Alastor Moody
Origin: Harry Potter
Hair:
Eyes:
Species: Human
Birthday:
Residence: David Street 7 (16-65)
Occupation:
Affiliation:
Talent: Magic
Medical notes: Minus one leg, one eye (uses hightech replacements with extra functions); some paranoia
Sports/Instruments:
Languages:
Import Date: 5 (+)
Pets:
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody (d. 27 July 1997)[12] was a pure-blood[4] wizard, considered to be the most famous Auror of all time.[11] He was 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 reputation as a skilful battler against the Dark Arts and sacrificing an eye, a leg, and part of his nose during the conflict.[13]
As an Auror, he played a role in the imprisonment of many of the inhabitants of Azkaban. According to Ron Weasley "half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him".[14] This activity led to his gaining many enemies and resulted in his becoming overly-cautious and paranoid about his security later in life.[11]
In 1994, he agreed to Albus Dumbledore's request to become the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts;[11] however, he was kidnapped just prior to taking up the position by Barty Crouch Jnr, who subsequently disguised himself as Moody as part of a plan to kidnap Harry Potter on the instructions of Lord Voldemort.[15]
Following his rescue from Barty Crouch Jnr, Moody joined the second Order of the Phoenix and fought in a number of the Second Wizarding War's battles, including the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996[16] and the Battle of the Seven Potters in 1997,[12] dying during the latter.[2]
His magical eye was later used by Dolores Umbridge to spy on her subordinates in the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. It was later retrieved by Harry Potter when he infiltrated the Ministry of Magic in 1997,[17] and was given a proper burial by Harry in the forest close to the location where the 422nd Quidditch World Cup had been held three years prior.[18]
Alastor Moody was born into the pure-blood Moody family. The precise date of his birth is unknown.[4] His father and mother were both Aurors,[8] as were many of his ancestors - the Moody family gained a reputation for producing many "renowned Aurors."[4]
Moody bought or inherited his wand at some point before his formal magical education began. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but his house is unrecorded in Ministry records.[4] He was known to be an excellent student however, gaining at least an 'Exceeds Expectations' mark in five N.E.W.T. subjects.[19]
He eventually became an Auror,[11] and would have had three years of training like every other Auror.[6]
Moody, during his time as an Auror, served the Ministry of Magic, fighting Death Eaters under Lord Voldemort's command. He was a key member of the Order of the Phoenix, led by Albus Dumbledore, in the struggle to defeat Voldemort, and his efforts were said to have led to half the cells in Azkaban being populated by Death Eaters he captured.
As the war continued, and the situation grew more fraught, the Ministry of Magic authorised their Aurors to use Unforgivable Curses against Death Eaters, a practice which continued for a time after Voldemort's fall from power. Moody was known to have killed a number of Voldemort's followers, including Evan Rosier in 1980 and possibly Wilkes around the same time.[20] However, he did not kill if not necessary and having spent six months tracking Igor Karkaroff managed to capture him alive around the same time.[13]
It is believed that it was his activities during the First Wizarding War and his time as an Auror that led to Moody losing a leg (replaced by a wooden prosthesis). His work also led to significant facial scarring, including losing a piece of his nose in his fight with Rosier.[13]
Igor Karkaroff was sent to Azkaban and held there until he offered to give up the names of a number of his fellow Death Eaters in exchange for a lighter sentence. Moody was present at Karkaroff's trial held sometime after Voldermort's fall on 31 October 1981, where he made his dislike of the defector very clear. The former Death Eater offered in vain the names of Antonin Dolohov, Evan Rosier, Travers, Mulciber, and Severus Snape, all of whom seemed to have already either been killed, captured, or defected.
