After a two-year wait, muggles stormed the box office Tuesday night as 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' raked in the biggest midnight gross of all time, earning $22.2 million at the box office, according to Warner Bros.

With screenings beginning at 12:01 a.m. around the country, the sixth film in the phenomenal franchise beat out the top two record holders, 'The Dark Knight' and 'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith,' which earned midnight grosses of $18 and $17 million, respectively. Earlier this summer, 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' cracked $16 million for its initial midnight run.

In 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,' the boy wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) and his pals Hermione and Ron (Emma Watson and Rupert Grint) face danger in the halls of Hogwarts as Voldemort's minions attempt to pull off a nefarious plan. Meanwhile, the students find romantic distractions -- hormonal and via potent love potions -- all around them. With a used book of potion spells once belonging to the Half-Blood Prince, Harry must work with Dumbledore (Sir Michael Gambon) to uncover a vital secret.

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