Hundreds of Harry Potter fans braved the hot, humid weather late Tuesday night to catch the opening of J.K. Rowling's latest sequel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, at the Shanghai Film Art Center.

The sixth installment of the big-screen adaptation of the Potter series opens with a moody orchestral tone, which transports viewers back to the land of the Hogwarts and the Muggles. The cast, now in their teenage years, are forced to face up to the dark forces waiting beyond the enchanted gate of Hogwarts School, including the evil Lord Voldemort.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (sidekick Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) are back with the addition of Jim Broadbent as Potions Professor Horace Slughorn, whose memoirs are key in the battle against the Dark Lord.