However, he successfully named Augustus Rookwood, an Unspeakable, and a double-agent spying on the Ministry for Voldemort. This was news to the Ministry, but Karkaroff was sent back to Azkaban, pending a review into Rookwood's case; when Karkaroff's allegations proved true, he was released, and went on to take the position of Headmaster of Durmstrang Institute.[13]
Moody likely continued hunting down straggler Death Eaters. In the years after the war, he had some kind of battle that made him lose his left eye, and it was replaced with a magic prosthetic.[13] Moody later wrote a report about the incident, detailing how he lost his left eye and managed to defeat his foes despite his physical impairment.[21] By the late 1980s,[22] Moody had retired from active Auror service.[23] Later, he took Nymphadora Tonks under his wing and helped in her Auror training.[6]
After the summer holidays, Moody and Jacob's sibling met up at Hog's Head Inn, where Moody revealed more information about R, including Patricia Rakepick's in it and the group's goal to locate the final Cursed Vault.[24] Later, Moody heard about the student's plan to sneak into the Ministry of Magic with an Invisibility Cloak to get to Rakepick's artefacts, and went after them to stop them. Moody found Jacob's sibling in Hog's Head Inn under an Invisibility Cloak, and informed them that it would not be enough to fool the Ministry. Moody told Jacob's sibling to prepare to fight for their life.[25]
During the 1990–1991 school year he met with Jacob's sibling again when the student, and Nymphadora Tonks, were assigned to him during their participation in the Ministry of Magic student programme, a Ministry-sponsored programme that allowed seventh-year Hogwarts students to experience various careers first-hand. During their time with the Auror Office, the students helped Moody track down a rogue alchemist whose fake panacea gave several victims boils.[26]
In mid-1994, Albus Dumbledore convinced Moody to come out of retirement and serve as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's latest Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Around this time, Moody violently tore apart a birthday present paranoid that it may be a cleverly disguised Basilisk egg; it turned out only to be a carriage clock.[27]
Before the school year began, however, Moody was attacked in his home by Barty Crouch Jnr and Peter Pettigrew, at Voldemort's order. Moody proved more difficult to overcome than initially thought, and put up a significant fight which alerted his Muggle neighbours, but was overpowered and imprisoned in his own magical trunk. This was done as part of Voldemort's plan to regain power.[15]
To this end, Crouch used Polyjuice Potion to take on Moody's form to replace him at Hogwarts, successfully fooling staff and pupils alike. He imitated many of Moody's normal habits, including regularly drinking Polyjuice Potion out of Moody's hip flask. Doing this allowed him to impersonate Moody for almost the whole year without raising suspicion.[15]
All the while, Crouch did his part in Voldemort's plan. 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.[15]
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 murder 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.[15] After recuperating in the Hospital Wing, Moody returned to health in time to sit at the staff table for the End-of-Term Feast as he was the designated DADA teacher, though he hadn't actually taught many (if any) classes due to his unfortunate predicament.[28] In his own opinion, Moody certainly didn't consider himself a "professor," because of his lack of actual teaching.[6]
Though he physically recovered completely from his ordeal, he was (if possible) even more paranoid for his safety than before.[28] In the aftermath, his eye occasionally got stuck in mid rotation as a result of Crouch having worn it, necessitating regular cleaning.[6]
In 1995, Moody joined the reformed Order of the Phoenix. He 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. While in 4 Privet Drive he remarked that his magical eye had developed a tendency to stick, as a result of Barty Crouch having worn it for a year.[6] He later showed up for the party Molly Weasley threw for Ron and Hermione to celebrate their becoming prefects. He mentioned that Albus Dumbledore must have assumed Ron was good at resisting spells or he would not have put him in authority. He, along with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, checked that something inside a writing case in a spare room 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.[29]
Later on in the summer Moody was one of the guards that was tasked with escorting Harry Potter to the Hogwarts Express along with Tonks in order to ensure Harry's safety, as Lord Voldemort had returned to power.[6]
During the Christmas of 1995, Moody along with Tonks accompanied Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries to visit Arthur Weasley, who had been attacked by Lord Voldemort's snake, Nagini.[30]
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, who 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.[16]
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.[16] 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.[31]
After having recovered after the battle, Moody, Tonks and Lupin came to King's Cross Station to tell the Dursleys to start treating Harry with respect at their home. When an intimidated Vernon Dursley asked if Moody was threatening him, Moody showed him his magical eye, which frightened Vernon very much.[32]
In June 1997 Hogwarts was invaded by Death Eaters in an attempt to assassinate Albus Dumbledore,[33] although they were once again opposed by several members of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix.[34] Severus Snape was believed to be a traitor after killing Dumbledore[35] (although it had actually been on Dumbledore's own orders)[36] and Moody personally put extra protections on 12 Grimmauld Place to prevent Snape and the other Death Eaters from entering.[37]
Moody also attended Dumbledore's funeral along with several other members of the Order of the Phoenix, various Hogwarts Students, and other employees of the Ministry as well. After the funeral, he became the new leader of the Order of the Phoenix.[38]
As it turned out, Moody's over-protectiveness of Harry Potter would be his doom. Shortly before Harry's seventeenth birthday, Moody and a team of seven Order of the Phoenix members 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 a reluctant Mundungus Fletcher who didn't want to participate in the move out of fear.[12]
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.[12] 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.[2]
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).[39]
Moody's broken body was quickly retrieved by the Death Eaters, who were prompt in tidying up after themselves. Bill Weasley 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, although they did hold a brief toast for him once they were all safely at The Burrow. 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 everyone.[39]
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.[17] 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.[18] As a result of his influence, the members of the Order seemingly adopted Moody's paranoia-based caution, as Lupin asked Harry a security question after they made it to The Burrow,[2] and Harry later did the same on Lupin in 12 Grimmauld Place.[40]
After the final defeat of Voldemort, Harry followed in Mad-Eye's footsteps by becoming an Auror,[41] and sometime after becoming the Head of the department in 2007,[42] ensured that a long line of successive Dark wizard catchers at the Ministry got to benefit from Moody's example by including assignments inspired by the life and ways of Mad-Eye on the Auror recruitment programme. This included a series of participatory training exercises that required Aurors in training to be on their feet and continously defend themselves for over an hour aimed at increasing the amount of damage they would be able to withstand in combat, a lesson on his myriad career accomplishment and by then famous mantra,[43] By the 2008–2009 school year, a portrait of him had also been mounted on the wall at the Grand Staircase at Hogwarts in commemoration of the fallen warrior, hung on high alongside those of hundreds other distinguished alumni of the school.[44]
Physical description
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 that was described as having a clawed foot.
