Twilight Sparkle soon found herself in a special book store named "Flourish and Blotts." Surrounding her an all sides were shelves of books, mountains of books! Forests of books! Cascades...of books! Swamps of books! More books than one would ever be able to read in a lifetime! Books on every subject ever studied, by every author who ever set pen to paper...!
Her jaw dropped as she looked at all of the novels, manuscripts, and tomes. All of that text, just waiting to be read! But before she could start drooling, and embarrass herself further, Spike hissed in her ear.
"We've got to buy only what's on the list, Sparkle."
"But Spiiiiiiiiiikkkeeeee!" Twilight whinned. "Uhg, fine!" She looked at the list in her hand. It was all too easy to find the books, and Bathilda Bagshot's A History of Magic looked like it would be an interesting read (at least, for an egghead like Twilight). So, when they left the book store, Twilight made a mental note to return before she left for Equestria at the end of the school year.
As they walked to a cloak-maker's shop, Twilight marked off the books that she had bought on her checklist. The store's name was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and Twilight couldn't help but think that Rarity would either love seeing this world's fashion, or gasp at how dull the robes' colors had to be. Apparently, uniforms had to be black, white, and grey.
On the way to the robe store, Twilight passed by a candy store that was next to a broomstick shop. She was reminded of Pinkie Pie, seeing the sugar-hyped wizard kids marveling at the newest broom that sat in the store window. Twilight shook her head. Pinkie? On a flying broomstick? That was just a disaster waiting to happen.
Upon walking into the store, Twilight was greeted by a squat woman who was dressed in a floral robe. "Hello, dearie. What are you looking for? I'm sure I've got your size."
"Are you Madam Malkin?" Twilight smiled.
The lady nodded. "Oh, yes. Are you looking for a Hogwarts uniform?"
"Yes, I am."
Twilight held still for her fitting while Spike and Owlowiscious sat to the side and watched. Soon, another child walked into the store.
"Oh, mother! This store is far beneath the Great and Powerful Trixie's standards! The Great and Powerful Trixie needs a great and powerful uniform to match her great and powerfulness."
Twilight's eyes widened as she heard the familiar voice. She looked at Spike, who in turn shrugged. Was it possible that there were others that she knew in her world here?
"Uh, hello? The Great and Powerful Trixie needs service!"
Madam Malkin sighed as she went to see what Trixie wanted. The two returned a little while later.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie has graced her shop with her preasence, now try not to poke the Great and Powerful Trixie with any pins this time, will you?" The girl, Trixie, stood still, her white-blond hair laying loosely on her shoulders as she tried not to twitch without her purple cloak and hat on.
"Hi," Twilight waved stiffly, as to not bump any pins into her own skin.
Trixie nodded, as if she had just now taken notice of the other girl. "Greetings." Her eyes then scanned Twilight Sparkle, and she felt the odd sensation of being judged. "The Great and Powerful Trixie doubts you'd last a week."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Trixie scoffed. "At Hogwarts, duh! The Great and Powerful Trixe has no doubts that she will be a great Slitherin like her father before her, but you, you will probably be sorted into somewhere dumb, like Hufflepuff."
"What are you talking about, 'sorted'?"
Her's head spun around sharply, and she winced as the action caused a pin to poke her. "You don't know about the Hogwarts houses?! Oh, you are so Hufflepuff. Probably a muggle-born, too."
Twilight rolled her eyes and opted for staying silent throughout the rest of her fitting. Once she, Spike, and Owlowiscious were out the door, she sighed in relief and scratched off "uniforms" from her list. She was able to finish off most of the other items on her list at a store named "Slug & Jiggers Apothecary," as well as at a few of the many street carts that filled the alley.
"Last stop, Spike," Twilight grinned. "Ollivander's Wand Shop."
"Why do you need a wand?" Spike muttered sleepily. Shopping wore him out, and some of the stores were stranger than the Sofas and Quills back at Ponyville.
Twilight sighed. "Since I no longer have a horn, I cannot focus my magic. With a wand, I can." She turned her head towards the baby dragon. "Besides, it's on the list."
Spike snorted before drifting off to sleep. Twilight shook her head, making a mental note to buy him ice cream for being a trooper. She turned to walk indoors.
"Ah, Miss Twilight Sparkle!" A strange man spoke up from behind the counter. "I never thought I'd see the day when Celestia's protoge would come to visit." He winked at Twilight before continuing. "Ah, but you aren't just here visiting. You need a wand."
Twilight nodded mutely. How did this man know her name?
"I am Garrick Ollivander, and...oh! Here it is." Ollivander held out a wand. "Try this. It's holly, 11", with a phoenix feather core."
Twilight picked up the wand. "What do I do with it?"
"Give it a wave! If you don't try, then how will you know if it's the right one? The wand chooses the wizard, you know."
Twilight wave the wand gently. It promptly did nothing.
"No, no, no. Try this one."
That wand did nothing, either. Nor did any of the dozen-or-so other wands that Twilight tried. Finally one of the wands shot out sparks in a shade of magenta that matched Twilight's normal magical aura. This wand was a 10 1/4", yew wand with a unicorn hair core. The last part was somewhat predictable considering everything.
The three left Ollivander's and headed straight for the ice cream shop. Twilight figured they deserved it.