His Equal [Tom Riddle]

six

Kepi wandered down the halls searching for "Barnabas the Barmy".  She was carrying a small bag containing the candles that she had purchased from Diagon Alley hours earlier, and the rats were stuffed deep into her pockets, still sleeping from before.

"Nassor, why are you walking around like a blind oaf?"  A harsh voice cut through the silence.  Kepi's brown orbs shot towards none other than Tom Riddle, who was walking irritably towards her.  "I've been waiting for you for nearly ten minutes."

"You didn't give me the greatest of directions, Riddle," Kepi rolled her eyes.  Tom grunted and began guiding her in the opposite direction that she has been walking in.  They finally came across the most ridiculous tapestry that Kepi had ever seen.  She rose her brows at it as they stopped.  "So we're going to practice in the middle of a corridor?  With these weird ballerina trolls watching us? Grand idea."

"Shut up, Nassor, you don't know who you're talking to," Tom mumbled before a door appeared on the wall across from them.  Kepi glanced at him, amused by what he had just said, and followed him through the double doors. She was growing used to Tom's lack of tact when speaking with her, and despite his blood status, she didn't find herself very offended.

"This is cool, do a lot of people know about it?"  She asked, staring at her reflection in the black marble floor.  The whole room was completely empty, minus some candles lining the walls.  Shadows danced along their faces as they migrated towards the center of the room.

"No.  As far as I know, I'm the only person aware of its existence."

"Interesting," Kepi murmured as she kneeled down onto the ground. She placed the yellow and red candle out next to her and lit them with a silent lumos spell.

"Why did you light candles?"  Tom questioned warily.  Kepi rose her eyes to him, meeting his suspicious gaze. In this light he looked more menacing than ever, but Kepi was far from intimidated. She gestured for him to sit down across from her as she sank into a cross-legged position. 

"These candles will enhance your magical performance.  Every deital spell comes with a plethora of its own difficulties, which is why this kind of magic is so time-consuming and nearly impossible to learn. The red puts you in touch with the raw power inside of your soul.  The yellow puts you in touch with your mental ability."

"I don't see how candles could do that . . . it's probably a scam."

Kepi sighed, realizing that this night would be full of skeptical comments.  "Take off your bag."

"Don't demand me to do anything," Tom warned as he slid his bag off of his shoulder.  A book slid out slightly as it fell onto the ground, revealing "Wandmaking".

"Wanna be a wandmaker, do ya, Riddle?" Kepi teased, nodding towards the book. 

"I find it beneficial to be well-read in a multitude of areas. Wands happen to interest me, but no, I have no ambitions to make them." Tom's eyes fluttered over towards Kepi's wand, which was sticking out of her robe pocket.  "Let me see your wand."

Kepi shrugged, having no real use for the modern tool, and handed it over to him. Tom inspected the wand in the dim candle light, bending it with a certain satisfaction.

"Walnut?"

"Mhm."

"Flexible . . . what's the core?"

"Dragon heartstring."

Tom nodded, impressed, and conjured up a table.  He flicked Kepi's wand towards it, blowing it up into a million pieces, though his magic felt clumsy.  "Powerful. Walnut wands can cause a great amount of damage if paired with the correct wizard. Dragon heartstring is also quite adept with the dark arts."