His eyes, however, were described as his most shocking feature: one was small and dark while the other was a vivid, electric blue magical eye that moved around independently from his normal eye, giving him the nickname of "Mad-Eye Moody", or simply "Mad-Eye". This eye could see through objects, Invisibility Cloaks and the back of his own head.
Personality and traits
Alastor Moody was tough, brave and a consummate survivor, as well as an excellent fighter. He had a gruff, surly disposition. Having encountered many dangerous experiences throughout his career, he was hyper-paranoid and thought of by many as being delusional.[11][27]
Moody prepared all of his own meals and drank only from his personal flask in case someone tried to poison him.[15] He was also very distrusting of most people, being very careful of whom he relayed facts about his personal life to. He kept 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.
Despite his paranoia, Moody was a brave individual. He never hesitated to go up against powerful dark wizards, including Lord Voldemort himself. Indeed his plan for getting Harry to safety involved using himself as a decoy knowing that Voldemort would likely go after him. This demonstrates both confidence in his own skill and a willingness to protect the rest of the Order members from Voldemort.[12] It's likely that he knew that he could easily be killed during this encounter suggesting that he didn't fear death. Indeed he seemed to see being killed in battle as something to be proud of, as shown by his proud descriptions of the deaths of members of the previous Order of the Phoenix.
At the same time, he was far from being devoid of attachment towards his allies and comrades: He was visibly saddened by the insanity of Alice and Frank Longbottom, noting how being dead would have be better than having to live the rest of their lives insane, and openly acknowledged he was never able to find it easy to get over the loss of a comrade and only by turning the sadness he felt into motivation to get justice was he able to move on, as seen by his expressing sympathy towards Jacob's sibling after they lost Rowan Khanna and even acknowledging he should have trained them well enough.
He also 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 Fools' Day. He even destroyed a birthday present carriage clock, believing it was a cleverly disguised basilisk egg,[27] and was described in a Daily Prophet article as having left the Ministry when deemed "Unable to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder."[23] This only intensified after he was freed from nine months of being imprisoned inside his own trunk.[15]
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.[11][13] He had the ability to think like a Dark wizard, which helped him track so many down. This also allowed him to outwit Voldemort during the Battle of the Seven Potters where he accurately predicted that Voldemort would believe Harry to be guarded by the most powerful members.[12] 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.[6][38] He despised those who practised the Dark Arts, labelling such people as "filth", and relished the idea of Dark wizards being left at the mercy of the Dementors.[13]
Magical abilities and skills
Alastor Moody was said to be the most skilled Auror in the British Ministry of Magic. Despite his skills being somewhat diminished by the Second Wizarding War, he was still a highly valued and respected member of the Order of the Phoenix. Even Lord Voldemort acknowledged Moody as one of the most powerful members of the Order following Dumbledore's death.
Magical mastery: As a Hogwarts student, Moody had excelled in his studies, and developed an extraordinary skill in many disciplines of magic, qualifying for Auror training at the British Ministry of Magic. This speaks for his versatility and his extensive expertise in many magical disciplines, which is a very big accomplishment for a sorcerer. After all, while most wizards are skilled in different areas of magic, but are best at one specific kind, Moody reportedly had fully mastered several. Ultimately, through his work as both an Auror and an Order of the Phoenix member, Moody became widely known as one of the greatest wizards of modern times.
