Alastor Moody
Alastor Moody | |
---|---|
Biographical information | |
Born |
Before 1961[1] |
Died | |
Blood status | |
Marital status |
Single |
Also known as |
Mad-Eye |
Physical information | |
Species | |
Gender |
Male |
Height |
6' 2" |
Hair colour |
Dark grey |
Eye colour |
One dark, one electric blue[3] |
Skin colour |
Light |
Family information | |
Family members | |
Magical characteristics | |
Wand | |
Affiliation | |
Occupation |
Auror (Retired) |
Loyalty |
“ | Mad-Eye, so tough, so brave, the consummate survivor ... | ” |
–Harry Potter, whilst denying Moody's death, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows |
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (d. 27 July, 1997) was a Scottish[2] wizard of pure-blood descent, considered to be the most famous Auror of modern time. He was also a pivotal member of the Order of the Phoenix during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. Moody served with distinction during the first conflict, gaining a considerable reputation, as well as losing an eye, leg, and part of his nose while fighting the Dark Arts. As a result, Moody became overly-cautious and paranoid about his security.
In 1994, he accepted Albus Dumbledore's offer to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, but was kidnapped by Barty Crouch Jr., who disguised himself as Moody. After he was rescued, the real Moody became a member of the second Order of the Phoenix. He fought in several battles of the war, including the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996 and the Battle of the Seven Potters in 1997, where he was murdered by Lord Voldemort.
His magical eye was later used by Dolores Umbridge to spy on her subordinates in the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, but was later retrieved by Harry Potter during the Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic in 1997, and was given a proper burial by Harry in the forest near where the 422nd Quidditch World Cup had been held three years earlier.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Early life (pre. 1960s)[edit | edit source]
Alastor was born into the pure-blood wizarding Moody family, a descendant of a long line of renowned Aurors in the employ of the Ministry of Magic. His tough and suspicious nature is probably a trait he inherited from at least one of his parents who would be likely to have been renowned Aurors themselves.
Moody was born in Scotland,[2] although the Ministry of Magic did not know this.
Moody purchased or inherited his wand at some point prior to his education in magic. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he would finish his education earning at least five N.E.W.T.s, with nothing under the Exceeds Expectations mark.[4] The House that he belonged to was also unknown to Ministry records.
First Wizarding War (1970-1981)[edit | edit source]
“ | Half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to him. | ” |
–Charlie Weasley discusses Moody's track record against the Dark Arts., Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) |
Moody, during his time as an Auror, served the Ministry of Magic and fought the Death Eaters under Voldemort's command. He was an important member of the Order of the Phoenix, serving under Albus Dumbledore, in the struggle to defeat the most infamous Dark Wizard of all time, and personally ensured half the cells in Azkaban were filled with fugitive Death Eaters. During the war and in efforts to round up Death Eaters after its conclusion, Aurors were granted the power to use the Unforgivable Curses; as such, Moody killed some of Voldemort's followers, including Evan Rosier, although he never killed if it could be avoided.
At some point during his life, Moody violently tore apart a birthday present, paranoid that it may be a cleverly disguised Basilisk egg. It turned out that it was only a carriage clock.[5]
It is more than likely that it was during the First Wizarding War and his time as an Auror that Moody lost his leg, and replaced it with a wooden prosthesis, and that he also lost his eye in that same period. At some point Moody retired from active service, though by this time he was considered the greatest Auror of all time. In addition, he took Nymphadora Tonks as his protégée.[5]
Between the wars (1981-1995)[edit | edit source]
- Harry Potter: "Professor Moody?"
- Moody: "I don't know so much about 'Professor'. Never got round to much teaching, did I?"
