Dear Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody,
Eye do believe that your eye is very interesting. It is never told how you lost your eye, and even though I know the story is interesting, the aftermath is what I am more interested in. What interests me the most is how your eye works. Barty Crouch Jr. was able to use the eye when he was you for the majority of Harry’s 4th year. Knowing you did not willingly tell Barty Crouch Jr. how to use the eye, the only reasons are he used the Imperius curse, or the eye is easy to use. There are many questions about the mechanics of the eye that goes unanswered throughout the time you are introduced to Harry. I am so intrigued by your eye because there has never been another eye like yours. Well, none that I have heard of before.
In the muggle world, there are glass eyes similar to that of yours; however, the eye is just there as a replacement. The eye can not be seen through, but it makes the person who is wearing the eye feel a little more normal. Knowing that you have a version of a glass eye in the wizarding world that not only allows you to see but moves on its own is fascinating. Even though your eye is fascinating, it defies all laws of vision.
The eye is more complex than people know. The movement of the eye is controlled by six different muscles. The muscles that control the up and down movement of the eye are called the superior and inferior rectus. Then the medial and lateral muscles move the eyes from side to side. Lastly, there is the superior and inferior oblique, and they cause the eye to rotate. Each of these muscles works in harmony so the eye can take in light and create an image.
From the looks of your magical eye, it does not connect to any of those muscles. No offense, but your eye was not made to work normally. The first aspect of your eye that makes me think this is you can see behind your head. As impressive as that is, the eye is not supposed to rotate that way. Even though the eye rotates using the superior and inferior oblique, the medial and lateral muscles prevent it from going inside the head. There is also the brain and skull to factor in. Your brain floats in the middle of your skull, which works as protection. Being able to see through the skull and the brain is cool, yet impossible.
You can see through Harry’s invisibility cloak, which is another aspect that makes me suspect the eye was made for alternative motives. The Cloak is supposed to be pure, meaning the person underneath can not be detected. Hearing that you could see through the invisibility cloak was shocking. There should have been no way you were able to see through the Cloak. Unless there is a charm or the Cloak is faulty. Considering the Cloak has not been used for a decade, the latter seems most likely.
The Cloak is not the only thing you can see through, though. There are wood and walls that you can also see-through. Being the only person to see a Boggart in its real form is complimentary. That should be considered one of the coolest achievements ever in the wizarding world. No other wizard can say they know what a Boggart looks like because no one else has your eye.
Even though you have your reasons, I believed you made the eye because of your paranoia. According to Ron Weasly, “Half the cells in Azkaban are filled thanks to [you].” Being an Aurora is dangerous, so you would need to be aware of your surroundings, and being able to watch your own back is the best way to do so. Who better to trust than your own self? Especially with hidden death eaters on the loose. Along with your wand, your eye is the best form of protection there is. Which I believe was the purpose of the eye, to begin with.
Glass eyes in the muggle world are notably boring compared to yours. They are there so the eyelid can move and not become permanently closed. Some glass eyes can move; however, they do so slowly. Glass eyes are not as helpful as your magical eye, but it does serve a purpose. Many people who lose one of their eyes go through a stage where they feel abnormal, and having glass eyes lessen those feelings and provide a small sense of normality. Even though your magical eye does not necessarily make sense to me, I still find it cool. Being able to see behind one’s back is a skill that can come in handy in many different situations. Creating the eye (if you did, in fact, make it) is probably one of the most useful tools an Aurora could have. Your eye, in my opinion, is one of the coolest magical objects in the wizarding world. So props to you for being the only wizard that can see through an invisibility cloak, see a Boggart, and defy the laws of vision.
Sincerely,
Keyashia Nero
Yantis, Steven, and Richard A. Abrams. Sensation and Perception. 2nd ed., Worth Publishers, Macmillan Learning, 2017.
