William's eyes followed the ladle, wide with dawning shock, and he barely had enough time to snap a shield around both of them, shouting "Protego!" just as chunks of plaster and fizzing red liquid showered down over top of them. The cauldron itself simmered for another second, burped, and then cracked right down the center, spilling half-finished potion all over the table. William didn't even have words for how horrified he was.
"Which prince was this named after?" he demanded, stepping forward cautiously to look at the mangled remains of their first attempt. "Vlad the Impaler?"