Left: time-evolution of the shear angle θ of the post-flare loops which pass above the center of the PIL at x = y = 0. The 10 blue plus signs stand for the post-flare loops that have reconnected at most 1   t_A before the times at which they are drawn. Their corresponding loop apexes are z = 0.2,0.3,...,1,1.1. The red diamonds correspond to the post-flare loops passing through the same z values, which have formed at later times during the flare, while the former loops have relaxed and shrunk to lower z values. Right: dispersion of θ values of the post-flare loops along the PIL at t = 46   t_A, as a function of the altitude z of their apex. In both panels, θ values are measured from the footpoints of the post-flare loops.