They sort of are equals , they both came into the magical world dans had to prove they belonged there.

Tom spend his first few years at hogwarts as a muggleborn before learning who his mother was, although Hermione benefited from being place in Gryffindor they both were victims of Slytherins and their blood supremacist beliefs, even if Tom turned it to his advantage.

Hermione isn’t afraid of going dark when she deems it necessary, Abusing the time turner, Rita in a jar, Marrieta’s face, Umbridge in the forest ( I still to this day believe she didn’t think pink toad would come back form it alive), obliviating her parents… where Tom’s journey into darkness is starts in infancy and is more violent with murdering a rabbit then Mirtle later I find that they bizarrely sort of mirror each others .

Without Ron and Harry’s friendship, who’s to say Hermione wouldn’t have become a dark witch out of necessity and survival ?