Cho Chang’s role in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix‘ has had somewhat of a controversy among fans after her perceived betrayal of Dumbledore’s Army (DA) at what seemed to be the most inopportune moment.
Though her actions did send quite a few nerves in the story, they did not have to do with simple betrayals of the DA.
Complexity Of Cho Chang’s Betrayal In ‘Harry Potter’
This, however, did not come as a direct doing from Cho Chang’s part within the books but instead from the hands of her friend Marietta Edgecombe who blew the DA secret meeting whistle to Dolores Umbridge. Under the coercion of her mother – an employee at the Ministry of Magic and aware of her daughter’s predicament – the latter yielded to make the revelations about the DA.
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To this day, this act by Cho was the most damaging for Harry and all other members of the DA, where she made valid and justifiable choices. Her loyalty to her friend basically leads Cho away from the group. Her defense of Marietta, in addition to the emotional toll of Cedric Diggory’s tragedy, inevitably doomed Cho and Harry’s relationship to almost instantaneous failure.
Questions About Loyalties
Although Cho did not betray the DA directly, her actions raised questions about where her loyalties lay. Some fans believe that her association with Marietta reflected poorly on her commitment to the cause, while others argue that Cho was caught in an impossible situation.
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We cannot forget where Cho was in her emotional dynamics during this time. She was still grieving over Cedric Diggory’s death and coping with everything involved in dating Harry while under massive pressure from the impending war in the wizarding world. Her actions could certainly not have been perfect. But one would be hard-pressed to pin the actual blame on her, with the complexity of the multifaceted character revealing only pieces of her personality hidden behind tough choices made under duress.
Cho Chang’s part in the DA betrayal is not without controversy, but a closer reading reveals her actions were not born of malice. Rather, they reflect the human complexity in a story of resistance and courage.