Auror skills: Alastor Moody completed the Concealment and Disguise, as well as the Stealth and Tracking portions of Auror training with excellence, with him eventually becoming considered by many to be the most powerful Auror of all time. Moody was thus extremely capable in both offensive and defensive magic, the hallmarks of the Auror's trade, which he employed so effectively that Moody personally ensured that half the cells of Azkaban were filled with Death Eaters during the First Wizarding War, and was trusted by the British Ministry of Magic with the most important missions. Also, Moody somehow managed to keep his birthplace and Hogwarts house a secret even from his colleagues and Ministry superiors. Additionally, Moody was an expert on Dark Detectors, owning a Foe-Glass, Secrecy Sensor, and Sneakoscope, among others. These skills also allowed Moody to be by far one of the most prolific members of the Order of the Phoenix in both the First and Second Wizarding Wars. In fact, Moody's Auror reputation was enough to intimidate even Severus Snape, who avoided bullying (who he thought was) Moody like he did to all other Defence Against the Dark Arts professors. Moreover, Moody was capable of placing immensely 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 himself could penetrate them. Moody's immense skills allowed him to later mentor Nymphadora Tonks, helping her become a highly skilled Auror in her own right.
Duelling: Alastor Moody was an extremely skilled duellist, since in the midst of the First Wizarding War and in its aftermath, Moody utilised martial magic to fight and defeat dozens of skilled Death Eaters, Igor Karkaroff and Evan Rosier being among them.[13] Moody's ability to switch from offence to defence made him an immensely formidable opponent. He was also known to cast spells with his walking stick, which gave Moody an extra advantage in case he was deprived of his wand. Moody 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. Indeed, Moody's reputation as a duellist was enough to intimidate even Severus Snape, himself a master duellist. After years of retirement, Moody's duelling skills had apparently grown rusty, which diminished his effectiveness when he once again began participating in magical combat during the Second Wizarding War. Hence, Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Jnr were able to subdue Moody at his home, despite his owning several Dark Detectors that could warn him of danger, and they beat Moody before British Ministry of Magic agents could arrive on the scene. Despite this, Moody evidently managed to put up a considerable fight against the two Death Eaters, as Crouch later stated that he and Pettigrew had difficulty subduing Moody, and only managed to do it just before the Ministry agents arrived. During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Moody fought two Death Eaters simultaneously, defeated one of them with a single nonverbal spell, and later survived a duel with Antonin Dolohov, among the most powerful of Death Eaters, although Moody was injured and beaten by him. 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 personally targeted Moody, and killed him, before pursuing Kingsley Shacklebolt. It should be noted, however, that the Killing Curse Voldemort cast only hit Moody because Mundungus Fletcher, the intended target, had Disapparated. Given that he seemed certain that Voldemort would go after him suggests that he felt confident enough in his abilities to hold off the most powerful dark wizard at least long enough to get himself and Fletcher to safety.
Defence Against the Dark Arts: Being considered the greatest Auror of all time, Moody would have received either an "Outstanding" or "Exceeds Expectations" in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject,[45] with Moody's capability and knowledge in defending against the Dark Arts being extreme. This mastery can be seen by his ability to defeat many Dark wizards and witches as an Auror. He may also have been considerably capable in breaking and countering curses, so as to be able to negate the dark spells performed by his enemies. Even though Moody's duelling abilities had grown rusty during his retirement, his mastery of defending against the Dark Arts was still exceptional, as Dumbledore (himself formerly a professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts) held Moody's abilities in high enough esteem that he hired Moody to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts for one year. Moody was also skilled enough in defensive magical wards that he personally set up the defences on 12 Grimmauld Place, defences powerful enough that even Lord Voldemort could not penetrate them. Moreover, Moody was an expert at fending off dark creatures, with him volunteering to get rid of a Boggart for Molly Weasley.[29]