- — Harry Potter and Alastor Moody on his teaching career[src]
In 1994, Moody was convinced to come out of retirement by Albus Dumbledore and serve as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's latest Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.[5]
Kidnapping by Barty Crouch Jr.[edit | edit source]
“ | Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror. Ministry malcontent. And your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. | ” |
–Bartemius Crouch Jr. impersonating Moody in his first D.A.D.A. class, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film) |
Before the school year began, however, Moody was attacked in his home by Barty Crouch Jr. and Peter Pettigrew, at Voldemort's order, and was overpowered and imprisoned in his own magical trunk. This was done as part of Voldemort's plan to regain power. To this end, Barty Crouch Jr. used Polyjuice Potion to take on Moody's form to replace him at Hogwarts, successfully fooling staff and pupils alike. Barty Crouch Jr. drank Polyjuice Potion out of Moody's hipflask regularly, in imitation of the real Moody, and expressed many of Moody's normal eccentric habits. Doing this allowed him to impersonate Moody for almost the whole year without raising suspicion. All the while, Crouch did his part in Voldemort's plan.[5] Moody's life was spared due to Crouch needing his hair to create the Polyjuice Potion, and wanting to question Moody for his behaviour, patterns and such, so Crouch could successfully imitate him, all the while keeping Moody captive under the Imperius Curse.
Working hard and using all of his cunning, Crouch-as-Moody ensured that Harry Potter would get into the Triwizard Tournament and ascend to the Third Task. Upon doing so, Voldemort used Harry Potter to return to life in a body of his own with all its powers once again. When Crouch learned of this upon Harry's return, he tried to kill him, but Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape stopped him. The professors waited patiently for the Polyjuice Potion to wear off, revealing Crouch's true form. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he admitted everything and Moody was freed from his trunk. After recuperating in the hospital wing, Moody returned to health, but was much more paranoid for his safety than before; and his eye occasionally got stuck as a result of Crouch having worn it.[5]
Second Wizarding War (1995-1997)[edit | edit source]
In 1995, Moody joined the reformed Order of the Phoenix and was part of the Advance Guard that took Harry from 4 Privet Drive to the Order of the Phoenix's Headquarters in 12 Grimmauld Place.[6] He later showed up for the party Molly Weasley threw for Ron and Hermione to celebrate their becoming prefects, mentioning that Albus Dumbledore must have assumed Ron was good at resisting spells or he would not have put him in authority. He checked that something inside a writing case was indeed a boggart. Moody also showed Harry an old picture of the original Order of the Phoenix and described the members. He seemed to think it was very interesting, although Harry was a little disturbed.[6]
Battle of the Department of Mysteries[edit | edit source]
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley all went to the Ministry of Magic in 1996 in an attempt to rescue Sirius Black, whom they believed was being tortured by Lord Voldemort. This was actually a lure to get Harry Potter into the Department of Mysteries to retrieve a prophecy, and after discovering this, the members of Dumbledore's Army fought back against the Death Eaters and attempted to escape. After his friends were injured, Harry Potter was about to surrender the prophecy to Lucius Malfoy, who had been leading the group of Death Eaters, but then Sirius Black, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor Moody himself, all members of the Order of the Phoenix, arrived and the battle resumed. During the battle Moody duelled with Antonin Dolohov and was injured. Sirius Black was killed by his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange when she hit him with a spell that knocked him through the veil in the Death Chamber. Following this battle, Albus Dumbledore arrived and duelled Voldemort himself. Cornelius Fudge witnessed Voldemort fleeing the scene and was forced to finally admit the Dark Lord had returned.[6]
In 1997 Hogwarts was invaded by Death Eaters in an attempt to assassinate Albus Dumbledore, although they were once again opposed by several members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix. Severus Snape was believed to be a traitor after killing Dumbledore (although it had actually been on Dumbledore's own orders) and Moody personally put extra protections on 12 Grimmauld Place to prevent Snape and the other Death Eaters from entering.[7]
Battle of the Seven Potters and death[edit | edit source]
“ | The one thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry, they think you're not leaving until the thirtieth. However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with so we can't just rely on him getting the date wrong. | ” |
–Alastor Moody briefing Harry before the battle., Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows |
