Summary
Cho Chang is widely recognized for being the girlfriend of Cedric Diggory, who competed in the Triwizard Tournament alongside Harry Potter. InHarry Potterand the Goblet of Fire, Harry comes to terms with his feelings for Cho and invites her to the Yule Ball. Sadly, for Harry, Cho is already going to the Yule Ball with Cedric, solidifying the pair’s relationship. However, asHarry Potterfans will know, Cedric was tragically killed by Death Eaters during the Triwizard Tournament’s final challenge, leaving Cho heartbroken. In the aftermath of Cedric’s untimely death, it’s clear that Cho has begun reciprocating Harry’s romantic feelings. This is explored inHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixwhen the two share a kiss in the Room of Requirement.
However, Cho and Harry’s romanceis incredibly short-lived, largely because of Cho’s guilt for moving on so soon after Cedric’s death. Following her failed romance with the ‘Chosen One’, Cho’s character begins to fizzle out of the plot. InHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, there are only a few references to Cho, indicating the lingering awkwardness between her and Harry. Because of this, fans are uncertain what actually happened to Cho after the Second Wizarding War. While other characters’ futures are revealed in the Deathly Hallows’ ‘nineteen years later’ epilogue, Cho is not mentioned, leaving her fate obscured. This mystery is emphasized by the fact that Cho only briefly appeared in theDeathly Hallowsmovie, leaving fans to question her fate.
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Who Is Cho Chang?
While Cho is widely known for being the love interest of both Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter, her character has a lot more to offer. She was in the year above Harry at Hogwarts and was a member of Ravenclaw, a Houserenowned for its intelligence. The movies gloss over the fact that Cho was also an incredibly talented Quidditch player. During Cho’s early years at Hogwarts, she attained the position of Seeker, the same position Harry would play. The books emphasize that Cho was the only girl in Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team, meaning that her character broke the stigma around Quidditch being known as a ‘boy’s sport’.Prisoner of Azkaban’sbook describes Harry and Cho’s first meeting during a Gryffindor- Ravenclaw Quidditch game:
The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and Harry couldn’t help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty.
In the movies, Cho and Harry do not meet until the events ofGoblet of Fire.The pair first cross paths on the Hogwarts Express. Cho was an incredibly popular student and was always surrounded by a group of friends. In her sixth year at Hogwarts, Cho joinedthe rebellious group, Dumbledore’s Army, which was formed by Harry in direct opposition to Dolores Umbridge’s orders. Harry started the group in order to prepare students for the Dark Lord’s return and taught them defensive spells, including the Patronus Charm.
As fans will know, the Patronus Charm is incredibly difficult to cast, meaning that only a few students are capable of producing a full-bodied Patronus. Order of the Phoenix’s movie showcases Cho being able to cast her Patronus, which appears in the form of a swan. Cho’s ability to summon her Patronus exemplifies her character’s intelligence. After all, even Hermione Granger, renowned for being the‘brightest witch of her age’, initially had trouble with the spell. Cho’s participation in Dumbledore’s Army showcases her bravery and her determination to gain justice for Cedric’s senseless murder.
Movie:
“Two pumpkin pasties, please”
While it’s clear that Cho was prepared to fight against the Death Eaters, her fate is virtually unknown. Because of this, fans have a lot of questions about the character’s outcome, such as did she participate in the Battle of Hogwarts, and if so, did she even survive the brutal battle?
Did Cho Chang Survive the Battle of Hogwarts?
The Battle of Hogwarts was the final battle in the Second Wizarding War in which Hogwarts’ staff and students went head-to-head against Voldemort’s villainous army of Death Eaters. While the battle culminated in Harry’sinfamous defeat of Lord Voldemort, it sadly resulted in a multitude of casualties on both sides.
At the time of the battle, Cho had already graduated from Hogwarts. The books explore the fact that Cho’s parents were incredibly protective of her and even attempted to discourage Cho from joining Dumbledore’s Army back in her sixth year. Because of this, fans were not expecting Cho to return in theDeathly Hallowsbook, especially amid the Battle of Hogwarts.
In both the book and movie,the Golden Trioare stunned to see the original members of Dumbledore’s Army return to Hogwarts to participate in the fateful battle. Cho is among these courageous members of Dumbledore’s Army, proving her loyalty to the cause. The book describes Cho’s unexpected return:
Harry’s mouth fell open. Right behind Lee Jordan came Harry’s old girlfriend, Cho Chang. She smiled at him.
In the book, Cho offers to help Harry look for the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw,one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. However, Ginny Weasley quickly shuts down Cho’s offer and volunteers Luna for the position. After this, Cho is not mentioned again, making it unclear whether she survived the Battle of Hogwarts.
The Battle of Hogwarts was responsible for the deaths of many significant Harry Potter characters, includingFred Weasley, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Remus Lupin. Because of the battle’s devastation, it is unclear which characters lost their lives in the battle, meaning that it’s possible for Cho to have died whilst fighting against the Death Eaters.
However, in theDeathly Hallowsmovie, Cho is briefly seen moments beforeVoldemort is defeated, meaning that it’s likely that she survived the battle. This is confirmed by the movie’s later inclusion of a brief scene of Cho sitting with her friends in the Great Hall after Harry’s defeat of Voldemort. Because of this, it is certified that Cho did in fact survive the Battle of Hogwarts, something which was later confirmed by J.K Rowling. While theDeathly Hallowsbook and movie fail to explore Cho’s outcome after the Second Wizarding War, J.K Rowling revealed Cho’s fate in a later interview.
Who Did Cho Chang Marry?
Back in 2007, J.K Rowling revealed Cho’s fate duringa Q&A session in New Orleans. Here, the author confirmed that Cho had survived the battle and had gone on to marry a muggle (a non-magical person).
While it’s unclear exactly who the muggle is, it’s safe to say that Cho got her happy ending, although both theDeathly Hallowsbook and movie failed to mention this. Because of this, fans have condemned J.K Rowling’s treatment of Cho Chang. Following her failed relationship with Harry, her character is virtually removed from the plot, rendering her as little more than a love interest. In theDeathly Hallowsbook, it’s evident that Cho’s offer to help Harry find the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw is motivated by her lingering romantic feelings for Harry, rather than her willingness to defeat Lord Voldemort. In the book, it appears as though Cho’s character merely returned to Hogwarts to rekindle her romance with Harry. Because of this, her character is rendered as incredibly one-dimensional and is often cast to the side.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Max will be producingaHarry Pottertelevision series. Following this announcement, fans are hoping that the upcoming series will place the spotlight on neglected characters, including Cho Chang. In line with this theory, theHarry PotterMax series could potentially bring justice to Cho’s character, as well asmany other female charactersin theHarry Potteruniverse.
Harry Potter
When Harry Potter learns that he is a wizard, he enters a world beyond belief. Aside from continuing his studies at Hogwarts with best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry must also face Voldemort and his dark wizarding forces. The Harry Potter franchise is a worldwide phenomenon, spanning seven books, eight movies, three spinoff movies, a stage play, and numerous video games.
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