued waiting to exit. She dragged the bags to the edge of the door and struggled putting them onto the platform.
'Oh shit!' she whispered to herself, she'd forgotten her coat. She ran back to the seat and grabbed her coat, jolting forward as the train began to move.
'No, no, why are we moving, my cases are on the platform.' She shouted at no one in particular. The passengers all looked through her showing no emotion. She went to the door and watched as her bags going in the opposite direction to her, hitting the glass in frustration.
Michelle got off at the next station; she walked the length of the platform to the shuttered ticket office. She looked up and down the dark platform, spotting a guard crouching over a bin.
'Sir?' She shouted making the man jump.
'Yes Miss?' He said, looking at her twice.
'When is the next train to Hogsmead? I was on the last one that just came through, but stupidly did get off at the correct stop. Also my bags are on the platform at Hogsmead station, do you think someone would have moved them for me?' She said her eyes welling up with tears.
'There are no more trains to Hogsmead till tomorrow, as for your bags; Melvin is working tonight at Hogsmead so hopefully he'll pick them up before the students do.' He said smiling to himself, thinking of Melvin looking through those bags at her undies.
'Oh great, well how far is Hogwarts from here?' She asked tears escaping.
'About 3 miles; up that way.' He said pointing to the fields to her left, and sniggered.
'Right, well I'll walk it then.' She picked up her hand bag and coat and started walking across the fields.
'Hold on!' A frustrated voice said, wrapping himself up in his dressing gown. He unbolted the wooden doors and pointed his wand out into the darkness.
'Hi.' Michelle said, moving her rain soaked face towards the wand light.
'Who the hell are you?' He said, glaring at her.
'I'm Professor Michelle Winters; I'm taking over from Professor Chilton as Muggle Studies teacher.' She said shivering, hoping he'd let her in soon.
'If you're a Professor, why didn't you come in with the others?' He said looking at her suspiciously as she wiped a drip of rain from her nose.
'I missed my stop on the train; I walked from the station at Wingate.'
'Really. Well wait here while I go and speak with Dumbledore.' He said shaking his head and shutting the door on her.
She sat down on the steps, looking at the sorry state of her heels. She took her handkerchief off and tried to wipe the mud from her legs, a futile action. After 20 minutes of waiting, Michelle wrapped her coat up around herself tighter as she shivered against the cold rain. The door opened, Michelle looked up at the light.
'Merlin's beard! Miss Winters you must be froze to the bone.' An old gentleman said, holding out his hand to her.
'Oh, sorry I'm late.' She said standing, picking up her bag trying to hold in a sneeze.
'Argus, go and call Madam Pomfrey, I will escort Miss Winters up to the hospital wing.'
Dumbledore said, taking out his wand and conjuring up a fleece blanket.
'Oh no, I'm fine honestly, I just need a good soak and change of clothes, clothes…' She said bursting into tears remembering that she had no clothes till her bags were found. 'My luggage is lost, I have no clean clothes.' She said looking down at her grubby clothing.
'Well, we'll have to sort that out, now follow me.' She followed the professor down to the dungeon section of the castle, lighting the lanterns as they went. He stopped outside a small wooden door, the plaque she noticed said. 'Potions'. Dumbledore knocked on the door, and then turned to look at Michelle.
'We need our Muggle Studies teacher fit and well for the start of term, if you're sure you won't go to the hospital wing…' His voice trailed off as the potions room door opened. A tall slender man with dark greasy hair stood, looking very unimpressed.