rightful owner of the resurrection stone / Slythie followers of LV

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

No: HPFGUIDX 187139

Pippin wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/187062>:

<< Harry was not the rightful owner of the resurrection stone, either. Dumbledore stole it. >>

Maybe Harry WAS the rightful owner of the resurrection stone (the Peverell ring). It was passed as an inheritance to Marvolo and the only surviving descendent of Marvolo was TMR, but it is hard to argue that TMR was a less rightful owner than DD, because TMR got it by causing Marvolo and Morfin to die by framing them for his murder of the Riddles. Harry, descended from Ignotus Peverell, may have been the closest living relative, therefore rightful heir, of Antioch Peverell, original owner of the stone. (Carol, would Agnotus been as suitable a name as Ignotus for the Invisibility Cloak Wearer?)

However, I'm more inclined to think that DD acquired it rightfully, rather than stealing it from TMR. I feel that it was ownerless property at the time (as TMR was not a rightful owner) and therefore legitimate salvage. Would British laws about treasure trove apply to it?

Carol wrote in <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/187083>:

<< many people must have noticed that, with the presumed exception of Sirius Black, most of LV's followers, including those who claimed that they'd been Imperio'd, came from Slytherin. >>

Surely many of LV's followers, whether or not they claimed Imperio, were from other Houses. Because canon tells us that in those bad days, the first Voldemort Reign of Terror, no one knew whom to trust. So they couldn't use a guideline like 'People who were in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor are trustworthy'.