Why the perfect tense is used

Question

In years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he half expected Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment. Yet the days crept by, and there could be no doubt that Fluffy was still alive and well behind the locked door.
It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell.

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Why the highlighted perfect tense is used in the example?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

eipjooIn years to come, Harry would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams

The main finite verb "would remember" describes a future time. His "having managed" clearly took place prior to the "remembering."

"How he managed to get through" (simple past) would not be incorrect.
The past perfect is usually optional --- a tool to clarify past sequences. (But sometimes its use is incorrect.)

As I think about it, I must admit that this is a special case. Usually, both time elements are in the past.
Perhaps the use of the modal verb "would," which is sometimes thought of as the past tense of "will," makes the past perfect seem right.
But it even seems to work with a present tense "main verb":
Harry now remembers that he had forgotten to lock the door.
An intermediate past tense experience seems to be implied.

(I'll try to find a better explanation.)

Why the perfect tense is used

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