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Cho Chang (b.1978/1979) is a small, but important character in the series. She doesn’t appear until Prisoner of Azkaban but is Harry’s main love interest for the following 2 books. She is a popular girl with a lot of friends.
Cho is born into a wizarding family, and she has a love of Quidditch from a young age. Harry first spots her during a Quidditch match, where she plays as Seeker. She is skilled as a Seeker and gives Harry a run for his money. She is Harry’s first crush, but he is upset when Cho begins dating Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire.
Cho is left devastated when Cedric is killed by Peter Pettigrew. She spends her last few years at Hogwarts trying to process her grief, which becomes complicated when she dates Harry. She is Harry’s first kiss, but their combined grief and her conflicted emotions make it a tumultuous relationship, and it quickly fizzles out.
Cho dedicates herself to fighting against Voldemort, joining the secret student group Dumbledore’s Army to learn defensive spells, and returning to Hogwarts for one last battle at the end of Deathly Hallows.
Cho survives the Second War and goes on to marry an unknown Muggle.
| Full Name | Cho Chang |
| Birth Date | Sometime between September 1st 1978 and August 31, 1979 |
| Birth Place | Unknown |
| Nick Name | None |
| Death Date | Unknown |
| Age When Series Starts | 12 |
| Zodiac Sign | Unknown |
| Siblings | None |
| Children | Unknown |
| Partner/Spouse | Unknown Muggle |
| Most Memorable Moment | Kissing Harry in Order of the Phoenix |
| Magical Heritage | Pure-blood or half-blood |
| Species | Human |
| Special Abilities | None |
| Hogwarts House | Ravenclaw |
| Wand | Unknown |
| Patronus | Swan |
| Actors Who Played | Katie Leung |
| Last Updated | April 2022 |
Cho Chang Birthplace
Not much is known about Cho’s birthplace. However, we can presume she was born in the United Kingdom, between September 1978 and August 1979, as this would see her joining Hogwarts one year before Harry.
Cho Chang Parents
We can presume that Cho is born into a wizarding family, as she becomes obsessed with Quidditch at a very early age, going to see the Tutshill Tornados from the age of 6 upwards. This suggests that she is either a Pureblood or a Halfblood.
Cho Chang Physical Traits
Cho is described in Prisoner of Azkaban as being short, about a head shorter than Harry, and ‘extremely pretty’ (1). She is later described as having dark, shiny hair, and freckles on her nose.
Cho Chang Hogwarts Years
Years 1-3
Cho has a difficult time at Hogwarts in her later years, but her first few years are pretty uneventful. She is described as being popular, with a lot of friends, and a few boyfriends.
We don’t hear about her first couple of years at Hogwarts, and Harry only notices her for the first time in Prisoner of Azkaban. Cho is a year older than Harry, so we don’t get to see much of her until her fourth year.
Year 4
Cho enjoys playing as Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and in her fourth year, she plays against Harry, where she gives Harry a decent challenge. She is ultimately distracted by the appearance of a Dementor on the pitch (although this turns out to be Malfoy and his friends in disguise), and Harry wins against her. Despite this, she wishes him luck in the Quidditch Cup final later on.
Harry first notices he has feelings for Cho in his third year; she is the first girl he has really noticed in this way.
Year 5
Cho has a more prominent role in her fifth year. She is invited to attend the ball by Cedric Diggory and later begins dating him (although she does seem to express regret that Harry hadn’t asked her sooner). This exchange between Harry and Cho is an awkward one, and Harry begins to resent Cedric after this.
Cedric has Cho as his ‘thing he would miss the most’ during the Second Task, suggesting that their relationship had become serious.
She appears to be very happy with Cedric and is later devastated by Cedric’s murder at the hands of Peter Pettigrew. During Dumbledore’s memorial speech for Cedric, Harry spots her crying. (2)
Year 6
Because of Cedric’s death, Cho struggles to deal with her emotions in her sixth year. She wants to date Harry but is still grieving for Cedric, and she doesn’t know how to act around Harry.
Determined to fight for the good side, Cho signs up for the secret student group, Dumbledore’s Army, and works hard at learning defensive spells. Although she struggles at first, she works hard to improve. She is very pleased by her own progress in casting a Patronus (a swan).
Despite her conflicting feelings, Harry and Cho kiss after a secret meeting of Dumbledore’s Army, a slightly confusing situation as Cho is crying at the time. They go on a date later in the book, which ends with Cho storming out in tears because Harry doesn’t want to discuss Cedric’s death, and because she feels jealous of Harry’s relationship with Hermione.
They make up briefly later when Cho reads Harry’s interview in The Quibbler, Luna Lovegood’s family newspaper, but this doesn’t last long.
Cho’s behavior causes Harry a lot of stress and uncertainty in their fifth year, and Harry handles it badly, despite Hermione’s attempts to explain Cho’s motivations.
Ultimately, Harry and Cho’s relationship fizzles out, as Cho is not ready for a relationship, and Harry doesn’t have the capacity to help her while he processes his own feelings about Cedric’s death. Cho is distrustful of Harry’s relationship with Hermione, despite Hermione trying to help Harry work it out with Cho, and she doesn’t get on very well with Ron either.
Later in her sixth year, Cho’s best friend Marietta betrayed Dumbledore’s Army, handing them over to Professor Umbridge. Little did she know that Hermione had jinxed the piece of paper they signed upon joining the group, and Marietta’s face erupted with a series of pustules spelling ‘SNEAK’.
