The soldiers—at least the ones whose faces Randolph could see—did not look threatening. Their faces were calm and they were not speaking to the Slytherins. Each soldier was, however, standing with his feet shoulder’s-width apart, whilst holding his wand-arm in a position of readiness: upper arm at his side and vertical, lower arm horizontal, and wand pointed diagonally upwards. It was not a dangerous or threatening pose at all, Randolph thought; but if another person had his wand in his pocket or up his sleeve, this other person could not possibly draw his wand and point it at a soldier before the soldier would have his own wand already pointing back.