Dark Arts: While Moody usually refrained from using dark magic, inflicting fatal injuries on his opponents, and killing them if it could be avoided throughout his time as an Auror, since the use of Unforgivable Curses and other forms of Dark Magic were legalised by Bartemius Crouch Snr, to torture or kill Death Eaters rather than capture them in the First Wizarding War, Moody was capable of practising dark magic, despite not being a Dark wizard. Although the extent of his abilities in this field is unknown, there are pieces of evidence to prove that Moody had a rather considerable amount of ability and knowledge, as shown by the fact that he killed Evan Rosier when the latter resisted capture, likely by either the use of the Killing Curse or another curse which could inflict fatal injuries on his opponent,[13] and by the fact that Moody attacked a witch who startled him during an April Fool's Day celebration (although the type of spell he used is unknown). Moody may even be powerful enough in the field of magic to be capable of performing the Unforgivable Curses, considering that Barty Crouch Jnr while disguised as Moody, was able to demonstrate the Unforgivable Curses while teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts and practise the Imperius Curse on his students to build up their resistance, without arousing suspicion from even Albus Dumbledore. This also hints that Moody was willing to demonstrate the effects of Curses on people if he taught them about the dangers of dark magic, as long as the curses did not harm people seriously in the process. However, this is ultimately debatable, as Crouch Jnr managed to temporarily fool Dumbledore of his true identity, thereby possibly deceiving Dumbledore into believing that he just taught the Unforgivable Curses, rather than directly demonstrating them, and practising the Imperius Curse on his students. Nevertheless, Moody's knowledge of dark magic was likely great, which aided Moody in his time as an Auror to counteract curses from opponents, as well as setting up Dark Detectors at his home. Furthermore, Moody was capable of using dark magic in a protective capacity, as he used the Tongue-Tying Curse as one of the protections held on 12 Grimmauld Place, which worked successfully on anyone who entered the house.[37]
Charms: As an Auror, Moody was highly proficient in charm-work, since as an Auror, he would received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject,[45] and was capable of performing the Disillusionment Charm, a highly advanced and powerful charm which would camouflage the target.[6] Moreover, Moody did not require an Invisibility Cloak to make himself and Harry Potter invisible when acting as a member of the Advance Guard,[6] and he was an expert on the Boggart-Banishing Spell, given his offer to take care of the Boggart in 12 Grimmauld Place.[29] Moody was skilled enough in charms to cast them from his Walking stick, which gave Moody an extra advantage, in case he was deprived of his wand. It's also likely that he himself applied the powers to his magical eye and his magical trunk as they seem exclusive only to him. In addition, Moody could also conjure a non-corporeal Patronus,[9][10] a mark of superior magical ability. Moody was also proficient with the casting of the Memory Charm which he used to erase the memories of Muggles who had seen forms of magic.[46][47] Moody was also capable of casting the Silencing Charm swiftly.[48]
Transfiguration: As an Auror, Moody was proficient in transfiguration, as he had to have received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject.[45] When Barty Crouch Jnr easily transfigured Malfoy into a ferret, McGonagall was not suspicious, meaning Moody would have likely been capable of doing the same feat.[23] Moody was proficient with Conjuration, with him being able to cast the Incarcerous Spell swiftly.[48]
Potions: As an Auror, Moody was proficient in potion-making, as he had to have received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject.[45] Indeed, Moody was capable of brewing the highly complex Polyjuice Potion, making enough of it to disguise all seven of the willing participants of the Battle of the Seven Potters as Harry Potter, to ensure the latter's safety, showing his great talent in this field.[12]
Herbology: As an Auror, Moody was skilled in Herbology, as he had to have received at least an Exceeds Expectations in his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. for this subject.[45]
Apparition: Moody, like most accomplished adult wizards, could Apparate at will. He originally intended to bring Harry away from the Dursley's through side-along apparition.
Flying: Moody was an accomplished broomstick flyer, as he flew his broomstick while acting as a member of the Advance Guard,[6] and fought in mid-air during the Battle of the Seven Potters, which required a high level of flying skill.[12] However, Moody was ultimately not skilled (or fortunate) enough to escape Lord Voldemort, and was blasted off his broom by the Dark Lord's Killing Curse, though this could've partially been due to Mundungus Fletcher's desertion.[2]
Wandless and nonverbal magic: Despite being somewhat rusty from years of not applying his magic in his retirement, Moody had evidently remained an extremely powerful and skilled wizard, as he could effectively perform nonverbal magic, was able to summon brooms, duel Death Eaters, and even cast the highly advanced Disillusionment Charm without saying the incantation. Moody also demonstrated powerful wandless magic with his Walking stick, as it gave Moody an extra advantage, in case he was deprived of his wand.
Leadership skills: Moody had exceptional leadership skills, evident from his status as a very prominent Auror in the British Ministry of Magic, from the fact that Moody lead the Advance Guard, and from Moody being the one to lead the Order of the Phoenix following Albus Dumbledore's death.