As it turned out, Moody's over-protectiveness of Harry would be his doom. Shortly before Harry's seventeenth birthday, Moody and a team from the Order of the Phoenix tried to move Harry away from 4 Privet Drive to The Burrow, using broomsticks, Thestrals and a flying motorcycle to reach a network of carefully-placed Portkeys, when the original plan proved useless following Pius Thicknesse's subversion. Moody was partnered with Mundungus Fletcher.[7]
The team was ambushed by Death Eaters on take-off. Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour witnessed and reported what had happened: Moody and Fletcher were heading north, close by Bill and Fleur, after the Order members scattered. Voldemort, using his ability to fly, went straight for them as he believed Harry would be flying with the most skilled witch or wizard in the Guard, which was Alastor Moody. Fletcher panicked, crying out, and Moody tried to stop him, but Mundungus disapparated, leaving Moody vulnerable to attack. Voldemort fired a Killing Curse the second that Mundungus disapparated, and hit Moody in the face. Moody fell backwards off his broom and down to the ground, and even if he survived the curse (which is almost impossible), Moody fell about one thousand feet with no wand, making his death a certainty. Because half a dozen Death Eaters were on their own tail, Bill and Fleur could do nothing.[7]
Post-mortem[edit | edit source]
“ | Harry could not quite comprehend it. Mad-Eye dead; it could not be...Mad-Eye, so tough, so brave, the consummate survivor. | ” |
–Harry's reaction on Moody's death, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows |
The Ministry, meanwhile, did not report Mad-Eye's death, as Rufus Scrimgeour did not want to admit the truth about Voldemort's power, or the recent Azkaban breakout (which had resulted in the large numbers of Death Eaters attacking the Order).[7]
Moody's broken body was quickly retrieved by the Death Eaters, who were prompt in tidying up after themselves. Bill and Remus Lupin left to recover it but failed, as it had been difficult to know where Moody might have fallen, given the darkness and the confusion of the battle. As a result, the Order could not hold a funeral for Moody. Ron Weasley held out hope for Moody's survival, but Harry and Hermione promptly pointed out the flaws in his logic, and so all, in the end, accepted the truth, but the shock and sadness were great for all.[7]
Mad-Eye's magical eye was salvaged by the Death Eaters and then, after the fall of the Ministry, given to the Muggle-Born Registration Commission's Head, Dolores Umbridge, possibly as a gift. It was set in the wood of her office door and used to aid her in spying on her workers. When Harry, Hermione and Ron infiltrated the Ministry to find the locket Horcrux, Harry discovered the eye and, disgusted by how it was being used, stole it. Doing so, however, raised the alarm. After escaping, Harry, early the next morning and before the other two were awake, left the tent they were staying in to search the woods around them for the oldest, most gnarled and resilient-looking tree he could find. Then in its shadow, he buried the eye and marked the spot by gouging a small cross in the bark with his wand. While it wasn't much, Mad-Eye Moody was given a proper burial.[7]
Physical description[edit | edit source]
Moody was described as having a growling voice and looking as though his face was roughly carved from wood. Due to injuries from his long career as an Auror, it was covered with scars, and a chunk of his nose was missing. He had dark grey, grizzled hair. He also had a wooden leg.
His eyes, however, were his most shocking feature: one was small and dark while the other was a vivid, electric blue magical eye and moved around independently from his normal eye, giving him the nickname of "Mad-Eye Moody". This eye could see through objects, Invisibility cloaks and the back of his own head.[5]
Personality and traits[edit | edit source]
Alastor Moody was tough, brave and a consummate survivor. He had a gruff, surly disposition and frequently bellowed his mantra of “constant vigilance” at people in order to keep them on their guard. Having encountered many dangerous experiences throughout his career, he was hyper-paranoid and thought of by many as being delusional. He prepared all of his own meals and drank only from his personal flask in case someone was trying to poison him. He was also very distrusting of most people, being very careful who he relied facts about his personal life to, keeping what he considered to be important information back even from his colleagues and superiors in the Ministry of Magic, such as his birthplace and which house he was sorted into during his attendance at Hogwarts, the latter probably with keeping in mind that the house could identify some of his more essential personality traits, making it easier for the enemy to find weaknesses in his psychological defences. He had a well-known habit of being set off by sudden noises or movements in his presence and even attacked a witch who shouted “boo” at him on April Fool’s Day. He even destroyed a birthday present carriage clock believing it as a cleverly disguised basilisk egg.
Moody was a great wizard in his day and the most effective Dark Wizard hunter that the Ministry of Magic ever had. Nearly half of the cells in Azkaban were full because of Moody. He was also a staunchly loyal friend and supporter of Albus Dumbledore and one of the Order of the Phoenix's most powerful and reliable allies.
