Magic? || Years 1-5

Mad-Eye Moody: Year 4

Finally, when the plates were cleared and the cups were emptied, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet once more.

The Great Hall's chatter slowly died down, the sound of rain and wind being the only thing that could he heard.

"So! Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices," He announced. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it." His mouth twitched slightly.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

Amisty was glad that Oliver Wood had graduated already, or he would have fainted.

"What?" Harry gasped, his jaw dropped as he stared around.

Fred and George were both mouthing soundlessly, unable to make a sound.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy -- but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely," Professor Dumbledore reassured, holding up his hands. "I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -- "

Thunder rumbled outside loudly, and the Great Hall's doors opened with a deafening bang.

There was a man in the doorway, a long staff holding his weight and a black traveling cloak hung over his shoulders. Amisty shivered involuntarily as she looked at the stranger, wishing her cloak wasn't wet so she could gain warmth from it.

A fork of lightning illuminated him as he lowered his hood, revealing long, tangled grey hair, and began walking toward the staff table.

He reached the edge and started toward Dumbledore, each footstep followed by a clunk.

Another flash of lightning illuminated him, throwing his face into the light.

Hermione let out an audible gasp.

Not a single inch of skin was safe from scars, his mouth barely more than a diagonal line and half his nose seemed to be missing. That wasn't the scary part, though.

It was his eyes.

One was tiny dark, barely a speck on his weathered face. The other was wide, massive, and a bright electric blue. It moved around constantly, never blinking, and Amisty felt her hands fly to her mouth as it rolled all the way around so it was looking at the back of his head.

The stranger shook hands with Professor Dumbledore, who seemed to be murmuring a few words to him.

He shook his head, replying just as quietly, and he took a seat beside the Headmaster. He shook out his hair, pulling a plate of sausages toward him and sniffed them before pulling out a small knife and eating it while his strange blue eye continued to swivel around, surveying all the teachers and the students staring up at it in horror.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Professor Moody," Professor Dumbledore smiled into the silence that had fallen over everyone.

The Great Hall was silent, the only people clapping being Dumbledore and Hagrid.

Everyone else was too shocked to move their hands.