Teaching skills: While Moody never had the chance to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts,[6] since Bartemius Crouch Junior did his best to convincingly imitate Moody's behaviour and habits, it can be deduced that Moody would have been a very effective professor, since Harry Potter learned from the fake Moody to resist the Imperius Curse, Dean Thomas noted that the fake Moody had taught them a great deal, and Dumbledore was not suspicious of Crouch's success in teaching the students. Moreover, Moody mentored his protégée Nymphadora Tonks in becoming a highly skilful Auror in her own right, showing him to have been an excellent teacher himself.[6]
Intimidation: Due to his reputation as being one of the most powerful Aurors, his magical eye and scarred appearance due to fighting many death eaters and other enemies, Moody excelled at intimidating others, notably Vernon Dursley, Igor Karkaroff, and even Severus Snape. Due to this, Bartemius Crouch Junior was able to take advantage of this while impersonating Moody to intimidate both Karkaroff and Snape. This was notable as Snape, despite being a powerful, brave and strict wizard, was visibly wary of Moody's presence at Hogwarts and was unable to directly criticise him or do anything that would anger him, even though he criticised all the other previous Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers. Even though Barty Crouch Junior impersonated Moody at the time, Moody's appearance also intimidated most of the students at Hogwarts, with even Draco Malfoy, who did not hesitate to criticise teachers who didn't meet his standards, being wary of Moody's presence after he was transfigured into a ferret. Harry Potter also admitted that (who he thought was) Moody "scared him slightly". After Moody was rescued from his imprisonment by Crouch Junior, he retained his intimidating demeanour as Harry and his friends were wary of doing anything wrong in his presence, Vernon Dursley, despite being an unpleasant person, was terrified when Moody revealed his magical eye, Mundungus Fletcher was pressurised by Moody into being a Decoy during the Battle of the Seven Potters, and his protective enchantments were enough to prevent Snape from entering 12 Grimmauld Place after Snape killed Dumbledore. Additionally, even after Moody's death, some of his intimidating and paranoid traits were picked up by some members of the Order of the Phoenix, especially Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt and even Harry Potter himself, mainly asking questions that only other members would be aware of, even though they initially believed Moody was being paranoid.
Indomitable willpower: Moody possessed immense willpower and bravery, being considered the greatest Auror of all time, having great respect in the British Ministry of Magic, and fighting in both Wizarding Wars on the front lines, thus showcasing an unbreakable spirit, further demonstrated by his ability to intimidate others. However, this would also induce Moody to come off as a hyper-paranoid consummate survivor, scanning his surroundings with his magical eye, preparing all of his own meals, drinking only from his personal flask,[15] keeping his birthplace and Hogwarts house a secret even from his colleagues and Ministry superiors, and being set off by sudden noises or movements. Indeed, Moody even attacked a witch for shouting "boo" at him during April Fools Day, and destroyed a birthday carriage clock when he thought it might have been a disguised Basilisk egg.[27]
Possessions
Magical Eye: Moody's most notable possession was his magical eye, which was 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 tended to get stuck in its socket.[6]
Wand: Like most wizards and witches, Moody owned and carried a wand.[6] If he was ever deprived of his wand he would use his staff instead.[49]
Invisibility Cloaks: Moody possessed two Invisibility Cloaks, though he lent one to Sturgis Podmore, which was never returned.[29] It is also possible that Moody's travelling cloak was one of his Invisibility Cloaks.
Magical trunk: Moody possessed a magical trunk, with seven compartments (one in which Barty Couch Jnr hid the real Moody during his year at Hogwarts), along with the keys for each compartment.[15]
Foe-Glass: Alastor's Foe-Glass showed the images of foes when they approached him.
Sneakoscope: Moody's Sneakoscope was large, and Barty Crouch, impersonating Moody, said that he disabled it because it was constantly spinning and whistling due to the large number of students who were practising untrustworthy behaviour in the vicinity. In reality, it was constantly signalling that Barty Crouch was committing a deception.
Secrecy Sensor: Moody's Secrecy sensor would detect secrets and lies.
Walking Stick: Moody's walking stick had magical capabilities and if he was ever deprived of his wand he would use his staff instead.[49]
Silver Drinking Flask: Moody's paranoia led to him believing an enemy may be poisoning his food behind his back, so he drank from his personal flask to prevent that from happening. Barty Crouch Jnr filled it with Polyjuice Potion during his year in disguise and was able to drink without arousing suspicion.[15]
Broomstick: Moody flew his broomstick while acting as a member of the Advance Guard[6] and fighting during the Battle of the Seven Potters.[12]
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.