Cho Chang is widely recognized for being the girlfriend of Cedric Diggory, who competed in the Triwizard Tournament alongside Harry Potter. In Harry Potter and 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, as Harry Potter fans 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 in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when the two share a kiss in the Room of Requirement.

However, Cho and Harry’s romance is 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. In Harry 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 the Deathly Hallows movie, leaving fans to question her fate.

RELATED: Harry Potter: What Happens to Lavender Brown?

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 House renowned 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’s book describes Harry and Cho’s first meeting during a Gryffindor- Ravenclaw Quidditch game:

In the movies, Cho and Harry do not meet until the events of Goblet 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 joined the 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.

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’s infamous 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 the Deathly Hallows book, especially amid the Battle of Hogwarts.

In both the book and movie, the Golden Trio are 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:

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, including Fred 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 the Deathly Hallows movie, Cho is briefly seen moments before Voldemort 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 the Deathly Hallows book 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 during a 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 the Deathly Hallows book 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 the Deathly Hallows book, 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 producing a Harry Potter television 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, the Harry Potter Max series could potentially bring justice to Cho’s character, as well as many other female characters in the Harry Potter universe.

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.

Created by

J.K. Rowling

First Film

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Latest Film

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two

Where to watch

HBO Max

MORE: The New Harry Potter TV Series Could Fix This One Major Romance