Reason for Black

Hermione Granger sat at one of the tables in the Potions classroom. Nobody was in there except for her and Professor Snape. The previous day the young girl had asked the potions master for a chance to be his assistant. Begging and pleading had been involved till he finally relented and told her that if she could make a potion of his choosing, he would let her become his assistant. Hermione was grateful, she didn't think he would let her a 'know-it-all' and a Gryffindor become his aide.

So now here she was making a potion she had never heard of, something called En Dirumpi Maximus. Professor Snape would not tell her what it did or the history of it. All he did was give her the ingredients and the instructions.

An hour and a half later she was stirring the concoction she had created.

"Professor, how will I know when it is done, your instructions just say to stir until finished?"

"You'll figure it out, Miss Granger," he smirked at her waiting.

He knew what would happen if she brewed it correctly and he knew without a doubt that she did. Unfortunately for him that meant she was now his assistant, but he knew there were worse people. Longbottom was on the top of that list.

A few minutes later an explosion irrupted through out the lab.

When the smoke cleared Snape walked over to the station and cleared away the remnants of the potion. Looking at the young girl, he almost laughed.

"That's why I wear black," he said and then turned back to his desk.

Hermione looked down at her shirt and saw a large stain on her crisp white shirt.

"Hmph," she mumbled to herself, "The nerve of that…"

"Congratulations Miss Granger you are my new potions apprentice."

"Excuse me?"

"The potion En Dirumpi Maximus, literally means big explosion. You created the potion correctly."

"Thank you Professor," she spoke quietly and slowly as she thought over what had just taken place.