Mad-Eye Moody Is a Hufflepuff
One of the defining characteristics of Harry Potter fans is a tendency to Sort everyone they meet. I did it to my family (all Ravenclaws and Slytherins), my teachers and professors (mostly Ravenclaws, one Gryffindor, and one Slytherin), and every one of my friends. At MuggleNet, we’ve Sorted the characters from Arthurian legend, Parks and Recreation, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Good Place, Queer Eye, Gilmore Girls, and many, many more of our favorite books, movies, and TV shows. Sorting is one of my favorite topics to discuss with other Potter fans.
There are also lots of Harry Potter characters whose House affiliations we never learn of in the books, and every Potter fan I know, especially those of us who write fan fiction, has an opinion about where those characters belong. To me, Kingsley Shacklebolt is a Ravenclaw. Dorcas Meadowes, the member of the Order of the Phoenix whom Voldemort personally murdered, is a Slytherin. Fleur Delacour, had she attended Hogwarts, would be a Gryffindor. Mad-Eye Moody is a Hufflepuff.
Yes, I said it. Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody is a Hufflepuff. That idea always seems to get the most pushback, but I stand by it. As a proud Hufflepuff myself, I may be a little biased. I would love to claim every unsorted character for my own House, the best of the four. But as a serious Potter fan, I would never do that without proving that they belong there. I’ve reviewed the evidence, and Moody definitely belongs in Hufflepuff.
When fans think of Mad-Eye Moody, many of them probably automatically think Gryffindor. Sure, it takes “daring, nerve, and chivalry” to be the Ministry of Magic’s most famous and heavily scarred Auror, but Cedric Diggory, Luna Lovegood, and Regulus Black are evidence enough that Gryffindor does not own courage. Mad-Eye Moody has plenty of courage, but I would argue that his persistence, resilience, unwavering loyalty, and unquestionable trustworthiness – all qualities associated with Hufflepuff – make up the core of his character.
Moody’s deep loyalty earns him a level of trust from Dumbledore that very few others attain. Remember, Dumbledore was so confident that Moody would never betray him that in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, he realized immediately that the Moody who did betray him had to be an impostor. Much of wizarding society thinks Moody has lost his marbles, but everyone who knows Moody trusts and respects him. Hufflepuffs value loyalty above all else and make people work to earn their trust, and Moody is no different.
Hufflepuffs will fight with everything they have for a cause they believe in, so it’s no surprise that Moody would sacrifice several body parts in pursuit of justice. Some would argue that Moody’s apparent disregard for his own limbs shows recklessness, a Gryffindor trait. However, Moody is anything but reckless. Remember, “CONSTANT VIGILANCE!” His caution that develops into paranoia is a defining characteristic and ultimately one of his greatest assets, even if it is more than a little inconvenient. Mad-Eye Moody is “the consummate survivor,” a man who takes every precaution before acting and who closely guards the things he holds dear. Moody’s loyalty, caution, and resilience make him an ideal candidate for Hufflepuff House. He also filled “half the cells in Azkaban” with Voldemort’s followers during the First Wizarding War, which I would argue makes him a “particularly good finder.”
But I will admit that Moody doesn’t fit the typical Hufflepuff profile. He doesn’t have a warm personality or a cheerful disposition, and while I personally like to imagine that he bakes cookies, crochets, and tends to his houseplants in his spare time, I wouldn’t really call Moody soft or friendly. But he certainly isn’t devoid of warmth either. The best examples of Moody’s kindness actually come from Barty Crouch, Jr., but considering Crouch had even Dumbledore fooled for most of the year, I don’t doubt that the real Moody would have treated Neville and Harry with equal kindness. And remember when he awkwardly congratulated Ron for becoming a prefect? Remember when he gave Harry that picture of the original Order of the Phoenix? Remember how fond he was of Tonks? Moody would’ve been the best grandpa to Teddy Lupin. There is Hufflepuff compassion underneath that gruff exterior.
But I became thoroughly convinced that Mad-Eye Moody is a true Hufflepuff when I realized that he is basically a badger. Badgers form close-knit social networks that they would defend with their lives. Badgers are ferocious fighters with remarkable resilience, even capable of taking on lions and crocodiles. Badgers tend to avoid confrontation but will not back down if threatened. Seriously, imagine it: Mad-Eye Moody, a grizzled, curmudgeonly old badger with stumpy legs and that trademark electric blue eye if you’d like, who mostly guards his home and allies with characteristic vigilance but will fight you with everything he has if you threaten him or anyone close to him.
Mad-Eye Moody is definitely a Hufflepuff at heart: tough, loyal, persistent, hard-working, fierce, resilient, and kind. Now please, someone draw Mad-Eye Moody as a badger.