Alastor Moody

Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody was a Scottish, pure-blood wizard and arguably the most famous Auror of modern times. A pivotal member of the original and reconstituted Order of the Phoenix, Moody was a staunch opponent of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Renowned for his exceptional magical skill, bravery, and extreme paranoia, he dedicated his life to fighting the Dark Arts. His significance in the story is marked by his capture and year-long impersonation by Barty Crouch Jr., his mentorship of Nymphadora Tonks, and his ultimate sacrifice while protecting Harry Potter.

Alastor Moody was born into a proud, old pure-blood wizarding family. He excelled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and later joined the Ministry of Magic to become an Auror. During the First Wizarding War, Moody became a legend. He was an exceptionally effective dark wizard catcher, responsible for filling “half the cells in Azkaban”. His successes came at a great personal cost; he lost a leg, an eye, and a piece of his nose in combat against Dark Wizards. His experiences fostered a deep-seated paranoia and his famous mantra, “Constant vigilance!”. It was he who apprehended the Death Eater Igor Karkaroff and sent him to Azkaban.

In 1994, Albus Dumbledore invited Moody to come out of retirement to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. However, before the school term began, Moody was attacked and subdued at his home by Barty Crouch Jr. and Peter Pettigrew. Using Polyjuice Potion, Crouch Jr. assumed Moody's identity and took his place at Hogwarts, keeping the real Moody imprisoned within his own seven-locked magical trunk. Throughout the school year, the impostor manipulated events to ensure Harry Potter would win the Triwizard Tournament and be transported to Lord Voldemort at the Little Hangleton graveyard. After Harry's return, Crouch Jr.'s identity was exposed when the Polyjuice Potion wore off. Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, and Minerva McGonagall rescued the real, emaciated Alastor Moody from the trunk.

After his rescue, the real Moody rejoined the Order of the Phoenix and became one of its leaders. He was part of the Advance Guard that escorted Harry Potter from Number Four, Privet Drive to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in the summer of 1995. He showed Harry a photograph of the original Order of the Phoenix, providing context for the sacrifices made in the first war. Moody later fought bravely alongside other Order members against Death Eaters in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

Moody was murdered on 27 July, 1997, during the Battle of the Seven Potters, an operation he had devised to move Harry Potter from the Dursleys' home to safety. Paired with Mundungus Fletcher (disguised as Harry), Moody was attacked directly by Lord Voldemort. When Mundungus Fletcher panicked and Disapparated, a Killing Curse from Voldemort struck Moody squarely, and he fell from his broom high in the air. His body was never recovered. Later, Harry discovered that Moody's magical eye had been salvaged by Dolores Umbridge and affixed to her office door at the Ministry of Magic. Harry retrieved the eye and later buried it under an old tree to give the great Auror a proper, respectful resting place.

Alastor Moody was a man whose physical appearance was a testament to his dangerous career. His face was heavily scarred and described as looking like a chunk of gnarled wood. A large piece of his nose was missing. He had a gruff, growling voice. His most distinctive features were his prosthetics. In place of his missing eye, he wore a vivid, electric-blue magical eye that could rotate 360 degrees and see through solid objects, including wood, human skulls, and even Invisibility Cloaks. He walked with a pronounced limp due to a prosthetic wooden leg that terminated in a clawed foot. Moody's personality was defined by his extreme paranoia. He refused to eat or drink anything he had not prepared himself, carrying his own beverages in a personal hip flask. He was gruff, cantankerous, and trusted very few people. Beneath this harsh exterior, however, he was incredibly brave, fiercely loyal to the cause, and deeply protective of his allies, particularly Harry Potter and his protégée Nymphadora Tonks.

• Master Duelist: Moody was one of the most powerful and skilled duelists of his time, having survived countless battles and captured numerous Dark Wizards.
• Auror Skills: As a master Auror, he possessed supreme skills in tracking, concealment, and defensive magic. He was adept at recognizing and countering the Dark Arts.
• Non-verbal Magic: Like many powerful wizards, Moody was capable of casting spells non-verbally, as seen during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
• Dark Arts Knowledge: His knowledge of the Dark Arts was extensive, which ironically made his impostor an effective, if terrifying, Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who taught fourth-year students about the Unforgivable Curses.
• Patronus Charm: Moody was capable of casting a Patronus Charm, although its form is never described in the novels. It was powerful enough to act as a messenger for the Order of the Phoenix. (Pottermore suggests it was non-corporeal due to his paranoia).

• Magical Eye: Moody's signature object. This round, electric-blue eye allowed him to see through nearly any object or enchantment.
• Wooden Leg: A enchanted prosthetic leg with a clawed foot.
• Magical Trunk: A heavily enchanted trunk with seven locks. The seventh compartment was a magically expanded chamber used by Barty Crouch Jr. to imprison Moody for nearly a year.
• Foe-Glass: A magical mirror that shows the owner's enemies. The figures in the glass become clearer as the enemies draw nearer.
• Secrecy Sensor: A dark detector described as a “crooked, golden aerial” that vibrated when it detected concealment and lies.
• Hip Flask: A flask from which he exclusively drank, as a precaution against poison.
• Wand: The specific wood, core, and length of his wand are unknown.

• Albus Dumbledore: Moody was a long-time friend and one of Dumbledore's most trusted allies. Dumbledore respected Moody's skills and integrity immensely, choosing him to both protect Hogwarts and teach Harry.
• Nymphadora Tonks: Moody was a mentor to Nymphadora Tonks during her time as an Auror. He was gruffly affectionate and protective of her, often chiding her for her clumsiness.
• Harry Potter: Moody was fiercely protective of Harry, viewing him as central to the war effort. He led the mission to rescue Harry from the Dursleys and ultimately gave his life defending him.
• Mundungus Fletcher: Moody held Mundungus Fletcher in complete contempt for his cowardice and criminal activities. His distrust was tragically vindicated when Mundungus's cowardice directly led to Moody's death.
• Barty Crouch Jr.: His captor and impersonator. Moody had originally been the Auror who sent Crouch Jr. to Azkaban, creating a history that culminated in his own imprisonment.

• Alastor: The name is Greek (Ἀλάστωρ) for “avenger” or “persecutor.” In Greek mythology, Alastor was the personification of a blood feud or a spirit of vengeance, which perfectly suits an Auror who relentlessly hunted down Death Eaters.
• Moody: A direct English word meaning temperamental, sullen, or gloomy. This accurately reflects his famously paranoid and perpetually irritable disposition. His nickname, “Mad-Eye,” is a literal description of his swiveling, magical eye.

• In the film adaptations, Alastor Moody is portrayed by Irish actor Brendan Gleeson.
• In the film version of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, it is Bill Weasley who reports Moody's death, stating that Mundungus Fletcher saw Voldemort kill him. Harry does not retrieve the magical eye from Dolores Umbridge's door in the film.
• J.K. Rowling stated on her former website that Alastor Moody was from a pure-blood family (J.K. Rowling Official Site).
• According to Pottermore, Moody's paranoia was so severe that he was never able to produce a corporeal Patronus.