Update!
I got the skates back yesterday from Harlick. It's hard to say for sure without actually getting on the ice with them, but they seem to be a lot better. I can put them on without crying or wincing in pain, at least. My toes still touch the ends of the boots, but not painfully, and it may be resolved on-ice. In any case, it doesn't seem to hurt, so I'm not going to complain much.
A new problem cropped up, because my foot is now higher in the skate (because of the Superfeet insoles) there's a place that rubs against my bunion. I'm going to try those bunion stick-on pads and see if that will cushion it while the skates break in. Hopefully the problem will go away as the leather stretches with use. If not, I'll have to drive five hours and get them stretched.
I'm cautiously optimistic that the fixes Harlick did will work. Hopefully I can try them out at the rink soon.