Magical abilities and skills[edit | edit source]
- Magical Mastery: Alastor Moody was widely known as one of the greatest wizards of modern times, both for his work as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and as an Auror for the British Ministry of Magic, as well as his extraordinary skill in many disciplines of magic. He was an expert in at least Charms, Transfiguration, Defensive Magic, Herbology and Potions. This speaks for his versatility and his extensive expertise in many magical disciplines, which is a very big accomplishment for a sorcerer. While most are skilled in different areas of magic but are best at one specific kind, Moody reportedly had fully mastered several .
- Auror skills: Alastor Moody was considered by many to be the most powerful Auror of all time. He was a master of both offensive and defensive magic, the hallmarks of the Auror's trade, which he employed so effectively that he personally ensured that half the cells of Azkaban were filled with Death Eaters. He was also capable of placing powerful protective enchantments and curses on the headquarters of the Order as a means of warding off Death Eaters, wards of such strength that not even Lord Voldemort could penetrate them.
- Duelling: In the midst of the First Wizarding War and in its aftermath, Moody fought and defeated dozens of skilled Death Eaters. Moody's ability to switch from offence to defence made him a formidable opponent. He was also known to cast spells with his staff which gave him an extra advantage in case he was deprived of his wand. Alastor often restrained himself from inflicting fatal injuries and tried to take his opponents alive, which may have resulted in his permanent physical injuries: mutilated face, loss of an eye, and loss of a leg. After years of retirement it is implied that Moody's dueling skills may have grown rusty. Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jr. were able to subdue Moody at his home, despite his owning several Dark Detectors that could warn him of danger, and they beat him before Ministry agents could arrive on the scene. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries he fought two at once and defeated one of his opponents with a single nonverbal spell. However, he was put out of action by Antonin Dolohov during the same battle. Despite this, Lord Voldemort himself considered Moody to be the most skilled Auror during the Battle of the Seven Potters and the one most likely guarding the real Harry Potter. He targeted him first and killed him before pursuing Kingsley Shacklebolt. It should be noted that the Killing Curse Voldemort cast only hit Moody because Mundungus Fletcher, the intended target, disapparated.
- Charms: Moody was capable of performing the Disillusionment Charm, a charm which apparently required a high degree of skill, with few being able to master it. He did not require an Invisibility cloak to make himself and Harry Potter invisible when acting as a member of the Advance Guard.
- Nonverbal magic: Moody could cast the Disillusionment Charm, summon brooms and duel Death Eaters without saying incantations.
- Flying: Moody flew his broomstick while acting as a member of the Advanced Guard and fought in midair during the Battle of the Seven Potters. However Moody was not skilled (or fortunate) enough to escape Lord Voldemort and was blasted off his broom by a Killing Curse.
Possessions[edit | edit source]
- Magical Eye: Moody's most notable possession was his magical eye, which is electric blue and earned him his nickname "Mad-Eye". This eye allows him to see through anything, such as wood, invisibility cloaks (including Harry Potter's invisibility cloak which was one of the Deathly Hallows) and the back of his head. Ever since it was worn by Barty Crouch the eye tends to get stuck in its socket.
- Wand: Like all wizards and witches, Moody carried a wand. If he was ever deprived of his wand he would use his staff instead.
- Invisibility cloaks: Moody possessed two invisibility cloaks, though he lent one to Sturgis Podmore, which was never returned. Though it is unconfirmed it is possible that Moody's travelling cloak was one of his invisibility cloaks.
- Magical trunk: Moody possesses a magical trunk, with seven compartments (one in which Barty Couch Jr hid the real Moody during his year at Hogwarts), along with the keys for each compartment.
- Foe-Glass: Alastor's Foe-Glass shows the images of foes when they approach him.
- Sneakoscope: Moody's Sneakoscope is large, and he disabled it because it keeps whistling for too many students are lying around it.
- Secrecy Sensor: Moody's Secrecy sensor would detect secrets and lies.
- Walking Stick: Moody's walking stick has magical capabilities and if he was ever deprived of his wand he would use his staff instead.
- Silver Drinking Flask: Moody's paranoia leads to him believing an enemy may be poisoning his food behind his back, so he drinks from his personal flask to prevent that from happening. Barty Crouch Jr. filled it with Polyjuice Potion during his year in disguise and was able to drink without arousing suspicion.
- Broomstick: Moody flew his broomstick while acting as a member of the Advanced Guard and fighting during the Battle of the Seven Potters.
