======The Dream Oracle======
=====Object Information=====
  * **Type:** [[Divination]] textbook
  * **Owners:** Unknown; found within the [[Room of Requirement]] at [[Hogwarts Castle]].
  * **Maker:** Authored by [[Inigo Imago]].
=====Description and Appearance=====
The physical appearance of //The Dream Oracle// is not described in the novels. As a textbook on [[Divination]], it is a written guide to the magical art of oneiromancy, or dream interpretation. The title suggests its contents are focused on deciphering the prophetic meanings and symbols found within a [[witch]]'s or [[wizard]]'s dreams.
=====Magical Properties and Usage=====
//The Dream Oracle// does not possess active magical properties itself, but serves as a crucial instructional manual for a specific branch of [[Divination]]. Its purpose is to teach the reader how to interpret dreams to foresee future events. The practice is taught by [[Sybill Trelawney]] in her [[Divination]] classes at [[Hogwarts]], indicating that dream interpretation is a recognized, albeit imprecise, form of magical prediction. The book would likely contain chapters on common dream symbols, recurring prophetic visions, and methods for distinguishing between mundane dreams and genuine magical insights.
=====History=====
The book was written by the [[wizard]] [[Inigo Imago]], an author specializing in [[Divination]]. Its publication date and wider history are unknown. A copy was present in the [[Room of Requirement]] at [[Hogwarts]] during the 1995-1996 school year. The room, which provides whatever a seeker requires, manifested the book, suggesting a previous student or inhabitant of the castle had a need to study dream interpretation.
=====Role in the Story=====
//The Dream Oracle// makes a brief but significant appearance in //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//. While exploring the [[Room of Requirement]] as a potential headquarters for [[Dumbledore's Army]], [[Harry Potter]] notices the book on a shelf. He momentarily considers it might be useful, as he has been experiencing disturbing and increasingly realistic dreams involving a dark corridor in the [[Department of Mysteries]].
Although Harry never reads the book, its presence serves several narrative functions:
  * It validates that dream interpretation is a legitimate field of magical study, lending weight to the possibility that Harry's dreams are more than mere nightmares.
  * It highlights Harry's ongoing struggle with his mental connection to [[Lord Voldemort]] and foreshadows the critical role his dreams—and [[Voldemort]]'s manipulation of them—will play in the climax of the book.
  * It serves as an ironic counterpoint to the [[Occlumency]] lessons [[Severus Snape]] is forcing upon Harry, as the book represents an effort to //understand// visions while [[Occlumency]] is meant to //block// them.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * The author's name, [[Inigo Imago]], is likely a play on words. "Imago" is a Latin word meaning "image," "likeness," or "phantom," which directly relates to the imagery of dreams.
  * The book and its author are not mentioned in the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//.