GoF CH 1-3 post DH look/ Owner of the Riddle house

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 181731

Potioncat:
Haven't a clue. But had it had ever been written into a T-BAY format--
we'd consider it sunk. (I think.)

We thought the identity of the owner must be important. Lucius Malfoy
was also in the running, IIRC. I'm not sure if anyone else was
considered. The thinking may have been that DD suspected the property
would be important later, so used his contacts to purchase it. I
can't explain how it would be that if DD owned it, LV would be able
to slither in so comfortably.

Alla:

Heeee, maybe DD purchased it to trap Voldemort or something? I do 
know that we thought it was important, I just wanted to see the  
chain of reasoning that lead people to believe that Dumbledore will 
be that important person.

Maybe it is sort of literary economy reasoning? As in IF the owner is 
important, it must be someone whom we already know and Dumbledore may 
fit the bill or something?

Like the eavesdropper's identity, which I (and many many people I am 
sure) guessed as being Snape for similar reasoning. Only eavesdropper 
identity did turn out to be important and this owner is I guess Mark 
Evans' relative.

Although as you said, to me he does not fit the bill, since I cannot 
imagine him allowing Voldemort just spent time there for his own 
private amusement, hehe.


Potioncat:
Who knows why it may have been empty? Remnants of the curse? poor
location? bad realtor? Why someone was was making a long distance
effort to maintain it? Heck for all we know, Frank wasn't being paid
by anyone, he was just living there because no one had evicted him.

Alla:

Heeee, bad realtor all right.


Carol responds:

If Wormtail or someone other Wizard were taking care of the house,
Frank Bryce wouldn't still be working there. 

Alla:

When I said taking care of it, I actually did not mean that they were 
doing chores there necessarily, I meant that they may have taken care 
of whatever things that were needed to make Voldemort's the owner,  
if he is the owner – of legalities, etc. What I am trying to say is 
that I do not see why they still would not need Frank to do menial 
shores around the house, no matter who the owner is.

Carol:
Also, I'm sure that Tom
Sr. didn't acknowledge Tom Jr. as his heir and that the Muggle
police, etc. didn't know of his existence or they'd have believed
Frank's story of a pale, dark-haired teenage boy running from the
scene. Rather than being the heir, he'd be the prime suspect
(murdering the father who cut him off his inheritance).

Alla:

Well, I am not so sure.  I mean if he knew that Merope was pregnant, 
which was not clear one way or another, yes?  Maybe he decided that 
he will provide for the child after all, not that I will blame him 
one bit if he did not.

But before I get too much into that idea of Voldemort's being the 
owner, let me say it now that I do know that canon does not give 
strong evidence to support it, just to me it is a speculation that 
makes sense. Or at least more sense than Dumbledore being said owner.

I mean, I am not sure what Muggle police not knowing of his existence 
has anything to do with him possibly inheriting the house. I am not 
suggesting that his father invited him for dinner or something, I am 
pretty positive that he would not be happy to see Merope or him, I am 
saying that maybe Tom put Voldie in the will, that's all.

I am not insisting on this speculation, just do not see anything that 
contradicts it much.

Carol:
I think that idea that DD was the rich owner comes from his being
aware of frank Bryce's existence (and death) and of his protecting
people like Trelawney and Hagrid who were in some danger from LV.
(Frank was falsely accused by the Muggle police but not actually
framed aby Tom Jr. as Morfin Gaunt was.)

Alla:

Maybe there was some sort of spell on the house as well?

Carol:
Anyway, I don't think that Baby!mort is there with the owner's
permission (IOW, I don't think he's the absentee owner). I see no
reason not to believe the statement about its being a rich Muggle,
which is never contradicted or corrected elsewhere.


Alla:

Totally possible, just wondering how indeed the Muggle got the house.