The Dream Oracle

• Type: Divination textbook
• Owners: Unknown; found within the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts Castle.
• Maker: Authored by Inigo Imago.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.