Cho was horrified by this, seeing it as cruel, and withdrew from the group, cutting contact with Harry and his friends. (3)
Year 7
Cho begins dating Michael Corner, Ginny’s ex-boyfriend. Michael comforted Cho when she lost a Quidditch match, and they bonded from there. This makes Harry feel relieved more than anything, as it means he can move on from their relationship, and Harry is too preoccupied with the death of his godfather, Sirius Black, to worry about it too much.
Cho avoids Harry for most of this year, so we don’t see much of her. She even hides from Harry on the Hogwarts Express (4) We do see her raising her wand with the others after Dumbledore’s death. We can presume that she graduates from Hogwarts, although her academic results aren’t mentioned.
Cho Chang After Hogwarts Years
Any hard feelings between Cho and Harry are forgotten in the last book. She returns to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts and seems keen to escort Harry to Ravenclaw Tower (much to the annoyance of Ginny Weasley, who insists that Harry goes with Luna Lovegood instead).
She sits next to Michael Corner during this exchange, suggesting that they might be still dating, or at least on friendly terms. (5)
Cho survives the final battle, although we don’t see her dueling, we can presume she is part of the fight. She is present for Harry’s defeat of Voldemort, and is seen by Harry chatting with her friends in the aftermath. (6)
We don’t find out too much about Cho’s life after the Second War. Cho isn’t mentioned in the Epilogue unlike some of the others (like Neville Longbottom), nor is she mentioned in The Cursed Child.
We do see Dumbledore’s Army mentioned in a Daily Prophet article, written by Rita Skeeter. This was originally published on the Pottermore website. It’s likely that Cho attended this reunion, although she isn’t mentioned by name. (7)
Cho Chang Family
What we do know about Cho is that she went on to marry a Muggle, according to an interview with J.K Rowling. We don’t know who this Muggle is or where she met them. We don’t know if Cho went on to have children. (8)
Cho Chang Wand
We don’t know anything about Cho Chang’s wand, other than the fact that she probably purchased it from Ollivander’s in Diagon Alley, along with most other Hogwarts students.
Cho Chang Trivia and Fun Facts
Here are some fun facts you may not know about Cho:
- In Chinese, ‘chou chang’ means ‘melancholy’, which is a good match for Cho’s personality in the books. (9)
- Cho is a massive fan of the Tutshill Tornados and wears their badge on her robes.
- Cho flies a Comet 260 and is a great Seeker. However, her skills begin to wane after the death of Cedric as she grapples with grief, and she loses against Ginny Weasley twice.
- Cho wears silver, Asian-style robes to the Yule Ball.
- The actor Katie Leung, who plays Cho Chang in the movies, was the victim of racist abuse on fan forums. (10)
- Cho and Harry’s first (and only) date is at a teashop in Hogsmeade. Harry hates the decor, as it reminds him of Professor Umbridge’s office.
- Cho is portrayed as being Scottish in the movies.
- Despite her flying skills being a key part of her character in the books, we don’t see Cho flying in any of the Potter movies.
- Cho’s story is changed in other ways, too. In the movies, it’s Cho that betrays Dumbledore’s Army to Umbridge, rather than her friend Marietta. Many fans were annoyed about this decision as it seems out of character for Cho.
- Cho’s Patronus is a swan. A swan is seen often in operas and ballets and represents beauty, loyalty, and melancholy – perhaps another hint about Cho’s personality.
Cho Chang’s Appearances in Books
- Book 3: Prisoner of Azkaban
- Book 4: Goblet of Fire
- Book 5: Order of the Phoenix
- Book 6: Half-Blood Prince
- Book 7: Deathly Hallows
Cho Chang’s Appearances in Films
- Movie 5: Order of the Phoenix
- Movie 6: Half-Blood Prince
- Movie 7: Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Movie 8: Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Cho Chang Quotes
‘Oh Harry, I’m really sorry. I already said I’d go with someone else.’ – Cho Chang, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (11)
‘I really like you, Harry.’ – Cho Chang, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (12)
‘Oh, you’ll talk to Hermione Granger! But you won’t talk to me!’ – Cho Chang, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(13)
‘Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but nobody’s ever found a trace of it, have they?’ – Cho Chang, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (14)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Cho:
Answer: According to the books, Cho dated Roger Davies, Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter, and Michael Corner.
Answer: Cho was always on the good side. She was one of the only people who believed Harry and Dumbledore that Voldemort had returned, even when the rest of the wizarding world, including many of the students, were ridiculing them for it.
Cho’s involvement in Dumbledore’s Army, along with her willingness to return to Hogwarts to fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters, shows that she wanted to fight for the good side. This may be motivated by the loss of Cedric, or she may have been involved anyway.
Answer: Yes, although it’s quite different from the books, partly because it was a big moment for fans, and it was very hyped up before the movie release. In the movies, it’s a romantic scene, whereas in the books it follows an awkward exchange between them, and Harry is a bit confused about how he feels afterward.
Answer: We don’t know this for sure, but it’s probably safe to assume that they rarely saw each other. Ginny Weasley, who later marries Harry, makes her distrust of Cho clear. Plus, Cho marries a Muggle, so it’s safe to presume that she goes on to spend more time in the Muggle world as she gets older.
Research Citations
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Ch.13: Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ch.37: The Beginning
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Ch.28: Snape’s Worst Memory
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Ch.7: The Slug Club
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch.29: The Lost Diadem
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch.36: The Flaw in the Plan
- Dumbledore’s Army Reunites At Quidditch World Cup Final – Pottermore
- New Orleans Students Give Rowling a Rousing Welcome – Wayback Machine
- Chou chang definition – Yabla.com
- The Harry Potter actor who was told to deny the racist abuse she got from fans – MyLondon
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 22: The Unexpected Task
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ch. 21: The Eye of the Snake
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ch.25: The Beetle At Bay
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ch. 29: The Lost Diadem