Let’s talk about Snape, the cranky potions master at Hogwarts who everyone loved to hate. He was pretty bad at teaching, but his failure to teach Harry Occlumency was a special kind of terrible. So, why did Snape suck so bad at teaching Harry? Here are the top 5 reasons, and they’re not Harry’s fault:
He Had a Personal Grudge
Snape held a grudge against Harry’s dad, James Potter, and took it out on Harry during their Occlumency lessons. He had no patience and didn’t give a damn about Harry’s success.
He Wasn’t a Good Teacher
Snape was smart, but he didn’t know how to teach. He used insults and humiliation to try and motivate his students, which obviously didn’t work. If anything, it made them hate him even more.
He Couldn’t Relate to Harry
Harry was going through a lot during their lessons, what with the Triwizard Tournament and the looming threat of Voldemort’s return. But Snape couldn’t care less. He didn’t even try to relate to Harry or understand what he was going through.
He Didn’t Trust Harry
Snape was suspicious of Harry and thought he was hiding something. This made it hard for Harry to learn Occlumency because he couldn’t fully trust Snape. What a hot mess.
He Had Conflicting Motives
Snape was caught in between two worlds: his loyalty to Dumbledore and his allegiance to the Death Eaters. This made it difficult for him to fully commit to his role as Harry’s teacher, and it showed during their lessons.