- Wooden Leg: At some point during his career, Alastor lost one of his legs and therefore relied on a wooden leg to replace his lost one.
Relationships[edit | edit source]
Nymphadora Tonks[edit | edit source]
Moody was Nymphadora Tonks's mentor during her time training as an Auror, and later during their time together in the Order of the Phoenix. Despite Moody's surly attitude and behaviour, Tonks was always at ease with him, making jokey comments at his opinions and lectures, such as the one he gave Harry on elementary wand-safety the night the Advance Guard escorted him to Grimmauld Place. For his part, Moody was openly fond of Tonks; Harry Potter once noted that she had been his favourite during their time together at the Ministry. When Tonks was injured during her duel with Bellatrix Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries, Mad-Eye crawled his way to her side in an effort to help her regain consciousness, despite having been injured himself by Antonin Dolohov. Tonks was devastated by Moody's death in 1997.
Albus Dumbledore[edit | edit source]
“ | He's not Alastor Moody. The real Alastor Moody would never remove you away from me, after what had happened... | ” |
–Albus Dumbledore to Harry Potter about Barty Crouch Jr.'s impersonation of Alastor Moody, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
Alastor Moody was one of Albus Dumbledore's closest friends. They fought alongside each other in many battles, but Moody teased Dumbledore for hating Dementors. In 1994, Moody accepted Dumbledore's offer to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts for a year, but was captured and imprisoned by Barty Crouch Jr., who impersonated him during the 1994–1995 school year, in order to send Harry Potter to Lord Voldemort. Dumbledore was able to deduce the impersonation once Crouch lost his composure from over-excitement. Dumbledore and Moody fought together in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Moody was the next member of the order to die after Dumbledore.
Harry Potter[edit | edit source]
“ | Don't put your wand into your back pocket! Better wizards then you have lost buttocks from it! | ” |
–Alastor Moody to Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
Harry originally met Moody a year after he was impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr., when Moody came to 4 Privet Drive with other Order of the Phoenix members known as the Advance Guard. Upon first meeting the real Moody, Harry thought that Moody was a little mad and overprotective, as he suspected everybody, and didn't even let Harry carry his wand in his back pocket, saying that better wizards than him had lost buttocks.
When Moody was killed by Lord Voldemort during the Battle of the Seven Potters, Harry was devastated by his death, as were the other Order of the Phoenix members. Later, when Harry, Ron and Hermione went to the Ministry of Magic in order to steal Salazar Slytherin's Locket from Dolores Umbridge, Harry found Moody's magical eye in Umbridge's office door and buried it under a tree and marked the spot by gouging a small cross in the bark with his wand. While it wasn't much, Harry felt that Mad-Eye Moody was given a proper burial and would have appreciated this act of kindness.
Weasley family[edit | edit source]
Alastor Moody was always on good terms with the Weasley family. He was friendly with Arthur Weasley, whom he had met through the Ministry of Magic. Arthur had a high opinion of Moody and thought he was a little mad, but he was a great wizard and the most famous Auror of his time. Arthur and Moody fought together in the Battle of the Seven Potters. When Moody was killed by Lord Voldemort, Arthur was very sad.
Moody also seemed to be friendly with Molly Weasley. Although they didn't have a close relationship, Molly knew about him and knew Moody was a great Auror. It could well be that, as a member of the original Order of the Phoenix, he had at least known her brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, reasonably well, whether or not they were truly friends. Fred and George and Ron also thought Moody was a great wizard and thought he taught them great magic. However, in fact, it wasn't Moody, but Barty Crouch Jr., who was disguised as Moody. It is also possible that it was the kind of magic that the real Moody would teach.
He was also friendly with Bill, Charlie and Ginny. After he was killed, the Weasley family was devastated. Bill, along with Remus Lupin, went to search for Moody's dead body.
Order of the Phoenix members[edit | edit source]
Moody was a member of the Order of the Phoenix in both wizarding wars. He was friendly with his most fellow members of the orders, despite his overprotective behaviour and his madness. Except Nymphadora Tonks, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Weasley family, Moody was also a friend of Remus Lupin. Lupin and Moody met each other during the First Wizarding War, but they also fought in several battles of the Second Wizarding War. When Moody was killed, Remus was devastated and attempted to search for his dead body.
