Hey everyone, welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
In today’s video, we’re going to be discussing the famed, or rather, infamous, Chudley theory.
That is the theory that Dudley Dursley ended up marrying Ravenclaw graduate Cho Chang.
Let me just say first off that this isn’t my theory- I’ve seen this theory on the
internet before. However, what I want to do today is first present it to you guys, and
then give you my take on the theory- discussing whether or not it’s plausible.
So, let’s look at the elements of the theory. This theory came about for a couple of reasons,
but the main driver behind it is that Cho Chang ended up marrying a muggle. That’s
canon- Cho Chang married a muggle. Furthermore, we also know that Dudley Dursley ends up getting
married himself- but the name of his wife is never revealed. This is basically the entire
basis for the theory, an unnamed wife, and an unnamed muggle.
We know Dudley Dursley is a muggle, and while it’s unusual for witches/wizards to marry
muggles, it definitely still happens. However, the main issue with witches/wizards marrying
muggles is that it will often cause problems later on. We saw this with Snape’s parents-
witch Eileen Prince and Muggle Tobias Snape, as well as with McGonagall’s parents- witch
Isobel Ross, and muggle Robert McGonagall. It happens, but usually not without conflict.
This is because when a witch or wizard is pursuing a muggle they need to take the international
statue of secrecy in to consideration- that is- the rules put in place to ensure that
the wizarding world is kept a secret. Often when a witch or wizard is courting a potential
muggle spouse, they fail to mention their magical abilities- which causes tension down
the line when their kids start performing magic themselves. The guilt eventually becomes
unbearable, and they end up confessing their magical status to their other half- however,
the years of lies are not often entirely understood.
So, in this respect, the relationship between Cho and Dudley does sort of make sense. If
Cho were to have married a regular muggle- then she would have no doubt encountered the
aforementioned difficulties associated with muggle courtship. However, if she were to
end up with Dudley- who is a muggle- there is the obvious advantage that she would never
have to hide anything from him. Dudley was privy to the magical world, and there wouldn’t
have been much that Cho could have said to put him off or surprise him.
Okay, now I know what you’re thinking- Cho and DUDLEY? Dudley was about as awful as a
young boy could be, he tormented Harry, he was ruthless to other children, and he was
about as spoiled and pompous as you can get. However, there was a point in Dudleys life
at which he hit a bit of a crossroads- the Dementor attack. Though the Dementors weren’t
able to successfully suck out Dudley’s soul, the attack still had a profound impact on
him, as it forced him to observe the type of person that he was. This is reinforced
by JK Rowling in an interview:
"People usually ask me, what is it that Dudley saw during the Dementor attack?" Rowling said.
"My feeling is that he saw himself, exactly for what he was, and for a boy that spoiled,
it would be terrifying. So he was jolted out of it. Dementor attacks aren't usually good
for people, but this one was."
This basically confirms that Dudley changed, and we know for a fact that Dudley later felt
remorse for the way that he treated Harry as a boy. Dudley and Harry even later go on
to have a bit of an awkward- albeit respectable relationship as adults.
Cho Chang was born sometime between 1978 and 1979 and attended Hogwarts from 1990-1997,
where she was sorted in to Ravenclaw house. She was a bright witch, and even had a brief
fling with Harry Potter himself. However, their relationship eventually fell apart due
to her best friend betraying Dumbledore’s Army. Before Harry, Cho was was in love with
Cedric Diggory- and after his demise, she certainly had a tough time in school. She
really was a lovely young woman, and I can completely see why she ended up marrying a
muggle- just wanting to escape all of the madness of the wizarding world. So who better
than the new and improved Dudley Dursley? Who better to marry than a witch when you’re
trying to leave your life of prejudice behind? And who better to marry than a magically-informed
muggle when you’re trying to ditch a fully-fledged magical existence?
I think that the theory is highly unlikely, but possible. It’s certainly something to
think about, and Chudley really rolls off the tongue. What do you guys think? Was Chudley
a thing? Let me know in the comment section below.
Until next time
I am what I am and I’m not ashamed