The Casual Vacancy

could be like Krystal: funny and tough; impossible to intimidate; always coming out fighting.

She had asked Terri Weedon for two things, and they had been granted, because Terri agreed with everyone, always. The medal that Krystal had won that day was around her neck for her burial. The other request came, at the very end of the service, and this time, as he announced it, the vicar sounded resigned.

Good girl gone bad —
Take three —
Action.
No clouds in my storms…
Let it rain, I hydroplane into fame
Comin’ down with the Dow Jones…

Her family half carried Terri Weedon back down the royal-blue carpet, and the congregation averted its eyes.

Also by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(in Latin)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

(in Welsh, Ancient Greek and Irish)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Quidditch Through the Ages

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Copyright

First published in Great Britain in 2012 by Little, Brown and Hachette Digital

Copyright © J.K. Rowling 2012

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

‘Umbrella’: Written by Terius Nash, Christopher ‘Tricky’ Stewart, Shawn Carter and Thaddis Harrell © 2007 by 2082 Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Songs of Peer, Ltd. (ASCAP)/March Ninth Music Publishing (ASCAP)/Carter Boys Music (ASCAP)/EMI Music Publishing Ltd (PRS)/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (PRS). All rights on behalf of WB Music Corp. and 2082 Music Publishing Administered by Warner/Chappell North America Ltd. All Rights on behalf of March Ninth Music Publishing Controlled and Administered by Songs of Peer Ltd. (ASCAP). All Rights on behalf of Carter Boys Music Controlled and Administered by EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights on behalf of Thaddis Harrell Controlled and Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing.

‘Green, Green Grass of Home’: © 1965 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

ISBN: 978-1-4055-1922-9

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