This past Monday when I walked into my first manager’s meeting here in Waterloo/Cedar Falls, I scanned the faces of the group of people sitting around the conference table. None of these were people I had worked with before, so I did not expect to recognize any of them. But, as I my gaze shifted to the far end of the table, I found a familiar, though out of place, face.

Sitting at the end of the table was Mad-Eye Moody.

Now I’m not the type to publicly make fun of someone’s physical differences or disabilities, so even though this man had a very obvious problem with one of his eyes (which you could see even through his tinted glasses) that immediately brought the Harry Potter Professor of the Dark Arts to mind, it wasn’t JUST the bulging, slowly rotating orb that made me think of Moody. No, this gentleman had a face and head that looked like just like Moody’s would if he had shorter hair that was combed and a fresh shave. Even his voice was similar.

It was an eerie feeling each morning at meetings this week to feel like I was sitting with the late member of The Order of the Phoenix, but today was his last day so I thought I’d bid him a fond farewell here.

Farewell Alastor, farewell.