Cho Chang

Cho Chang was a witch and a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1990-1997. Sorted into Ravenclaw house, she was a popular student and the talented Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She is most notable for being Harry Potter's first major romantic interest and girlfriend. Her storyline is significantly influenced by her grief following the death of her previous boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, and explores themes of loyalty, loss, and the complexities of teenage relationships within the tumultuous environment of the Second Wizarding War.

Cho was a student at Hogwarts one year ahead of Harry Potter. During Harry's third year, she was the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Harry first noticed her during the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match and was immediately struck by her beauty. In her fifth year, she began dating Hufflepuff student and Triwizard Tournament champion, Cedric Diggory. She accompanied Cedric to the Yule Ball, much to the disappointment of Harry, who had asked her first. Cho was devastated by Cedric's murder at the hands of Lord Voldemort at the conclusion of the tournament and mourned him deeply. The following year, Cho joined Dumbledore's Army, an organization she supported in defiance of the Ministry of Magic and Dolores Umbridge. During this time, her romantic relationship with Harry began, starting with a kiss under mistletoe in the Room of Requirement. However, their relationship was strained by Cho's lingering grief for Cedric and her jealousy of Harry's close friendship with Hermione Granger. The relationship effectively ended after a disastrous date at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop on Valentine's Day and Cho's subsequent defense of her friend, Marietta Edgecombe, who betrayed the D.A. to Umbridge. Cho remained loyal to Hogwarts and the D.A. after her graduation. She returned to the school via a secret passage from the Hog's Head Inn to fight in the Battle of Hogwarts, answering Neville Longbottom's call to arms. During the battle, she offered to show Harry to the Ravenclaw Common Room to see a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw wearing her lost diadem, but Ginny Weasley suggested Luna Lovegood go instead.

Cho is consistently described as an exceptionally pretty girl with long, shiny dark hair. Harry Potter thought she was very beautiful from the first moment he saw her. She was a popular and sociable student, yet also highly emotional and sensitive, particularly while grieving for Cedric Diggory. Her loyalty was a defining trait, as shown by her fierce defense of her friend Marietta Edgecombe even after Marietta's betrayal of Dumbledore's Army. This loyalty, however, conflicted with Harry's perspective and ultimately contributed to the end of their relationship. Cho could also be insecure, as demonstrated by her jealousy of Hermione Granger.

• Quidditch Flying: Cho was a very talented flyer and served as the Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team for several years. She flew a Comet Two Sixty during her match against Gryffindor in 1993.
• Defensive Magic: As a member of Dumbledore's Army, Cho became proficient in a range of defensive spells taught by Harry, including the Disarming Charm and the Shield Charm.
• Patronus Charm: Cho was capable of producing a corporeal Patronus, which took the form of a swan.

• Wand: The composition of Cho's wand, including its wood, core, and length, is unknown.
• Comet Two Sixty: Cho owned this model of broomstick, which she used during Quidditch matches.

• Harry Potter: Harry's first crush and girlfriend. Their romance was short-lived and fraught with emotional challenges, including Cho's grief, Harry's own trauma and inexperience, and a fundamental misunderstanding of each other's needs.
• Cedric Diggory: Cho's boyfriend during the 1994-1995 school year. She cared for him deeply and was profoundly affected by his tragic death.
• Marietta Edgecombe: Cho's best friend. Despite Marietta betraying Dumbledore's Army to Umbridge, Cho remained loyal to her, refusing to condemn her actions and causing a final rift with Harry.
• Ginny Weasley: A romantic rival for Harry's affections. By the Battle of Hogwarts, Ginny firmly supplants Cho's role in Harry's life, intervening when Cho offers to help Harry search for Ravenclaw's Diadem.

The name “Cho Chang” has been noted by readers as a combination of two common East Asian surnames. “Cho” (蝶) is a Japanese word for “butterfly” and is also a common Korean surname. “Chang” (张) is one of the most widespread Chinese surnames. The combination is not a typical given name/surname pairing in any specific East Asian culture.

• In the film adaptations of the Harry Potter series, Cho Chang is portrayed by Scottish actress Katie Leung.
• A significant change was made to Cho's storyline in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In the film, it is Cho herself, not Marietta Edgecombe, who reveals the existence of Dumbledore's Army to Dolores Umbridge. She does so unwillingly while under the influence of Veritaserum, making her a direct victim rather than a character torn by her loyalty to a betrayer. This alters the reason for her breakup with Harry in the film version.
• J.K. Rowling has stated in an interview that after the Second Wizarding War, Cho Chang went on to marry a Muggle. (J.K. Rowling interview, 2007)