Alastor Moody

"Constant Vigilance!"

- Alastor Moody

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody was a former Auror who worked for the Order of the Phoenix.

Moody's dedication as an Auror fighting the Dark Arts cost him an eye, leg, and part of his nose. As a result, Moody was cautious - some might say paranoid - and refused to eat or drink anything which he himself had not prepared. The leg he lost was replaced by a wooden leg with a claw-foot. His missing eye was replaced with a peculiar magical eye which could see through walls, doors, clothes, Invisibility Cloaks, and the back of his own head (hence the nickname "Mad-Eye").

Events Surrounding the Triwizard Tournament
In Harry Potter's fourth year, Moody was appointed as Hogwarts' Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. However, before the school year could begin, Moody was attacked at his home and imprisoned in a magical trunk - a complex magical item with seven locked compartments - by Barty Crouch Jr, a Death Eater with delusions of grandeur. Crouch used a Polyjuice Potion to take on Moody's form in order to replace him at Hogwarts, which fooled staff and pupils alike. Moody's habit of drinking from his own hipflask allowed Crouch to take the Potion regularly without raising suspicion. Crouch did this in an effort to murder Harry.

Crouch-as-Moody worked incredibly hard to ensure Harry would make it to the final task of the Triwizard Tournament without being eliminated. After that fourth task, after Crouch had secured information from Harry that Lord Voldemort had succeeded in rising again to physical form, Crouch attempted to kill Harry, but was stopped by Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape. The professors waited patiently for the Polyjuice Potion to wear off, revealing Crouch's true form. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he admitted everything. They were then able to free the real Moody from the trunk.

Alastor Moody, the Man


"Moody" means "temperamental" or "sulky" and the members of the Order would agree Moody had his mind constantly on dark things. He was extremely adept in the use of Dark Detectors and other rare, magical items. Among these detectors were Foe-Glass, a large Sneakoscope, and a Secrecy Sensor. Moody posessed two Invisibility Cloaks, though he lent one to Sturgis Podmore, which was never returned.

Harry first meets the genuine Moody just prior to his fifth year at Hogwarts. Moody had joined the newly-reformed Order of the Phoenix. Moody was part of the Advance Guard that took Harry from Privet Drive to Grimmauld Place. He was never one to shy away from danger, rather, he almost seemed to revel in it.

He put special protections at Number 12,Grimmauld Place when Snape was believed to be a traitor.He was very protective of Harry, to his doom. Shortly before Harry's 17th birthday, Moody was murdered by Lord Voldemort when the Order of the Phoenix was moving Harry from Privet Drive and was ambushed. Mundungus Fletcher fled in terror via Disapparation at the sight of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, leaving Moody vulnerable to attack. Voldemort attacked Moody first, believing him to be the greatest threat. Moody was hit full on in the face by a curse of Voldemort's. His body was never recovered, however his magical eye was stolen by Dolores Umbridge and nailed to her office door at the Ministry of Magic to aid her in spying on her workers. Later, Harry was able infiltrate the Ministry with his Invisibility Cloak and retreive the eye. He later gave the eye a proper burial.

It is unclear whether Mad Eye was actually killed or not. It can be inferred, since the eye was stolen, but the matter of a missing body calls into doubt. Also, Mad-Eye is not among the people that Harry briefly brings back with the Resurrection Stone, even though Harry earlier mentioned him as one of the deceased friends he'd like to see if he had the stone. However, it is likely that, had he survived, Moody would have revealed himself by the time of the Battle of Hogwarts in order to take part in combat.

Dark Detectors and other items
Along with his magical eye, wooden leg, and wand Moody has many useful items in his possession. He had two Invisibility Cloaks, though he lent one to Sturgis Podmore, which was never returned. He also 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. He had many items known as Dark Detectors; among these detectors were a Foe-Glass, a large Sneakoscope, and a Secrecy Sensor. He also had a black traveling cloak, a long staff, and a silver drinking flask.

Behind the scenes
Moody was portrayed in the fourth and fifth films by Irish actor Brendan Gleeson, and was 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 and it is not electic blue eye, having a less mutilated face, including a full nose instead of a piece of it missing. Addtionally in the book Moody's electric eye replaced his right eye, in the film adaptation the magical eye replaced Moody's left eye.

He also has red hair rather than gray, and is somewhat overweight. His artificial leg in the films is made of metal rather than wood.

He also speaks with Gleason's natural Irish accent, although his nationality in the books is never said to be anything other than British.

In the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film, Moody has a specialised broom.

Alastor Moody Аластор Грюм