Moody was also a friend of Kingsley Shacklebolt. They fought together at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and the Battle of the Seven Potters. Kingsley was also devastated by Moody's death and became the leader of the order, after the battle.
He was also friendly with Hermione Granger. Hermione and Moody fought at several battles together, but, when Moody was killed, Hermione was devastated.
He might have been also a friend of Sirius Black, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, Sturgis Podmore, Elphias Doge, Mundungus Fletcher, Rubeus Hagrid, Arabella Figg and Fleur Delacour. Sirius was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, after he, Moody and three other attempted to battle the Death Eaters, in order to save Harry and his friends.
Vance was killed by Death Eaters in 1996, while Podmore was imprisoned in Azkaban for attempting to open the door of the Department of Mysteries. Moody didn't know it and was angry with Podmore, because he had taken his Invisibility Cloak.
Mundungus was paired along with Moody during the Battle of the Seven Potters. When Voldemort attacked them, Mundungus was frightened and disappeared, abandoning Moody, who was killed by Voldemort.
Some of the members of the order were killed during the First Wizarding War. These included Marlene McKinnon, who was killed along with her family, Caradoc Dearborn, who was murdered by Death Eaters and his body was never found, Benjy Fenwick, who was killed and mutilated, Edgar Bones, who was killed along with his family, Dorcas Meadowes, who was murdered by Voldemort himself, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, who were killed by five Death Eaters, and James and Lily Potter, who were killed by Voldemort. However, Alice and Frank Longbottom were tortured into insanity by four Death Eaters; Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr. and Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. Harry Potter thought Moody found all that a little interesting, but that didn't mean Moody wasn't shocked.
The most members of the Order of the Phoenix were devastated after Moody was killed, and the most of them were killed, too, until the end of the Second Wizarding War.
Death Eaters and enemies[edit | edit source]
During his years as an Auror, Moody captured and defeated many Death Eaters, such as Evan Rosier. According to Sirius Black, Moody was very cruel with the Death Eaters he fought against, but he never killed if he could avoid it.
Moody captured Karkaroff after Voldemort's downfall. He also participated in Karkaroff's trial and told Dumbledore that they should take information from Karkaroff and then send him back to the Dementors. However, Dumbledore refused. Moody and Karkaroff met again in 1994, during the Triwizard Tournament. In fact, he wasn't the real Alastor Moody, but Barty Crouch Jr, a Death Eater. After Harry Potter was chosen for the Tournament, Karkaroff got very angry, because Hogwarts had two champions. When Barty (disguised as Moody) told him how the Goblet of Fire might have been fooled, Karkaroff told him that he thought like a Dark Wizard. Barty answered that it was his job to capture Dark Wizards and perhaps he remembered, meaning that Moody and Karkaroff knew each other well. It is unknown how the real Moody reacted when he learned that Karkaroff was killed by Death Eaters.
Moody also held a grudge against Barty Crouch Jr. for abducting, imprisoning and impersonating him, and was furious that Crouch ruined his magical eye by wearing it, causing it to get stuck from time to time.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
- "Alastor" is Ancient Greek for "he who does not forget", thus (1) "avenger", "persecutor", "tormenter", (2) "one who suffers from divine vengeance". It gives him, therefore, certain similarities to Alecto Carrow, whose name is that of the first of the Furies, or Erinyes, and means "implacable anger".[8][9] It is similar to "Alastair", which is the Scottish form of Alexander, which means "protector of mankind".
- Moody means temperamental or tending to quickly change moods.
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
- Moody is portrayed by Irish actor Brendan Gleeson in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix and Deathly Hallows: Part 1. His son Domhnall Gleeson played Bill Weasley in Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2.
- In the films, Moody is portrayed considerably different from his literary counterpart. Differences between his description in the book and his portrayal on film include his magical eye being held in place by an eye patch-like strap and brass ring, having a less mutilated face, including a full nose instead of a piece of it missing.
- In the film adaptation, the magical eye replaced Moody's left eye. The illustration in the Goblet of Fire shows Moody's magical eye replaced his right eye and his nose is intact (see drawing under physical description above). The back cover illustration of the Order of the Phoenix also shows it in the right eye socket, while the bridge of his nose looks damaged. There's no written description of which leg and which eye were lost.
