Ch 76 - “I have had two mentors, over the course of my days. Both were extraordinarily perceptive, and neither one ever told me the things I wasn’t seeing. It’s clear enough why the first said nothing, but the second...” Snape’s face tightened. “I suppose I would have to be naive, to ask why he stayed silent.”
I’ve actually wondered which mentor is which, in Snape’s telling: my guess is that the first one is Voldemort, and that Snape thinks it’s “clear enough” that Voldemort didn’t tell him Lily was shallow because he either didn’t know or didn’t care. The second one is Dumbledore, who didn’t tell him Lily was shallow because Snape was only useful to him as long as he still loved her. And Snape would have to be naive to ask why Dumbledore stayed silent, when it’s obvious that speaking up could only weaken Snape’s loyalty.
I’ve actually wondered which mentor is which, in Snape’s telling: my guess is that the first one is Voldemort, and that Snape thinks it’s “clear enough” that Voldemort didn’t tell him Lily was shallow because he either didn’t know or didn’t care. The second one is Dumbledore, who didn’t tell him Lily was shallow because Snape was only useful to him as long as he still loved her. And Snape would have to be naive to ask why Dumbledore stayed silent, when it’s obvious that speaking up could only weaken Snape’s loyalty.