Stephen silently tapped his fingers against his leg as he waited, listening carefully. No rhymes, no songs, no sounds of things breaking. It sounded hopeful. Just to be on the safe side, he decided to give it another minute.
He was about to suggest a silent thumb war game when he heard a scream from what sounded like the floor below. Always a good sign that Peeves had moved on.
Poking his head out carefully, he grinned and said "All clear!"
The words had barely left his lips when the last of the water balloons smashed directly onto his head, drenching his entire head. Thankfully the rest of him was still behind the tapestry.
Once he recovered and pushed his wet hair out of his eyes, he saw the poltergeist disappearing down the hallway.
"Oh, that's really unfair," he said, mainly to himself as he stepped out into the hallway and shook his head like a dog, sending water droplets everywhere.