(DH SPOILERS) Mad-Eye Moody gives his final thoughts in the form of a wispy string of light as he falls to his death above Little Surrey. But remember, it's not the fall that kills you, but the landing…Rated for language. By the way, I don't own Moody, Voldy, Dumbledore, Harry, or any other character, situation, or object related to Harry Potter

Much obliged,

Sir Zephyr

A Soldier's Passing

Constant vigilance…

Three years ago when that Death Eater scum had the nerve to lock me in a trunk and steal my identity, he was said to preach that saying, that practice of never letting your guard down, of never letting your enemy catch you unaware. For as wrong as he was on many fronts, this was quite the philosophy to live by.

But a lifetime of being strong and watching doesn't mean a damn in the end.

It simple enough – take the boy from the Muggles' place to the Burrow. It's always the simple ones that get ya. Thousands of feet above the quiet Muggle suburb, we met betrayal, undoubtedly at the hands of that grease-head Snape. Why Dumbledore had trusted him, I'll never know, but all of us would pay for it in the end…I know I have…

As the ground comes closer, my time grows shorter…

We took off from the Dursley's with the "seven Harry Potters" as planned, though with great resistance by Potter himself. Me and that…crook…Mundungus Fletcher, disguised as Potter, were supposed to fly to the safety of a member of the Order. Soon after take-off, though, those black-hooded sons of bitches rose behind us. The Dark Lord himself was tailing me and Fletcher, and his Death Eaters were undoubtedly after the others. Fletcher vanished on spot, but before I could react, a Stunning Spell caught me in the chest, and a Killing Curse flew above me. The spell hit me hard and pushed me off my broom, and down I fell…

And I'm still falling…it's a long way down…

Expect the unexpected, and always be prepared…those are the words all Aurors are taught in training. Or at least, that's what they should be. But as the countryside comes clearer in my mind, my thoughts are moving quickly…and I remember…

Once Dumbledore was killed, the Order was left with no where to turn. The Potter boy was yelling about some plan, some mission Dumbledore had given him. He insisted that he go it alone, that only he could do it. Never once did we question him. Maybe we should've. But Dumbledore had such faith in the boy, and went to extreme lengths to keep him as safe as possible, and we're all certain he knows something that we don't. This knowledge could end the Dark Lord's reign once and for all, and we, too, have faith in Potter and his wit, his skills, his courage. His mother, his father, and his godfather had all possessed everything we could've hoped could be passed to him…and they died because of it. I hope Potter can bring out whatever it is he has up his sleeve before he's taken too; life's only so long.

But these are the words of a dying man, and aren't taken by the living and carefree.

But listen up, all you who suffer from the Dark Lord's control: Potter is the key; he's the last chance for the sake of Wizard-kind. The Dark Lord can be defeated, but I don't have a damned clue how. Aid Potter in whatever way you can. Give him what he needs to finish the job. Do what you can to help him survive.

And don't let this soldier die in vein.

The Stunning wearing off, Moody reached into his pocket and drew his wand and a glass vial. He pointed the tip of his wand to his temple, drew a silvery string from it, and placed the substance in the vial. He cradled it under him, and there was a bone-breaking crash. All was dark.