"It may have caught your attention that these lessons have yet to prove effective. You'd think that after all the time we've spent together you'd improve even moderately. Yet, you've somehow done the opposite. Now answer me this Potter, do you want to die?" The question had been asked with such a bored tone, he could've been talking about the weather. It took Harry quite off guard, but he quickly got himself together.
"No, sir" he answered simply, dreading to find out where this was going.
"You do not? Oh I see, do you want your friends to die? Do you feel special that you are able to have these dreams you speak of? Or perhaps, you just like wasting my time?" Snape's voice was now iron and Harry had to use every ounce of strength to not look away.
"I am trying, sir" Harry managed to say through clenched teeth.
"No, Potter! I know you are one of the most useless students in Hogwart's history, but I refuse to believe that you have done everything you can to learn to Occlude. Even you should have made some progress. Now what do I have to say to make the importance of this sink into your thick skull?"
"I do know the importance of this-", Snape scoffed. "No, but I do! It's just…" Harry shut his mouth, and squeezed his eyes shut. He was too tired for this.
"It's just what, Potter? Too hard for the Golden Boy?"
"Have you ever considered the fact that maybe I just don't have it?" Harry spat, feeling the tiredness of everything and the anger bubbling in his veins. Snape raised a brow.
"It, Potter?" he repeated silkily.
"You said it yourself that full grown wizards have failed to learn Occlumency, and you keep saying that I'm useless, so why the hell do you believe I'm even able to learn it?" There was a pause where Harry took a deep breath. He had to control his anger, or yesterday's incident would repeat itself.
"Because we have to believe, Potter", Snape finally answered. "It's our only hope" Harry stared at the serious man, feeling the colour drain from his face. So they didn't actually know if he was able? He was wasting hours and hours being tormented and humiliated down here, and he doesn't even know if it will be worth it?
Dragging his fingers through his hair, he sighed.
"You may be useless as you put it, Potter, but you do have a strong ally which can be useful" Snape started quietly. Harry frowned and looked up at the man.
"You find yourself in trouble over and over again, Potter. Yet you always survive. Why is that?" Harry thought hard. What had helped him survive all those ridiculous plans, and those encounters with Voldemort?
"My friends and family" Harry said with confidence