- In the films he has blonde hair rather than grey and is somewhat overweight. His artificial leg in the films is made of metal rather than wood.
- He also speaks with Gleeson's natural Irish accent, although his nationality appears to be Scottish, seeing as he wears a kilt in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire during the Yule Ball. His nationality is never identified in the book, although Moody is a surname common in both Ireland and Scotland, while Alastor (sometimes spelt Alistair) is a Scottish first name.
- In the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, Moody has a specialised broom and his wand is either concealed in his walking stick or is the stick itself.
- Also in the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries scene, Alastor Moody can be momentarily glimpsed in the background duelling two Death Eaters wielding not only his staff in his right hand, but what appears to be a wand in his left.[10](Exact time in reference 1:53-1:57)
- The Noble Collection also made a replica of Alastor's wand, as seen in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
- A keychain replica of Moody's magical eye was also released.
- In the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, it is Sirius, not Moody, who gives Harry the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix members.
- Despite the phrase "Constant Vigilance!" being Moody's catchphrase, he never used it in the series. Only Barty Jr., when impersonating Moody, used it. Also, in the film adaptions, the catchphrase is omitted altogether, by both the real and the fake Moody, aside from one use of it that was edited out of the final film.
- The scenes of Moody's magical eye being taken and used by Dolores Umbridge, as well as Harry recovering and properly burying it have been omitted from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (footage of this may have been filmed, however, seeing as it is seen on Umbridge's door with no mention of it being used.)
- According to his file, Alastor Moody was 6' 2" and weighed 183 lbs. Whether this weight accounted for his prosthetic leg (which, in the films where the file is seen, is made of metal and thus would presumably be significantly heavy) or not is unknown.
- He says in Deathly Hallows Part 1 that Polyjuice Potion "tastes like goblin piss" before the Battle of the Seven Potters.
- To this one of the Weasley twins says "Have a lot of experiences with that, do you Mad-Eye?", either referring to their 6th year and well aware that this was not the real Moody or joking that he knew what "goblin piss" tasted like.
- Moody may be the only wizard to know a Boggart's true form: in fact, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, he was asked by Molly Weasley to check if there was one inside a drawer. Since he used his magical eye, which can see through objects, it is possible the Boggart did not realize his presence and thus did not transform.
- On Pottermore, in the Moment "Grimmauld Place", the image of Alastor Moody is incorrectly identified in the page source as "dumbledore.png", though this filename could possibly refer to the fact that Moody is giving Harry a note from Albus Dumbledore in this scene.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game) Template:Comment
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) Template:Mention
- LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World Template:Comment
- LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World Template:Comment
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Harry Potter LEGO Sets
- The Making of Harry Potter
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ As Moody was noted to have been an Auror already in the First Wizarding War, which ended in 1981, he must have been at least twenty years old graduated from Hogwarts at age 17 and Auror training takes a further three years, as revealed in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 29 (Careers Advice)].
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 As Moody wore a kilt to the Yule Ball, and his name is distinctly Scottish, it is more than likely that Moody himself was Scottish.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Chapter 12 (The Triwizard Tournament)
- ↑ In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 29 (Careers Advice), Minerva McGonagall establishes that Aurors require a minimum of five N.E.W.T.s, and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' in order to be elegible for training to join the Auror Office.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Cite error: Invalid
<ref>
tag; name "OOTP" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ http://www.theninemuses.net/hp/4.html
- ↑ Short version of Liddell and Scott's Greek to English Lexicon, publ. Oxford at the Clarendon Press
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3DPUywYTt0
- Pages with reference errors
- 1997 deaths
- Amputees
- Aurors
- Battle of the Department of Mysteries participants
- Battle of the Seven Potters participants
- British individuals
- Council of Magical Law members
- Deaths by Killing Curse
- Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors at Hogwarts
- First Order of the Phoenix
- Imperius Curse victims
- Impersonated individuals
- Killed by Lord Voldemort
- Males
- Passwords
- Pure-bloods
- Return of Lord Voldemort participants
- Second Order of the Phoenix
- Second War casualties
- Unmarried individuals
- Wizards
- Hogwarts students
- Hogwarts students of unknown House
- Professors
- Hogwarts employees
- Advance Guard
- Triwizard Tournament